Super Seeds

Words Batul S. and Nooriya J.
Illustration Fatema A.

It used to be the same old story every morning. Wake up, get dressed and attack my bowl of cereal before rushing off to school with a ‘khuda hafiz’ no one really heard.

One day there was a minor change to that routine. My dad would tell me to put those seven seeds in my mouth and then he would say “Do you feel the power of the kalonji filling up your mouth?” To which I would inevitably roll my eyes.

If only I had known that these words originated from Rasulullah (SAW) himself when he spoke about the innumerable ‘powers’ of kalonji (black seeds). It is said that he consumed the little black seeds with honey everyday. Our beloved Aqa moula’s (TUS) farmaan is the same for all of us, to consume 7 kalonji seeds with a smidge of honey daily.

Thousands of mumineen, like me, follow in the advice, but do we know how these little black seeds give Superman a run for his money?

Kalonji in english is known as Nigella (not the chef) sativa . In Arabic cultures, it is known as Habbatul barakah, meaning the “seed of blessing”. Kalonji seeds contain more than 100 components and possess excellent powers of healing. It is a powerful remedy for many diseases including aches, congestion and a wide range of skin problems.

The most promising research done linked them to multi-drug resistant bacteria. This is a real big deal because these “superbugs” are becoming a real Bane to our Batman. These antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria have become almost impossible to treat; tuberculosis, influenza, malaria and candida are just some of these life-threatening diseases. It was found that these tiny black seeds were especially effective against these super-villain strains.

The key to understanding why kalonji benefits the body in this way is due to its richness in 3 key natural chemicals: thymoquinone (TQ), thymohydroquinone (THQ) and thymol. And no, you don’t need special powers to decipher the monstrosity that are these words.

TQ is known for its antioxidant capacity (fights free radicals which cause damage to our body), anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. It protects our liver, and gives diabetes, asthma and cancer a showdown they deserve.

THQ is known for its ability to keep the nerve signalling in our brain active, and is used against conditions like Alzheimer’s, Autism, Dementia, Parkinson’s and many other neurodegenerative diseases.

Thymol (active ingredient in thyme oil) is known for its antiviral properties and is known to kill various viruses. Sadly, not the kind that kills your computer.

The top superpowers of kalonji therefore are:

• Anti-cancer
• Liver healing
• Prevents diabetes
• Aids in weight loss
• Prevents hair loss and strengthens hair
• Promotes skin health
• Fights resistant infections
• Cure cough/colds
• Lower cholesterol/blood pressure
• Keeps the heart healthy

You should know that these benefits are only a subset of a far wider number of beneficial properties intrinsic to kalonji. If we are able to understand the nature of this tiny black seeds, then it will not be too far-fetched to believe what wonders it can do for our body and health.

In a nutshell, this super-seed supersedes all other super-seeds.