Health Benefits of adding Black Mustard Seeds in Your Diet

Black mustard seeds are a condiment plant that is widely distributed in Asia, Europe, and the African continent. This annual plant is mainly cultivated for its black or brown seeds which are used as a spice for various cuisines. Black mustard seeds belong to the family Brassicaceae.

Cabbage also comes under the same family. Mustard is one of the best and ancient spices that are widely used all over the world. The ancient Greeks, Indians, and Chinese have used mustard as their main spice for thousands of years because of their flavor and medicinal values. Black mustards plays an important role in most of their dishes.

Black mustard seeds are one of the main spices used in Indian cooking. When soaking the black mustard seeds in water, the myrosinase gets activated, and it will provide intense heat and pungency. Myrosinase melts away fastly when heated; therefore, black mustard seed powder should be added at the end of cooking.

The mustard plant has large stemmed leaves which are covered with small hair-like structure, but the stem remains smooth. This plant will grow up to 0.85 m – 2.4 m depending on the soil fertility. The flowering season of the mustard plant starts in May. The flowers have 4 yellow petals. The length of sepals protecting buds is half the length of flower petals. After the flower gets mature, seeds are generated.

There are forty different species of mustard seeds grown all around the world. In that, three varieties of mustard seeds are widely used. They are

Black – Brassica nigra

Cultivated in North Africa, some regions of Europe and Asia. The black mustard seeds are tiny and intense when compared to others. They are hard round-shaped seeds and are removed from their seed coats. Initially, they are dark brown and turn black color after complete maturity.

Brown – Brassica juncea

It is also known as Indian mustard, Chinese mustard, or Oriental mustard. There are different varieties of brown mustard seeds, color ranges from dark brown to dark yellow seed coat. The property of Brassica Juncea is the same as B.nigra but brown mustard is less intense than black mustard.

White – Sinapis alba

Yellow mustards are cultivated from the seeds of the white mustard plant. It is not that much related to the other two popular varieties of mustard seeds. The white mustard plant produces lighten seeds. The seeds are slightly bigger than brown mustard seeds and it has less pungency. Adding of turmeric in white mustard gives you dark yellow mustard seeds.

Other Names of Black Mustard Seeds

Botanical Name: Brassica Nigra
Tamil Name: கடுகு / Kadugu
English Name: Mustard, Black Mustard
Hindi Name: सरसों / sarason
Kannada Name: ಸಾಸಿವೆ / Sāsive
Telugu Name: ఆవాలు / Āvālu
Marathi name: Kalamohare, Shirasi, mohari
Bengali name: Sarisha
Punjabi name: Sareya, Rai
Banarasi name: rai, Kalee sarson

Historical Evidence

Mustards are used by most of the ancient civilization. Archeologists found mustard in stone age remaining settlements. In the Mesopotamia era, peoples used to drink immature grapes juice with mustard seed paste for its highly acidic nature.

The black mustard seed was also found in ancient Egypt Pharoah Tutankhamun’s tomb as per archaeological proofs. Some of the studies show that the medicinal reference for mustard seed is written by Hippocrates.

Historically, Ancient greek peoples believe that mustard seeds also have medical curative capacity apart from adding flavor to cuisines. In the Holy Bible, Mustard seeds are mentioned for almost 5 times for their benefits.

Health Benefits of Black Mustard Seeds

Black Mustard Seeds are an effective home remedy for treating toothache, neck pain, snake & scorpions bites, wounds, Seizure disorder, respiratory disorders, and rheumatism. It is an effective anti-inflammatory medicine on the skin surface. Mustard seed possesses many health benefits and medicinal properties.

Enhance Heart Health

Black Mustard seeds are enriched with lots of minerals such as iron, copper, magnesium, and selenium which aids in the treatment of controlling blood pressure. Black Mustard oil is a good choice for heart patients. While thinking of cardiac patients, mustard oil is the best replacement while comparing with other oil. Mustard helps to control the cholesterol levels and thereby reduces bad blood cholesterol levels.

Improving Metabolism

Metabolism consists of two major activities that will happen synchronously. One is anabolism – building body tissues and storing energy; another one is catabolism – breaking body tissues and releasing energy will enable the body function. There are certain nutrients present in black mustard seeds that enhance your metabolic activities.

Helps in Food Digestion

Digestion is the main metabolism process in which the breakdown of complex molecules happens and energy gets released. Black mustard seeds are enriched with dietary fibers that boost the digestion process. It will improve the bowel movements, thus upgrading the overall metabolism of the body.

Mustard seeds are so good for your stomach and intestinal health. If you are facing a prolonged digestive problem, then consider increasing the intake of mustard seeds in your diet.

Reducing Cellular Growth in Cancer

Black mustard seed has specified compounds namely glucosinolates and myrosinase. Those compounds use phytochemicals to prevent the growth and formation of cancer cells. Selenium is an antioxidant that is present in mustard seeds that decreases the development of cancer cells and also acts as excellent resistance for cancer cell formation. Mustard seeds have a chemo-preventive capacity that protects the tissues from carcinogens.

Reducing Rheumatoid Arthritis

Black mustard seed has a large quantity of selenium and magnesium content that acts as the best cure for rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatism occurs due to the error response of our immune system. The immune system mistakenly sends the antibody around the tissue of bones and joints, then the antibody attacks the tissue which leads to arthritis.

Decreasing Various Headaches

Migraine is a type of headache, but it creates a pulsing sensation. It is a severe issue when compared to headaches. Migraine and headaches both are reduced with the help of magnesium present in the black mustard seed. Magnesium will calm and refreshes our nervous system. So pain and strain in the head get relieved.

Treats Respiration Congestion

Black mustard seeds cure congestion problems in the respiration system. Minerals like copper, magnesium, iron, and selenium present in black mustard seeds play a major role in curing Asthma. Also, mustard seed helps in decreasing mucus formation in the lungs which is the major reason for breathing problems.

Treats Fever, Cold & Back Pain

The minerals present in the black mustard seed gives you relief from cough or cold. Isothiocyanates present in the mustard seed treats spasms and back pain. Black mustard seeds initiate sweating, thereby fever gets decreased. Removing toxins from the body is an important thing to improve the performance of the body organs.

Lowering Blood Sugar Levels

Consuming blood sugar-lowering medicines with mustard tea may lower blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetes patients when compared to consuming medicine alone.

Protect Against Psoriasis

Black mustard seed may treat inflammation, irregular or abnormal change in tissue due to psoriasis as per animal test studies.

Strengthen Bones, Teeth, & Gums

Mustard seeds possess medicinal properties such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that improve oral health by treating pains gum, bones, teeth infections, and pain. The mineral selenium is an enriched source for your bone health. They also strengthen your nails and hair.

Fight Against Skin Infection

Black mustard seeds contain large quantities of sulfur content. Sulfur has anti-fungal properties that help you to get rid of skin infections like rashes, redness, etc. Skin infection will irritate yourself and may cause mental issues.

Helps in Removing Odour

Spices, Masala, or other ingredients in a container cause a bad smell on kitchen shelves or fridge. Those unpleasant smells can be removed using black mustard seeds. Add a small quantity of warm water and mustard seed paste into the jar. Shake the container well, pour it out and now unwanted smell goes out from the container.

Relieves Muscle Pain

Add a small amount of black mustard seed powder in a tub full of warm water, then soak yourself in that water. It will relieve yourself from stiffed and paining muscles.

Black Mustard Seeds for Skin and Hair

As a Natural scrub & Hydrates skin

Black mustard seeds powder acts as a natural scrubber for your skin surface. Mix the powdered black mustard seed with rose water or other essential oil. Use this mixture to scrub your body. It removes unwanted or dead skin from your skin surface.

Skin gets hydrated by applying the mixture of black mustard seed powder and aloe vera gel paste. It will give you a great glow to your skin by removing all the impurities from your skin surface. In the winter season, your skin gets dry so it is essential to maintain your face hydrated.

Mustard seeds play an important role in hydrating your skin. The black mustard seeds have anti-inflammatory properties that decrease inflammation and reduces acne on the skin surface.

Reduces Premature Aging

The aging process of every living organism is an uncontrollable one. You can slow down that process by adding black mustard seeds to your daily diet. Black mustard seeds are enriched sources of carotene, antioxidants like lutein, Vitamin A, C, and K which aids in the slow downing aging process in humans.

Enhancing Hair growth

Mustard oils are prepared from mustard seeds. Vitamin A present in mustard seeds trigger hair follicles and promotes hair growth quickly. Black mustard seed oils are a source of vitamin A and E, protein, calcium, omega-3, and omega-6 fatty acids which strengthens your hair from the root itself and thereby reducing the hair fall.

Acts as a Natural Hair Conditioner

Black mustard seeds oil has fatty acids such as omega-3, omega-6, etc. Applying it on the hair gives you a shiny and bouncy feel. It will give you a deep condition effect on your hair.

Black Mustard Seeds – Ayurvedic View

Ayurvedic Property

Taste (Rasa)	Pungent (Katu), bitter (Tikta)
Qualities (Gunas)	Light (Laghu), oily (Snigdha)
Potency (Veerya)	Hot (Ushna)
Taste after digestion (Vipaka)	Pungent (Katu)
Effects on Tridoshas	Pacifies Kapha and Vata Dosha; Increases Pitta Dosha.

Indication

Nidrakari (induces sleep)
Kushta (skin diseases)
Shopha (inflammation)
Kaphaja Gulma (Tumous of kapka origin)

Nutritional Facts of Black Mustard Seeds (100 g)

Calories: 508
Total Fat: 36 g
Saturated fat: 2 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 10.08 g
Monounsaturated fat: 22.5 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg
Calcium 266.00mg
Iron 9.21mg
Total Carbohydrate: 28g
Dietary fiber: 12 g

Sugar: 6.8 g
Protein: 26 g
Sodium: 13 mg
Potassium: 738 mg

Black mustard seeds are the source of various minerals such as zinc, iron, niacin, selenium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, dietary fiber, protein, and phosphorus. It is also enriched with omega-3 fatty acids.The various content present in the black mustard seeds possess various health benefits.

- Fiber-enriched black mustard seeds are important for colon and cardiovascular health.
- Minerals such as zinc, iron, and magnesium found in the black mustard seeds are essential for a good body health condition.
- Antioxidants found in black mustard seeds are carotenes, lutein, and zeaxanthin aids you to protect the body from free radical damage.
- Black mustard seeds has a group of compounds called glucosinolates, and one of that compound is called sinigrin which possesses many health benefits.

How to Utilize Mustard oil

Internally

Mostly Black mustard seeds are used as a spice in hot dishes.
Improves the flavors of chicken, meats, and fishes when sprinkled over it.
Black mustard seed enhances pickling, chutneys, and salad taste.
Black mustard seeds add extra aromatic flavor to gravies while adding oil roasted mustard seed to the gravy. Over roasted mustard seeds may give a bitter taste.

Mustard flours are made from white mustard seeds which have a flavor same as corn starch. Adding mustard flours with cold water for about a few minutes will speed up your activities. It acts as a glucoside.
Black mustard seeds can also be mixed with less fermented wine and can be eaten for their acidic content.
Adding a small quantity of mustard to fish dishes may increase omega-3 content in it.

Externally

Make a paste and leave it over skin infection like rashes, ringworm, etc. The pungent and anti-inflammation properties will kill microbes.
Mustard seeds are often used as anti-irritants plasters.
Mix black mustard seed powder with aloe vera gel or turmeric on your wish to exfoliate dead cells and hydrate skin.

Side effects

Consuming black mustard seeds in sufficient quantity will not cause any side effects, while consuming in large amounts may lead to various issues such as

- Throat damage
- Heart failure
- Diarrhea
- Drowsiness
- Breathing difficulties
- Coma

When externally applied to the skin surface for a long period will cause skin blisters and damage.

Special Precautions

- Pregnancy: It may be unsafe to use black mustard seeds during pregnancy. Because, it contains chemicals that may trigger your menstrual period and thus leads to a miscarriage.
- Breast-feeding: Feeding mothers should avoid using black mustard seeds as a medicine. Not sufficient information about its effects is not found.
- Diabetes: Black mustard seeds may lower blood sugar levels. And so, if you are diabetes patients who take medications to reduce the blood sugar level, adding black mustard seeds will drop your blood glucose level too low. Therefore, check your blood sugar level while taking black mustard.
- Surgery: Hence, black mustard seeds interfere with the blood glucose level during and after the surgery. Stop consuming black mustard seeds for at least two weeks before surgery.

Summary

Black mustard seeds are in use from the ancient civilization onwards. It is used for its various health benefits and flavor. But don’t consume too much of mustard seed. Everything has a limit and over-consumption of any good nutrient food even acts as a poison. Take black mustard seeds in limited quantity. Keep your body healthy.