THE EFFECT OF BLACK SEED POWDER ON BLOOD GLYCAEMIA, BLOOD LIPIDEMIA AND BODY COMPOSITION ON ADULTS AT RISK FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES

Background and objectives: In United Arab Emirates (UAE), 39.6% of the population were diagnosed with metabolic syndrome (MetS) according to a previous study, while the prevalence of the MetS in the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries (GCC) is 10- 15% higher than in most developed countries. Abdominal obesity, high fasting blood glucose, high blood pressure, elevated triglycerides and reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) are the risk factors for MetS. Traditional spices, such as black seed, are used as medications for treating some of these diseases. However, several studies have proven that black seed has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, lipid-lowering functions and thymoquinone was found to be the active form of black seeds. Objectives: To measure the effect of 3 grams of black seed (Nigella Sativa) powder for 12 weeks on participants at risk for cardiovascular diseases for fasting blood glucose, HbA1c levels, blood pressure, blood lipid profile levels and waist circumference. Methods: A controlled, randomized, single blind, parallel-design study conducted on 51 participants with risk of developing heart diseases. Participants were randomly assigned to consume either 3g/day of black seed powder or placebo for 12 weeks. Each of weight, height, waist circumference, body composition and systolic and diastolic blood pressure were measured at baseline, midpoint (after 6 weeks) and endpoint (after 12 weeks). Fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, total cholesterol, LDL-C and HDL-C were tested at baseline, midpoint and endpoint. Results: After 12-weeks consumption of black seed powder, each of waist circumference, percent body fat, cholesterol, HDL and LDL levels were highly significantly improved (p-value < 0.01). In addition, body weight and triglyceride level were significantly improved (p-value