Properties: Pungent, hot, (whole herb only: sweet)
Meridans Entered:
Primary: Heart and Lung
Traditional Actions/Indications: Seed:
- Nourishes the brain and kidneys
Dizziness, tinnitus
Cough and wheezing due to Kidney dificiency
Early white beard and hair
- Regulates the menstruation and the flow of Blood in the channels
Amenorrhea, abnormal menstruation
Scabies
Vitiligo
- Promotes lactation
Insufficient lactation
- Promotes urination and expels stones
Urinary stones, kidney stones
Oedema
Whole Herb:
- Regulate Qi and nourished the Heart
Palpitations, insomnia
Physical weakness
- Dispels Wind and relieve cough
Colds,flu and cough
Suggested Daily Dosage: 1.5-6g of seeds or 9-15g of whole herb in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated to pregnant women and Heat syndromes.
Notes:
Nigella seeds hold a special place in Islamic medicine due to a hadith that reports the Prophet saying: "Use this Black Seed regularly, because it is a cure for every disease, except death." (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Does not appear in any formulae listed on this site
Research Links & References: (click to display)
Research Links:
Reference Notes:
Individual herb information has sourced mainly from TCM Wiki and American Dragon for basic data and then updated manually with my own notes. Zhou, Xie and Yan (2011): Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Vol. 5, has been used for entries not available from those sources with additional material searched for and filled in where available. Western herbs not appearing in the Chinese literature have used Ross (2010): Combining Western Herbs and Chinese Medicine: A Clinical Materia Medica, White Rabbit Institute of Healing and therapeutika.ch. Choices of which source to use or combine have been my own.
These pages are intended to assist clinicians and are not intended for self-diagnosis or treatment for which a qualified professional should be consulted. Actions and indications are taken from traditional uses and do not necessarily reflect the evidence base which should be researched independently. Dosages are for guidance only and will vary dependening on the potency of the batch and the tolerance of the individual so should be evaluated by a professional based on individual needs.
