The objective of this study was to determine the effects of
Nigella sativa oil extract on cardiometabolic risk factors in people with
type 2 diabetes (T2D). A randomized, controlled, clinical trial was conducted on 43 patients with T2D (23 women and 20 men; aged 53.5 ± 7.4 years). The intervention group (N = 23) received two 500-mg per day soft gel capsules containing
Nigella sativa oil extract and the control group (N = 20) received two identical placebo soft gel capsules containing
sunflower oil per day for the same period, 8 weeks. Pre- and post-intervention cardiometabolic risk factors were measured. Compared with the placebo, the N. sativa oil significantly decreased FBS (p = .03(, HbA1c (p = .001), total
cholesterol (p = .04), TG (p = .003),
LDL-c (p = .001), BMI (p < .001), waist circumference (p < .001), SBP (p = .001), and DBP (p = .002). HOMA-IR (p = .51) and HDL-c (p = .91) did not change significantly following Nigella sativa supplementation.
Nigella sativa oil exerted beneficial effects on
glycemic control, serum
lipid profile, blood pressure, and
body weight among people with T2D. Further long-term trials in the future may help confirm the current therapeutic benefits of Nigella sativa in T2D.