About TQ
Thymoquinone is the primary bioactive in Nigella sativa (black seed) oil. On supplement labels it represents the standardized TQ content of a black seed oil extract, not isolated synthesized TQ — pure TQ is not a consumer ingredient. All human clinical evidence is on whole black seed oil or TQ-standardized extracts; there are no RCTs on isolated thymoquinone. A 2023 analysis of 11 commercial products found 260-fold variation in actual TQ content vs. label claims, so labeled TQ amounts should be treated cautiously.
What TQ supports
- Standardized active fraction of black seed oil
How much TQ to take
The RDA prevents deficiency. The effective range is what clinical trials used to actually move the outcome.
Effective
10–50
mg
Label-plausibility range back-calculated from the TQ content of standardized black seed oil extracts used in human trials (e.g., ThymoQuin-class ~3% TQ at 200–500 mg oil ≈ 6–25 mg TQ; higher-concentration extracts up to ~50 mg). Not a validated therapeutic range — no human RCTs use isolated TQ.
Clinical evidence
Limited clinical evidence. All human evidence is on whole black seed oil with TQ as a marker. No RCTs on isolated thymoquinone.
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