Nigella Sativa & Hearing Health: A Natural Shield Against Hearing Loss

Why Hearing Research Looks at Antioxidants

Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is common. Noise, certain medicines (ototoxic drugs) and ageing can all cause it. Hearing aids and cochlear implants help people manage it, but the sensory hair cells of the inner ear do not grow back in humans. So researchers look for ways to protect them before damage occurs.

One line of research focuses on oxidative stress and inflammation in the cochlea. In this context, scientists have studied Nigella sativa (black seed) and its main active compound, thymoquinone (TQ). This article summarises one recent systematic review and what its results mean for you.

The Review at a Glance: 13 Preclinical Studies

The review, "Nigella Sativa and Thymoquinone for Prevention or Mitigation of Acquired Sensorineural Hearing Loss: A Systematic Review" (Horvath et al., J Clin Med 2025), written by a team from the ENT department of the Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, searched the literature on black seed oil or thymoquinone and acquired hearing loss, meaning damage from external causes rather than genetics.

• What was included: 13 studies met the inclusion criteria, after 38 duplicates were removed from 76 records. Where the data allowed it, the authors pooled results in meta-analyses.
• What kind of studies: Preclinical research, mostly in animals. The authors assessed risk of bias with a tool for animal experiments and rated it as moderate.
• Types of damage: Mostly drug-induced hearing damage (for example from the chemotherapy drug cisplatin), plus noise and ageing models. Ageing of the inner ear ties into the wider biology described in our article on the hallmarks of ageing (German).

How Black Seed Might Protect the Inner Ear

The authors attribute the protective effects seen in animals to three mechanisms. All three come from laboratory and animal data and point in the same direction; none has yet been confirmed in humans.

1. Antioxidant activity

Loud noise and toxins create reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the cochlea. In the reviewed studies, thymoquinone reduced markers of oxidative damage and raised the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase. For background on oxidative stress, see our article on oxidative stress (German).

2. Anti-inflammatory activity

Inflammation in the inner ear is linked to cell damage. In animal experiments, black seed treatment lowered inflammatory signals in the cochlea.

3. Anti-apoptotic activity

Apoptosis is programmed cell death. In several models, thymoquinone reduced markers of this process, for example caspase-3, in hair cells exposed to damaging drugs.

Strongest Signal: Drug-Induced Damage in Animals

According to the review, several studies reported a significant protective effect of black seed, especially against ototoxicity. In animal models of cisplatin-induced damage, treated animals showed smaller hearing threshold shifts and better-preserved cochlear structures than untreated animals.

For noise-induced and age-related hearing loss, fewer studies exist so far. Around loud noise, hearing protection stays your first line of defence.

What Comes Next: From Animal Data to Human Trials

• No human trials: Results in animals often do not carry over to people, a limit that also applies to the 2025 epicatechin study we covered. Dose, form and timing in the animal studies differ from anything sold as a supplement.
• Cisplatin is a medicine: Anyone receiving chemotherapy should talk to their oncology team before taking any supplement, because it could interfere with treatment.
• No recommended intake: The review does not establish a dose or product for humans.

The authors call black seed a promising candidate and ask for clinical research. That is the logical next step: well-designed trials in people, for example in patients who receive cisplatin.

What Protects Your Hearing Today

1. Protect your ears first: Use hearing protection around loud noise and keep headphone volume moderate. Nothing protects your ears better.
2. Check medicines: If you take or are about to take medicines that can harm hearing, ask your doctor about risks and options.
3. See a doctor early: Sudden hearing loss, ringing in the ears or dizziness need prompt medical assessment.
4. Know the rules: In the EU, no supplement may claim to prevent or treat hearing loss. Lab results rarely translate one to one, as our analysis of medicinal mushrooms (German) shows.

If you are curious about black seed in general, our German article on Schwarzkümmelöl gives an overview. For another antioxidant that is often discussed, see our article on astaxanthin (German).