Black Cumin and Reduced Aspartate Aminotransferase Level

Research synthesisLow evidenceSmall effect3 studies · 1 beneficial · 2 neutral · 0 harmful

Across 3 studies, 1 (a 2025 meta-analysis of 82 RCTs) reported a small beneficial effect of black cumin supplementation on reducing aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels, while 2 studies (including another meta-analysis) found no significant effect. Effect sizes were predominantly small. The only positive result came from a large meta-analysis with a wide dose range (200–4600 mg/day), but the overall evidence base is limited.

Caveats: Evidence base is small (only 3 studies) — conclusions should be considered preliminary. Many of the included studies did not reach statistical significance — effect may be smaller than the predominant direction suggests.

Generated Jun 10, 2026

Doses used in studies

mL/every 8 hours: 2.5 (median 2.5, IQR 2.5–2.5) — 1 study
mg/day: 200–4,600 (median 2,400, IQR 200–4,600) — 1 study

Time to effect

Median: 2.6 weeks · IQR 13 days–3.5 weeks · Range 7 days–4.3 weeks — Reported in 2 of 3 studies

Safety in these studies

Overall tolerabilityReported
There was no side effect.
from: Efficacy and safety of oral Nigella sativa oil for symptomatic treatment of knee osteoarth

3 of 3 papersPopulation:

Does Nigella sativa supplementation improve cardiovascular disease risk factors? A comprehensive GRADE-assessed systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of 82 randomized controlled trials.
- 2025-09
- Meta-Analysis · n = 5,026
- Pharmacological research 219
- - Ali Jafari
  - Helia Mardani
  - Amir Hossein Faghfouri
  - Zahra Mirzaei Fashtali
  - Mohtaram Hashemi
  - Matin Abdollahi Yousefabady
  - Reihane Javid
  - Sahar Golabi
  - Bahareh Arghavan
  - Vali Musazadeh
  - Mahshid Naghashpour
- PubMed: 40714301
- DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2025.107882
35 Insights on
- Reduced Aspartate Aminotransferase Level
- High evidence
N. sativa supplementation significantly improved ... aspartate aminotransferase (AST)
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Small
Significant
Yes
Dose
200 to 4600 mg/day
Effects of black seed (Nigella sativa L.) on cardiometabolic indices in type 2 diabetic patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs.
- 2025-04-08
- Meta-Analysis
- Complementary therapies in medicine 90
- - Mehdi Karimi
  - Samira Pirzad
  - Seyed Morteza Ali Pourfaraji
  - Fatemeh Maleki Sedgi
  - Bahar Darouei
  - Reza Amani-Beni
  - Kimia Kazemi
  - Reyhaneh Rabiee
- PubMed: 40210172
- DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2025.103174
12 Insights on
- Reduced Aspartate Aminotransferase Level
- High evidence
- Clinical
No significant effects were observed for ... aspartate aminotransferase (AST)
Effect
Neutral
Effect size
Small
Significant
No
Efficacy and safety of oral Nigella sativa oil for symptomatic treatment of knee osteoarthritis: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial.
- 2022-11
- RCT · n = 58
- Complementary therapies in clinical practice 49
- - Hasan Fallah Huseini
  - Reza Mohtashami
  - Elaheh Sadeghzadeh
  - Soraya Shadmanfar
  - Fataneh Hashem-Dabaghian
  - Saeed Kianbakht
- PubMed: 36150238
- DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2022.101666
10 Insights on
- Reduced Aspartate Aminotransferase Level
- High evidence
- Clinical
The NS oil had no significant effect on the other variables.
Effect
Neutral
Effect size
Small
Significant
No
Dose
2.5 mL every 8 hours

Black Cumin and Reduced Aspartate Aminotransferase Level

Does Nigella sativa supplementation improve cardiovascular disease risk factors? A comprehensive GRADE-assessed systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of 82 randomized controlled trials.

Effects of black seed (Nigella sativa L.) on cardiometabolic indices in type 2 diabetic patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs.

Efficacy and safety of oral Nigella sativa oil for symptomatic treatment of knee osteoarthritis: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial.