Roasting Black Seeds Before Pressing for Oil: Misinterpreted Study Clarification

Ok, so someone sent me a link to a recent study which concluded that thermally activating and heating Nigella sativa seed before pressing produced more anti cancer activity in the bso. Apparently it has been asserted that the study found that heated black seeds were more effective than black seed oil???? Uuuuuh no. The study was not comparing seeds to oil. Its goal was to prove the effects of heat on the NS seed and how this altered the curative potency of the OIL yielded from these roasted black seeds. Here's an excerpt from the article:

"...heating the NS seeds to 50°C, 100°C, or 150°C produced oil with a strong ability to inhibit tumor cell growth; no heating or heating to 25°C had a mild antiproliferative effect; and heating to 200°C or 250°C had no effect. Similar patterns were obtained for the thymoquinone content of the corresponding oils, which showed an excellent correlation with the antiproliferative data."

I should note that traditionally in BSO production, the seeds are usually heated prior to pressing, as this decreases bitterness and helps yield more oil. Cold pressing basically means that that certain temps are maintained during the extracting, and has NOTHING to do with whether the seeds are roasted beforehand.

Also, this study does NOT suggest that roasted seeds are superior to black seed oil, which is a gross misinterpretation of the study! The study found that heating seeds to a certain temperature before making oil increased the curative nutrients of the finished product--BSO. There is nothing about comparing heated seeds to oil in the findings at all. What the abstract DOES say is that seeds roasted at 50°C, 100°C, or 150°C produced more cancer prohibitive properties in the oils that were pressed from them. And since roasting before pressing is something typically done this would suggest that most cold pressed black seed oils have these added benefits. Well, the brands that are undiluted anyway.

So here's what these scientists proved about BSO made from heated vs non heated seeds: "While NS oil from heated seeds delayed the expression of NF-κB transcription, non-heated seeds resulted in only 50% inhibition. The data indicate that controlled thermal processing of NS seeds (at 50°C–150°C) produces significantly higher anticancer activity associated with a higher thymoquinone oil content, and inhibits the NF-κB signaling pathway."

So, heating the seeds at these controlled temps made their oils better than those extracted from unheated seeds basically. The unheated NS produced oils with inhibition of anti cancer activity 50% less than the heated seed oils. Absolutely states Nothing about roasted black cumin seeds being more effective than any black seed oil or BSO made from non-heated seeds being completely ineffective.

This data also proves that overheating the seeds kills their benefits, which is why cold pressing is the best method for any oil.

There have been heated debates here on CZ about whether or not heating the black seeds before consumption was necessary or not. It's been argued that not heating the black seeds would cause tummy troubles. That is still a matter of tolerance and taste. I can eat unheated seeds with no stomach irritation, but if this gives you digestive issues by all means heat before you eat. As I do often cook with black seed and encourage others to use it in their own recipes, knowing that roasted seeds produced a higher efficacy in its oil is great. I also think this speaks to the quality of your seeds as well.

Anyway, I thank the individual who sent me the link and I'm sharing it below. Again, do your own due diligence and read these things for yourself. Misinformation usually comes from a basic lack of comprehension, and where our health is concerned we should do our research a much as possible!

https://www.dovepress.com/anticancer-activity-of-nigella-sativa-black-seed-and-its-relationship--peer-reviewed-article-DDDT
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