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Why Black Seed Is So Revered with Abrar Al-Shaer
Episode 2144th February 2026 • Herbs with Rosalee • Rosalee de la Forêt
00:00:00 01:18:01

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Is there anything black seed can’t do?

In this episode, herbalist and nutritionist Abrar Al-Shaer takes a deep dive into the many gifts of black seed (Nigella sativa), a revered herb that has been used medicinally for thousands of years. Abrar has been studying this plant since she was a child, and has so much to share about it—from the home remedies her mother gave her as a child, to ancient teachings from Islamic medicine, and even modern-day medical research on this celebrated plant.

Abrar also shares her recipe for Black Seed Herbal Energy Bites—combined with warming spices and fragrant rose water, this is a deliciously nourishing way to get black seed into your diet! You can download your beautifully illustrated recipe card here.

As Abrar notes, it is traditionally thought that black seed can help with almost any ailment—and if it can’t, it’s just because we haven’t figured out how to properly prepare it yet! Here are just a few ways that black seed can be worked with to benefit your health:

► Supports lung health, providing relief for coughs, bronchitis, and asthma

► Promotes cardiovascular health, including healthy cholesterol and blood pressure levels

► Topically, black seed oil helps to nourish and protect the skin

To learn even more of black seed’s benefits, be sure to check out the entire episode!

By the end of this episode, you’ll know:

► Why black seed has been revered for centuries in traditional Islamic medicine

► The many ways black seed can be prepared: mixed into honey, added to water or food, pressed into oil—or even applied by the drop into the nostrils!

► What modern research says about black seed’s role in cardiovascular and metabolic health

► How black seed can support both acute concerns, such as chest congestion or tooth pain, as well as long-term chronic health concerns like inflammation and immune resilience

► Simple, food-based ways to incorporate black seed into everyday meals

► and so much more…

For those of you who don’t know her, Dr. Abrar Al-Shaer, PhD, RD is a registered dietitian and herbalist and the owner of Precision Women’s Care, a women’s health, integrative nutrition & herbal medicine practice. She is also a clinical teaching professor at Stony Brook University’s School of Medicine, where she teaches advanced case management in integrative nutrition therapy.

Dr. Abrar completed her PhD in nutritional biochemistry & immunology with a dietetic specialization in high-risk OBGYN. With over a decade of experience as an herbalist, she frequently weaves together her herbal medicine and medical nutrition backgrounds to provide patients the highest quality of care.

I can’t wait to share our conversation with you today!

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Get full show notes, transcript, and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com

Would you prefer watching this episode? If so, click here for the video.

You can find Dr. Abrar at PrecisionWomensCare.com.

For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!

Working successfully with herbs requires three essential skills. Get introduced to them by taking my free herbal jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter.

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On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.

Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com.

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Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here.

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