Cumin appears to be a safe and well tolerated spice that is consumed across a diverse region spanning the Eastern Mediterranean to South Asia.
In the clinical trials, described Cumin was not found to have any major side effects.
There are actually different types of cumin known as cumin (Cuminum cyminum), black cumin (Bunim bulbocastanum) and black seed (Nigella sativa).
There is a peer reviewed paper suggesting increased risk of bleeding, respiratory complications and dermatitis. 1
Unfortunately, this was published as a review paper that does not describe specific case reports of these adverse events happening.
What are the case reports with cumin describing adverse events?
I was able to find a case report describing cumin oil causing difficulty breathing (i.e. anaphylaxis) 2, exogenous lipid pneumonia 3, and contact dermatitis 4.
Lung / allergic reaction – In the case of difficulty breathing (i.e. anaphylaxis) this appears to be from using cumin as a cooking spice.
Pneumonia – In the case of pneumonia this was a patient who was consuming 15 mL or 1 table spoon of black cumin oil daily for 8 months.
Skin – The contact dermatitis case report was with black cumin essential oil.
These case reports are exceptionally rare, however, it is possible that someone could experience these symptoms following cumin or black cumin use.
Take away message
There is some evidence to suggest that cumin can help lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. You can read about it here.
In most cases, the evidence suggests cumin is safe especially as a food ingredient, however, it is possible that someone could experience
References
1. Cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) is a safe approach for management of lipid parameters: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Phytotherapy Research. 2018; Volume 32 (Issue 11): Pages 2146-2154.
2. Cumin anaphylaxis: a case report. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1997 May;99(5): pages 722-3.
3. Exogenous lipoid pneumonia caused by Nigella sativa oil – A case report. Egyptian Journal of Chest Diseases and Tuberculosis Volume 62, Issue 4, October 2013, Pages 701-704
4. Systemic allergic contact dermatitis to black cumin essential oil expressing as generalized erythema multiforme. Eur J Dermatol. 2011 May-Jun;21(3): pages 447-8
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Categories: Allergies, Food, Plant Medicine