Cannabis Sativa vs Nigella Sativa - Which one is Best?
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For many years, the treatment of different medical conditions by using Cannabis Sativa or Nigella sativa has been researched thoroughly. Although they are two different plants with immense healing properties, it is important to know a little bit about both and how different they really are. After being informed about both of these plants, we can come to a conclusion on which one is better to use and why.
Cannabis Sativa Definition Cannabis Sativa definition - Cannabis sativa is an annual herbaceous plant of the Cannabaceae family. It was first classified by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. It is a tall plant with a light shade of green. It has leaves made up of long and narrow blades. Cannabis Sativa has been cultivated throughout history as a source of industrial fiber, seed oil, food, recreation, religious and spiritual mood and medicine. The use of cannabis as medicine can be traced
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back at least 5000 years. Depending on how it is used, each part of the plant can be harvested differently. Some studies show that Cannabis Sativa is a potential treatment for skin disorders, cancer-related weakness and weight loss, chronic pain, sleep disorders, eye disease, schizophrenia and more.
Cannabis Sativa Medical Benefits
According to BusinessInsider.com, some of the Cannabis Sativa Medical Benefits are:
Treating Glaucoma – Since Glaucoma increases the pressure in the eyeball, The National Eye Institute claims that marijuana helps in decreasing or slowing down eye pressure and in preventing blindness.
Helps control Epileptic seizures – In 2003, a study showed that Cannabis sativa extract can be used to treat epileptic seizures. The study consisted of epileptic rats, in which the drug rid the rats of the seizures for 10 hours.
Decreasing symptoms of Dravet’s Syndrome – A documentary showed that a family treating their 5-year-old daughter with Dravet’s Syndrome by using marijuana. The treatment resulted in the decreasing of seizures from 300 a week to just one every 7 days.
Helps in stopping Cancer from spreading – Cannabidiol is a chemical found in Cannabis Sativa that helps to turn off a gene called Id-1. Cancer cells copy these genes and spread them throughout the body. Treating cancer using Cannabidiol helps in stopping this spreading of Id-1 genes.
Slow the progression of Alzheimer’s - The 2006 study, published in the journal Molecular Pharmaceutics, found that THC, the active chemical in marijuana, slows the formation of amyloid plaques by blocking the enzyme in the brain that makes them. These plaques are what kill brain cells and cause Alzheimer's.
Helps Chemotherapy – One of the most popular medical reasons of Cannabis sativa is for patients undergoing chemotherapy. It has proven to reduce some of its side effects by alleviating pain, decreasing nausea and stimulating the appetite.
NOTE: THE WEBMASTER NEVER ADVOCATES CHEMOTHERAPY.
According to BusinessInsider.com, some of the Cannabis Sativa Medical Benefits are:
Treating Glaucoma – Since Glaucoma increases the pressure in the eyeball, The National Eye Institute claims that marijuana helps in decreasing or slowing down eye pressure and in preventing blindness.
Helps control Epileptic seizures – In 2003, a study showed that Cannabis sativa extract can be used to treat epileptic seizures. The study consisted of epileptic rats, in which the drug rid the rats of the seizures for 10 hours.
Decreasing symptoms of Dravet’s Syndrome – A documentary showed that a family treating their 5-year-old daughter with Dravet’s Syndrome by using marijuana. The treatment resulted in the decreasing of seizures from 300 a week to just one every 7 days.
Helps in stopping Cancer from spreading – Cannabidiol is a chemical found in Cannabis Sativa that helps to turn off a gene called Id-1. Cancer cells copy these genes and spread them throughout the body. Treating cancer using Cannabidiol helps in stopping this spreading of Id-1 genes.
Slow the progression of Alzheimer’s - The 2006 study, published in the journal Molecular Pharmaceutics, found that THC, the active chemical in marijuana, slows the formation of amyloid plaques by blocking the enzyme in the brain that makes them. These plaques are what kill brain cells and cause Alzheimer's.
Helps Chemotherapy – One of the most popular medical reasons of Cannabis sativa is for patients undergoing chemotherapy. It has proven to reduce some of its side effects by alleviating pain, decreasing nausea and stimulating the appetite.
NOTE: THE WEBMASTER NEVER ADVOCATES CHEMOTHERAPY.
What is Nigella Sativa?
Nigella Sativa is an annual flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae. It is native to south and southwest Asia and it grows to about 20-30 cm (or 7.9-11.8 in) tall. The flowers are usually colored pale blue and white and can have five up to ten petals.
The Nigella Sativa leaves are finely divided and linear, but not thread-like. The fruit is a large capsule which contains numerous small black seeds. Because of these black seeds, the plant can be called different names. It is known as black cumin, haba al baraksh and kalonji (from Hindi). It is thought that the earliest record of its cultivation and use come from ancient Egypt (almost 3,300 years ago).
These seeds are used as a spice in India and the Middle East. They have a bitter taste and smell and taste like a combination of onions, black pepper, and oregano. Nigella Sativa is also used in medicine, by using the seed oil extract, volatile oil. and isolated constituent thymoquinone. This small but powerful seed has been proven to serve a great deal in the treatment of Asthma, Epilepsy, Type 2 Diabetes, cancer and more.
Nigella Sativa is an annual flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae. It is native to south and southwest Asia and it grows to about 20-30 cm (or 7.9-11.8 in) tall. The flowers are usually colored pale blue and white and can have five up to ten petals.
The Nigella Sativa leaves are finely divided and linear, but not thread-like. The fruit is a large capsule which contains numerous small black seeds. Because of these black seeds, the plant can be called different names. It is known as black cumin, haba al baraksh and kalonji (from Hindi). It is thought that the earliest record of its cultivation and use come from ancient Egypt (almost 3,300 years ago).
These seeds are used as a spice in India and the Middle East. They have a bitter taste and smell and taste like a combination of onions, black pepper, and oregano. Nigella Sativa is also used in medicine, by using the seed oil extract, volatile oil. and isolated constituent thymoquinone. This small but powerful seed has been proven to serve a great deal in the treatment of Asthma, Epilepsy, Type 2 Diabetes, cancer and more.
The Benefits of using Nigella Sativa
There are many benefits of using Nigella Sativa. Besides using it for cooking, the most popular reasons are medicinal. The seeds’ healing properties are what make Nigella Sativa so favorable. According to NaturalSociety.com, the Nigella Sativa black seeds have been researched for some specific health conditions. Some of these include:
Type 2 Diabetes: Research shows that a dose of 2 grams per day of Nigella sativa might be a beneficial adjuvant to oral hypoglycemic agents in type 2 diabetic patients. The study resulted in reduced fasting glucose, decreased insulin resistance and increased beta-cell function.
Epilepsy: A 2007 study with 20 epileptic children (10 boys and 10 girls aged 13 months to 13 years old) found that a water extract from Nigella Sativa black seeds significantly reduced seizure activity.
High Blood pressure: The daily use of 100 and 200 mg of black seed extract, twice daily, for 2 months resulted in being helpful in lowering blood pressure in patients with mild hypertension. However, many testimonies have shown hypertension was reduced in one week in many cases.
Asthma: Studies show that boiled water extracts of the Nigella Sativa seed has a relatively potent anti-asthmatic effect on asthmatic airways.
MRSA: Black seed has anti-bacterial activity against clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
Breast Cancer – Studies have linked a thymoquinone extract from nigella sativa to reduced breast cancer tumor growth and increased apoptosis (cell death) in breast cancer cells.
Brain Cancer – A study published in the online journal PLoS One indicates thymoquinone from black seed can induce cell death in glioblastoma cells. Glioblastoma is one of the most aggressive brain tumors of all.
Leukemia – As it’s been shown to do with other types of cancer, black seed compound thymoquinone has also been shown to induce apoptosis in leukemia cells.
Final thoughts
After examining the advantages of both Cannabis Sativa and Nigella sativa, we can come to a conclusion that both have important medicinal benefits. So the question of which is better to use arises. There is no clear-cut distinction between which is better besides that they are two different plants. However, we can agree on the fact that each has their own characteristics.
Choosing has to be a matter of availability and finances. In the matter of cancer, let it be said that a multi-prong protocol is always best.
Disclaimer: Please not this article is not meant to provide treatment or medical advice. As always we suggest you check with your doctor before beginning any protocol or treatment. This article may not reflect the views of Nigella Sativa Center and Team.
There are many benefits of using Nigella Sativa. Besides using it for cooking, the most popular reasons are medicinal. The seeds’ healing properties are what make Nigella Sativa so favorable. According to NaturalSociety.com, the Nigella Sativa black seeds have been researched for some specific health conditions. Some of these include:
Type 2 Diabetes: Research shows that a dose of 2 grams per day of Nigella sativa might be a beneficial adjuvant to oral hypoglycemic agents in type 2 diabetic patients. The study resulted in reduced fasting glucose, decreased insulin resistance and increased beta-cell function.
Epilepsy: A 2007 study with 20 epileptic children (10 boys and 10 girls aged 13 months to 13 years old) found that a water extract from Nigella Sativa black seeds significantly reduced seizure activity.
High Blood pressure: The daily use of 100 and 200 mg of black seed extract, twice daily, for 2 months resulted in being helpful in lowering blood pressure in patients with mild hypertension. However, many testimonies have shown hypertension was reduced in one week in many cases.
Asthma: Studies show that boiled water extracts of the Nigella Sativa seed has a relatively potent anti-asthmatic effect on asthmatic airways.
MRSA: Black seed has anti-bacterial activity against clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
Breast Cancer – Studies have linked a thymoquinone extract from nigella sativa to reduced breast cancer tumor growth and increased apoptosis (cell death) in breast cancer cells.
Brain Cancer – A study published in the online journal PLoS One indicates thymoquinone from black seed can induce cell death in glioblastoma cells. Glioblastoma is one of the most aggressive brain tumors of all.
Leukemia – As it’s been shown to do with other types of cancer, black seed compound thymoquinone has also been shown to induce apoptosis in leukemia cells.
Final thoughts
After examining the advantages of both Cannabis Sativa and Nigella sativa, we can come to a conclusion that both have important medicinal benefits. So the question of which is better to use arises. There is no clear-cut distinction between which is better besides that they are two different plants. However, we can agree on the fact that each has their own characteristics.
Choosing has to be a matter of availability and finances. In the matter of cancer, let it be said that a multi-prong protocol is always best.
Disclaimer: Please not this article is not meant to provide treatment or medical advice. As always we suggest you check with your doctor before beginning any protocol or treatment. This article may not reflect the views of Nigella Sativa Center and Team.