Verdict No. 3027 · Search date 2026-09-08 · Methodology v1.0
Oral Nigella sativa seed oil as adjunctive therapy,
does it really help with Improved ACT symptom control in adults continuing inhaled asthma therapy?
30-Second Summary
C
Evidence Grade C · 50 · Safety caution
The 12-week 1- or 2-g/day seed-powder trial was not merged with this oil verdict.
Composition varies by product and extraction method. People who are pregnant or breastfeeding, children, those with liver or kidney disease, and anyone using glucose-, blood-pressure-, anticoagulant-, antiseizure-, or immune-modifying medicines should seek clinical advice. Small trials cannot exclude rare or long-term harms.
What the
research showsGrade C with 50 points. In an 80-person randomized trial, four-week ACT was 21.1 with seed oil versus 19.6 with placebo (P=.044), but ten participants withdrew from each arm and FEV1 was null.
research showsGrade C with 50 points. In an 80-person randomized trial, four-week ACT was 21.1 with seed oil versus 19.6 with placebo (P=.044), but ten participants withdrew from each arm and FEV1 was null.
What the
ads claimThe study did not test replacement of inhalers or prevention of attacks and hospitalization.
ads claimThe study did not test replacement of inhalers or prevention of attacks and hospitalization.
Useful facts when choosing a product
- This verdict applies only to the exact plant part, formulation, route, dose, population, endpoint, and comparator shown above.
- Seed powder, fixed oil, aqueous extract, ethanolic topical preparation, purified thymoquinone, and combinations are not interchangeable.
- Composition varies by product and extraction method. People who are pregnant or breastfeeding, children, those with liver or kidney disease, and anyone using glucose-, blood-pressure-, anticoagulant-, antiseizure-, or immune-modifying medicines should seek clinical advice. Small trials cannot exclude rare or long-term harms.
Chamgap Semantic Classification Code
Permanent code issued
S.nigella-sativa.oral.asthma-control.improve.addonSupplements and nutraceuticals > Nigella sativa > Oral > Asthma control > Improvement claim > Add-on to common maintenance care
Issued for the ACT claim as add-on to inhaled maintenance therapy; seed powder, exacerbations, and FEV1 remain separate. The code identifies the intervention and claim; it never contains the evidence grade, score, or safety result.
Exact Claim Classification
These independent facets prevent evidence from different forms, routes, populations, effects, and comparators from being mixed.
| Intervention class | S · Supplement or nutraceutical |
|---|---|
| Canonical ingredient or intervention | Nigella sativa |
| Source or part used | Nigella sativa L. seed |
| Formulation or processing | Fixed seed-oil capsules; seed powder kept as supportive evidence |
| Route | Oral |
| Dose | Seed oil 500 mg twice daily |
| Duration | Four weeks of treatment and follow-up |
| Population | Adults with asthma continuing inhaled maintenance therapy |
| Effect or condition | Improved asthma symptom control |
| Primary endpoint | Four-week Asthma Control Test score |
| Comparator | Matched placebo added to common maintenance therapy |
| Duplicate-detection key | nigella-sativa|seed-oil-capsule|oral|adult-asthma-on-inhaled-maintenance|act-improvement|4-weeks |
Gap Measurement · Verdict 3027 · C 50
What the research actually shows
Seed oil or placebo was added for four weeks while inhaled maintenance treatment continued.
Why this is classified as C (50)
A patient-centered endpoint and independent funding are offset by one small, short trial, 25% attrition, and a modest effect, yielding C with 50 points.
Counterpoint. Uncertainty does not prove no effect, but a signal from one formulation cannot validate another formulation or claim.
Rejudgment record. Independent Codex cross-check — One page, one route, one population, one claim, one principal comparator
Scoring profile behind this grade
| Endpoint | P | Patient-reported treatment goal - the symptom is the goal |
| Replication | R1 | Single confirmatory trial |
| Independence | I2 | Decisive evidence is publicly or non-profit funded |
| Effect size | E~ | Statistically positive but below the threshold |
| Precision | C0 | The confidence interval leaves room for benefit |
The scoring table and the verdict agree (C).
Cross-check — AI research and Codex final gate
AI was used for research and drafting. Blind grading, adversarial audit, and the methodology boundary rules were then reapplied before Codex performed the final evidence, grade, copy, and build checks. If a grade cannot be narrowed, both evidence positions and their reasons are published.
Evidence Table
| Study | Design | Sample | Funding | Endpoint | Result | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Effectiveness of Nigella sativa supplementation for asthma control | The cited controlled design and its allocation or masking limitations were independently checked. | 10 | Funding, product support, and employee authorship were assessed separately; unverified items were not counted as strengths. | The principal endpoint is defined in the exact facets; secondary outcomes remain separate. | The verified quantitative result is reported in the English reader answer and rationale without inventing missing confidence intervals. | Registered randomized evidence; high attrition |
| The effects of two doses of Nigella sativa on asthma control | The cited controlled design and its allocation or masking limitations were independently checked. | 26 | Funding, product support, and employee authorship were assessed separately; unverified items were not counted as strengths. | The principal endpoint is defined in the exact facets; secondary outcomes remain separate. | The verified quantitative result is reported in the English reader answer and rationale without inventing missing confidence intervals. | Different formulation and duration |
Receipt — 2 References
All 2 cited sources were verified for existence at the original page (as of 2026-09-08).
Koshak A et al. Effectiveness of Nigella sativa supplementation for asthma control. Phytother Res. 2017. PMID: 28093815. DOI: 10.1002/ptr.5761. NCT02407262.
checkedSalem AM et al. Nigella sativa supplementation and asthma control. Ann Saudi Med. 2017. PMID: 28151459. PMCID: PMC6148976. DOI: 10.5144/0256-4947.2017.64. ISRCTN48853858.
checkedResearch and draft: AI used · Cross-check: blind grading and adversarial audit
Final verification and publication gate: Codex · Verification cutoff: 2026-09-08 · Corrections: none
Final verification and publication gate: Codex · Verification cutoff: 2026-09-08 · Corrections: none
Cite this verdict
[Chamgap] Nigella Seed Oil for Adult Asthma Control—A Small Four-Week ACT Difference With High Attrition — Evidence Grade C·50. 2 cited sources checked. Source: https://chamgap.com/en/verdicts/immunity/oral-nigella-sativa-oil-adjunct-asthma-control/ · CC BY 4.0CC BY 4.0 — free to use with attribution; do not distort grades, numbers, or verdict meaning.
What this document does and does not do
Chamgap is an information source. It reports what research has and has not confirmed; it does not tell readers what to take or buy. That decision belongs to readers and, when needed, medical or legal professionals. This verdict reflects literature available up to the search date and may change as new research appears. Nothing here is medical advice.