Growing up in a South Indian household teaches you one thing: ancient herbs can never go wrong. And while wellness trends come and go, Ayurveda holds its ground firmly. Black seed, from the Nigella sativa plant, is one such star. Revered in Ayurvedic and Unani traditions for centuries, this oil, squeezed from the seeds of the Nigella sativa plant, is now resurfacing as a modern-day multi-tasker. Found in parts of Southwest Asia, the Middle East, and Southern Europe, this oil's benefits are far from outdated.

What Makes It Special?

The real magic of black seed oil lies in a compound called thymoquinone. It’s a powerful antioxidant that helps protect your body’s cells from damage. Think of it as your internal rust remover, cleaning up the free radicals that age you from the inside out. And it’s not just about looking good, it’s about keeping your organs happy too.

Keeps Your Heart in Check

Heart issues aren’t just something to think about in your 60s. Even younger people are seeing blood pressure and cholesterol problems crop up. Black seed oil may help manage these by lowering “bad” cholesterol and keeping blood pressure within range. That doesn’t mean you can eat junk and drizzle oil over it, but it’s a nice addition to a heart-friendly routine.

Breathe Easy

If you’ve ever had a stuffy nose or struggled with asthma, you know how miserable it can be. Black seed oil has long been used to ease breathing troubles. It’s said to reduce inflammation in the airways, making it easier to breathe, especially during allergy season or a change in weather.

Stress Support

Ever walked into a room and forgotten why you’re there? Or struggled to stay focused? Black seed oil might help with that. Early studies suggest it may support memory and learning by protecting brain cells from damage. It’s not a miracle fix, but it’s definitely not just another overpriced “brain booster” either.

Supports Blood Sugar Balance

Managing blood sugar isn’t only for diabetics. Even small dips and spikes throughout the day can mess with your mood, energy, and cravings. Some research shows black seed oil might help stabilise blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity, which is great news if you’re trying to keep your energy steady.

Better Brain Health

If stress is your permanent plus one these days, black seed oil could be worth a try. There’s some evidence that it can reduce cortisol levels, aka the stress hormone. You won’t suddenly float into a zen state, but it might help take the edge off without needing a long nap or a rage walk.

Faster Wound Healing

Black seed oil has been used traditionally on minor wounds, acne scars, and rashes. Thanks to its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, it may speed up healing and keep skin calm. Some people even mix it into their moisturiser for an extra boost (just patch-test first).

The Right Kind of Fat

We’re often told to cut out fats, but not all fats are bad. Black seed oil contains healthy unsaturated fats that your body actually needs for things like hormone production and cell repair. So, if your diet’s a bit low on good fats, a small dose of this oil could help.

Glowing Skin

Dry, angry, breakout-prone skin? This oil might soothe it all. People have used black seed oil to calm eczema, reduce acne, and restore skin's natural barrier. Some even say it gives their skin a low-key glow with regular use.

When we think of the Middle Ages, wellness probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. The era rather brings up the plague, questionable hygiene and a whole lot of superstition but Gen Z armed with smartphones and a deep skepticism of mainstream healthcare is digging deep into the past. And oddly enough, medieval wellness is trending.

TikTok is filled with castor oil packs, herbal salves, beef tallow skincare, and DIY tinctures. What’s driving this renaissance of ancient remedies in the most hyper-modern age yet? As it turns out, recent academic research may help explain the phenomenon.

Medieval Medicine Wasn’t All Superstition

A research team led by Binghamton University, alongside scholars from Fordham, St. Andrews, Utrecht, and Oslo, has been revisiting early medieval Latin manuscripts—many of which were previously overlooked or misinterpreted. Their findings are turning long-held assumptions upside down.

What they discovered is this: people living in the early Middle Ages were far more engaged with science, observation, and the natural world than they’ve been given credit for. They didn’t just pray and hope for the best. They took notes. They experimented. They documented.

Meg Leja, a history professor at Binghamton, noted that healing knowledge wasn’t confined to doctors or monasteries. “People were engaging with medicine on a much broader scale than had previously been thought,” she said in a release. Many manuscripts that weren’t even about medicine—like those covering poetry or grammar—contained references to health practices, showing how integrated wellness was in everyday life.

Rewriting the Wellness Narrative of the “Dark Ages”

The term “Dark Ages” has long been a catch-all for a time seen as backward and regressive. But that view doesn’t hold up under scrutiny. While early medieval medicine lacked the anatomical precision or germ theory of today, people weren’t blindly fumbling in the dark.

They believed in Humoral Theory—a system centered on balancing four bodily fluids—and while outdated now, it represented a structured, logical approach based on the best science available. Remedies used herbs, oils, and rituals rooted in centuries of experiential knowledge.

Thanks to the Corpus of Early Medieval Latin Medicine (CEMLM) project, the number of known medical texts from the era has nearly doubled. That means modern historians are getting a much clearer picture of how people treated everything from migraines to digestive distress.

Why Is Gen Z All Over Medieval Medicine?

It’s no secret that younger generations are disillusioned with many aspects of modern healthcare—whether it’s the impersonal nature of treatment, limited access, high costs, or side effects of pharmaceuticals. Social media, particularly TikTok and Instagram, has become a key driver of wellness culture, especially trends that promise to be “natural,” “clean,” or “ancestral.”

Medieval medicine—despite being centuries old—checks a lot of boxes for this audience. It’s holistic. It emphasizes plant-based treatments. It often comes with a spiritual or ritualistic component. And it stands in contrast to institutionalized, clinical medicine, offering a kind of “back-to-roots” alternative.

Trending remedies like chamomile for anxiety and aloe vera for skin irritations were also staples of medieval care. Some treatments were surprisingly ahead of their time. A popular headache remedy involved crushing the stone of a peach, mixing it with rose oil, and applying it to the forehead. It sounds wild—but modern science backs rose oil’s ability to ease migraines.

This convergence of medieval wisdom and modern virality is more than aesthetic. There’s something culturally powerful about ancient knowledge being resurrected in an age driven by algorithms and digital everything. The same way fashion recycles vintage styles, wellness trends are now pulling from millennia-old texts.

But there’s also risk here. Not all medieval remedies are safe or practical by today’s standards (see: lizard shampoo for flowing hair). Some tips can range from ineffective to harmful if applied without context or modern evidence. Still, the interest is pushing researchers and practitioners to revisit the roots of medicine, prompting a more inclusive narrative of history—and in some ways, offering gentler alternatives in a high-stress world.

There’s something symbolic about looking backward to move forward. In a society increasingly overwhelmed by information, pollution, and pharmaceuticals, ancient wellness can feel oddly grounding. Even if you’re not rubbing crushed peach pits on your forehead, the broader takeaway resonates: nature has long held tools for healing, and we may have underestimated the past.

In a way, this rediscovery is also about reclaiming knowledge that was buried or dismissed. For centuries, herbal medicine and folk healing—often practiced by women, midwives, and rural communities—were excluded from the medical canon. The medieval revival is helping to unearth those voices.

Where Science and Tradition Intersect?

That doesn’t mean we should replace our healthcare systems with medieval remedies. But integrating time-tested traditions into modern practice could add value. Science can coexist with rituals. Evidence-based medicine can benefit from deeper engagement with culture, environment, and experience.

Researchers like Leja hope the CEMLM project will continue expanding, giving us a more nuanced understanding of how our ancestors thought about the body, illness, and healing. And thanks to Gen Z’s curiosity (and TikTok’s endless scroll), these stories aren’t staying locked in archives—they’re getting a new life online.

The revival of medieval wellness isn’t just a quirky trend or an aesthetic throwback. It’s a reflection of our current anxieties—and our desire for something that feels human, connected, and enduring.

Whether or not lizard shampoo makes a full comeback is up for debate but the deeper story is clear: the so-called “Dark Ages” were more enlightened than we thought. And Gen Z, ironically, might be the generation to shine a light on them.

Ayurveda, the ancient subject of medicine, is an important part of Indian history. The ancient medicinal techniques in ayurveda may seem unreliable to many; however, many studies and research have shown that the ayurvedic teachings from centuries ago are still relevant.

One such medicinal fruit that we learned about from Ayurveda is Anjeer.

Anjeer, commonly known as a fig, is a sweet and chewy fruit that grows on the Ficus tree. These trees lose their leaves seasonally and can grow quite tall, reaching about 7 to 10 meters (23 to 33 feet). Figs are believed to be one of the first plants ever grown by humans, and they are still a very important crop worldwide, eaten both fresh and dried. The edible part is the fleshy, hollow fruit itself.

Nutritional Powerhouse

Figs, both fresh and dried, are packed with good things for your body. They are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, healthy carbohydrates, natural sugars, and beneficial plant compounds called phenolics and polyphenols. In fact, figs contain more of these healthy phenolics than even red wine or tea! They are also high in fiber and are fat and cholesterol-free, containing many important amino acids.

Health Benefits of Anjeer

Figs and parts of the fig tree have been used in traditional medicine for a long time due to their many health benefits:

Diabetes Management

Anjeer may help control diabetes by increasing the body's natural insulin production. Its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties are thought to contribute to this. However, if you're taking diabetes medication, it's best to talk to your doctor before adding Anjeer, especially the leaves, as they might lower blood sugar too much.

Digestion and Constipation

Figs are a great source of dietary fiber, which is excellent for digestion. In traditional practices, soaking 2-3 Anjeer fruits and eating them in the morning is recommended to relieve constipation by promoting bowel movements.

Skin Health

The antioxidants in Anjeer are good for your skin. Applying a paste of Anjeer mixed with honey to your face can help improve skin health and might even reduce dark spots.

Other Traditional Uses

Traditionally, various parts of the fig tree – the fruit, roots, and leaves – have been used to treat a wide range of issues. These include problems with the stomach and intestines (like indigestion, colic, or diarrhea), breathing issues (such as sore throats, coughs, and bronchitis), and even heart and blood vessel problems. Figs have also been used to reduce inflammation and muscle spasms.

Specific Uses

Fig fruit juice mixed with honey has been used for bleeding. In Indian medicine, figs are used to help with liver and spleen diseases, and they are known for being mild laxatives, helping with coughs, and increasing urine production.

Ways to Enjoy Anjeer

Figs can be eaten in various ways: fresh, dried, or even made into jams. Dried figs are also sold as a sweet snack due to their natural sugar content. A paste made from the fruit can also be applied to swellings, tumors, and inflamed areas to help reduce pain.

Shilajit, a sticky, tar-like mineral compound, is frequently marketed as a vitality booster for men. But does that mean it’s not suitable for women? Ayurveda practitioner Mr. Danny Kumar Meena, Founder & CEO at Girlyveda, says that while the marketing is gendered, the benefits are not.

“Shilajit is a Rasayan, which means it rejuvenates the body,” he says. “It supports strength, stamina, fertility, immunity, and hormonal balance—not just in men, but in women too.”

Hormonal Balance, Menstrual Health & Fertility

Shilajit can be particularly helpful for women facing hormonal imbalances, including conditions like PCOS or irregular menstrual cycles. “It helps balance Vata dosha, which plays a crucial role in regulating the endocrine system,” Mr. Meena explains. “When hormones are in check, menstrual regularity and fertility improve.”

It also enhances Shukra Dhatu, the reproductive tissue responsible for fertility in both men and women. For women, this means improved ovarian function and libido.

“People don’t talk enough about how well it works for female fertility and hormonal health,” Mr. Meena points out.

Menopause, Bone Health & Postpartum Recovery

Post-menopause, many women face a decline in bone density and vitality. Shilajit helps by supporting Asti Dhatu (bone tissue) and enhancing Ojas, the vital essence of the body that governs immunity and vitality.

“It replenishes the seven dhatus (tissues) of the body—blood, muscle, fat, bone, marrow, reproductive tissue, and plasma—making it valuable in postpartum recovery as well,” he says.

Mental Health & Cognitive Benefits

Shilajit has also been described in ancient Ayurvedic texts like Bhav Prakash as a Medhya Rasayan, which means it's beneficial for the brain.

“It helps improve memory, learning, and attention span,” says Mr. Meena. “In today's world of information overload, Shilajit can support focus and mental clarity. It also helps regulate stress by balancing hormone levels, especially cortisol.”

Energy, Digestion & Immunity

Chronic fatigue, low energy, or poor digestion? Shilajit could help. It enhances Bal (strength) and Vyayam Shakti (exercise capacity), and improves Dhatvagni—the refined stage of digestion that ensures nutrients are converted into healthy tissues.

It also boosts immunity by enhancing Ojas. “Shilajit strengthens the body from within,” Mr. Meena notes.

How Should Women Consume It?

Shilajit is hot in potency, so dosage and combinations—called Anupan in Ayurveda—matter greatly.

With cow’s milk: Promotes calm, enhances fertility and rejuvenation

With honey: Fights obesity, balances Kapha

With ghee: Builds immunity (Ojas)

With lukewarm water: Acts as a gentle detoxifier

“The time of day and season matter too. Morning is ideal, but avoid it during summer and autumn (Grishma and Sharad Ritu), when Pitta dosha is naturally high,” Mr. Meena advises.

Caution: Who Should Avoid Shilajit?

Despite its many benefits, Shilajit is not for everyone, especially if taken without supervision.

Avoid if:

• You experience heavy menstrual bleeding or frequent periods
• You are pregnant
• You have bleeding disorders
• You are on long-term medication without medical consultation

“Because of its hot potency, it can cause side effects like burning sensation, constipation, itching, or even nosebleeds—especially in summer,” Mr. Meena warns. “Women with high blood pressure or heart issues should be particularly cautious. While it may help in certain cardiac conditions, it could also worsen palpitations if not used properly.”

Shilajit can be extremely beneficial for women—but only when taken under medical supervision. Its adaptogenic properties, rejuvenative effects, and support for reproductive, mental, and immune health make it a powerful Ayurvedic supplement.

“Ayurveda isn’t about ‘one size fits all’. It’s about using nature mindfully to bring balance to the body. With the right dose, timing, and combination, Shilajit can be as good for women as it is for men,” Mr. Meena concludes.

Note: This article is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The content does not constitute a recommendation to use Shilajit or any other supplement. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your diet, lifestyle, or supplement routine—especially if you have a pre-existing medical condition or are pregnant, nursing, or on medication.