No evidence that black seed oil is “most anti-inflammatory food in the world”, contrary to chiropractor Eric Berg’s claim

Black seed oil is widely promoted across social media as a panacea for a range of ailments. A TikTok video from chiropractor Eric Berg, posted in August 2026, claimed it is the “#1 most anti-inflammatory food in the world” and that “one little teaspoon” reduced joint inflammation “better than ibuprofen”. He attributed this effect to a chemical compound named thymoquinone, which he described as a “unique compound” with “a direct anti-inflammatory effect comparable to over-the-counter pain medications”. A similar video from Berg was posted to YouTube with Spanish subtitles.

Berg sells black seed oil in his online shop, which describes black seed oil as “promoting cardiovascular and metabolic health, and support[ing] cholesterol balance”.

Berg isn’t the only one though. Videos touting the health benefits of black seed oil have been posted by others, including this one promoting black seed oil gummies for treating neuropathy and another claiming it improves diabetes. On YouTube alone, there are roughly 11,000 videos with the hashtag #blackseedoil.

In this review, we look at the scientific evidence for the claim that black seed oil is effective for treating inflammation and diabetes.

Studies suggest promising effects, but additional research still needed

Black seed oil comes from the plant Nigella sativa, also called black cumin, and has been used in folk remedies for a variety of ailments for about 2,000 years. Research has shown that black seed oil contains a number of chemical compounds with clinical relevance. One of these is called thymoquinone, which Berg mentioned in his TikTok video.

Studies specifically on thymoquinone

One study found that thymoquinone prevented the growth of various disease-causing bacteria, including Salmonella and Escherichia coli, and had anti-inflammatory properties^[1]. However, these effects were observed under laboratory conditions that aren’t representative of the human body.

Findings from animal studies support the idea that orally administered thymoquinone could help treat certain inflammatory conditions. One study reported that it reduced inflammation in mice with gastritis^[2] and another found it reduced swelling in inflamed mouse paws^[3].

Another study looked at the effect of thymoquinone on diabetes-induced liver damage in rats. It found that liver damage was reduced—but not entirely avoided—in diabetic rats fed with thymoquinone compared to diabetic rats in the control group^[4]. This finding correlated with lower levels of inflammation markers in the former compared to the latter.

On the website ClinicalTrials.gov, we found one trial conducted by researchers in Iraq that looked at whether thymoquinone could be used as an adjunct therapy for diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage caused by high blood sugar). The trial was completed in September 2025, but the results of the trial aren’t available on the website and we were unable to locate a published study containing the results of the trial elsewhere.

In summary, thymoquinone shows promising anti-inflammatory effects in laboratory and animal studies. Clinical trials looking into its effects in humans are also underway, but there’s currently a lack of data from such studies.

Studies on black seed oil

Other studies looked at black seed oil supplementation in general rather than thymoquinone specifically.

For example, one study that included 114 diabetic patients examined whether black seed oil supplementation, in addition to oral diabetes medication, enhanced the reduction in fasting blood glucose levels^[5]. The study found that the group that took black seed oil for one year had better blood sugar levels compared to the placebo group. But it found no difference in insulin resistance between both groups.

One drawback of the study was that researchers didn’t track diet and physical activity in the participants. These variables also affect blood glucose levels, but their effects couldn’t be accounted for in the study. The patients were also on different forms of treatment, which could also influence the results.

A 2025 review of the scientific evidence examined the effect of black seed supplementation on markers of cardiovascular and metabolic health in people with type 2 diabetes^[6]. Examining 16 randomized controlled trials, the researchers found that supplementation was associated with lower fasting blood glucose levels, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (what we often call “bad” cholesterol).

The review authors concluded that black seed oil could be useful in improving blood sugar control when used together with conventional diabetes treatment. But they also acknowledged certain limitations about the data, such as the fact that most studies it looked at were conducted in Asia, making it difficult to generalize the results to other populations.

In addition, the study populations differed from one study to another, in terms of variables like sample size, age, and the dose and duration of supplementation. Apart from that, the analysis also couldn’t account for confounding factors like participants’ smoking status and the treatments received.

A 2021 review of the scientific literature found that black seed oil supplementation correlated with lower levels of inflammatory markers in people with the autoimmune disease rheumatoid arthritis^[7]. However, the clinical trials were quite small; in all the trials examined, there were fewer than 50 people included in control and treatment groups each.

In summary, black seed oil supplementation appears to be helpful in improving blood sugar control in people with diabetes, and it might be helpful in mitigating inflammation in people with rheumatoid arthritis. But these studies were typically small and failed to account for the effect of confounding factors, making it difficult to ascertain how much of the differences between the control and treatment groups were due to black seed oil.

Last but not least, none of the studies used black seed oil as a treatment in itself—it was used as an additional therapy on top of conventional medical treatments.

Berg’s company The Health & Wellness Center, Inc. did not respond to our request for comment.

Inflammation is widely misunderstood

Inflammation is often vilified in wellness circles on social media, with some influencers singling it out for every ailment and promoting ways to reverse it. This is misleading because not all forms of inflammation are harmful. Acute inflammation is part of our body’s natural response to injury or infection. Many of the biochemical changes that occur during acute inflammation are intended to help the body contain the damage and recover from it.

It’s true that inflammation, especially when it occurs in excess or over a long period of time, can damage the body instead of helping. It’s also true that it’s associated with various diseases like type 2 diabetes and autoimmune diseases. But it’s an oversimplification to claim that all inflammation is bad. Harvard Health explains:

“Even if you could completely eliminate inflammation (which is not possible) you wouldn’t want to. Quashing inflammation leaves you vulnerable to deadly infections. Your body couldn’t effectively respond to allergens and toxins or recover from injuries.”

Conclusion

Overall, animal studies and small clinical studies suggest that black seed oil could improve control of blood sugar in people with diabetes, when used with conventional diabetes medication. They also suggest that black seed oil supplementation could reduce inflammation in people with rheumatoid arthritis. However, these studies were quite small and larger clinical trials are still needed to better understand the effects of black seed oil on these medical conditions.

It’s also important to note that none of these studies suggest black seed oil can prevent or treat diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis on its own. Social media claims that promote black seed oil as a kind of miracle cure for diseases are based on hype, not evidence.

References:

1. Fareid et al. (2026) Exploring the Multifaceted Phytochemical Profile of Nigella sativa and the Therapeutic Potential of Thymoquinone. Pharmaceuticals.
2. Hossen et al. (2017) Thymoquinone: An IRAK1 inhibitor with in vivo and in vitro anti-inflammatory activities. Scientific Reports.
3. Hijazy et al. (2023) Thymoquinone counteracts oxidative and inflammatory machinery in carrageenan-induced murine paw edema model. Environmental Science and Pollution Research.
4. Hafez et al. (2024) Thymoquinone attenuates diabetes-induced hepatic damage in rat via regulation of oxidative/nitrosative stress, apoptosis, and inflammatory cascade with molecular docking approach. Scientific Reports.
5. Kaatabi et al. (2015) Nigella sativa Improves Glycemic Control and Ameliorates Oxidative Stress in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Placebo Controlled Participant Blinded Clinical Trial. PLoS One.
6. Karimi et al. (2025) Effects of black seed (Nigella sativa L.) on cardiometabolic indices in type 2 diabetic patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs. Complementary Therapies in Medicine.
7. Zielińska et al. (2021) The Role of Bioactive Compounds of Nigella sativa in Rheumatoid Arthritis Therapy—Current Reports. Nutrients.