ZHOU NUTRITION
COMPANY INFO
Zhou Nutrition was established by a small group of runners, yogis, and athletes, all driven by a shared passion for health, nutrition, and supplements. Over time, the company has expanded its product line to include a broad range of supplements, with black seed oil no longer being one of its core offerings.
● On March 20, 2025, we reached out via email requesting detailed information and any existing lab analyses related to their black seed oil. Unfortunately, we did not receive a response. All information presented here was obtained through independent research using publicly available online sources.
It’s worth noting that only three companies responded to our email inquiries: Piping Rock, Bionatal, and Prime Natural.
PACKING AND SAFETY SEAL
The product comes in a branded black plastic bottle with a plastic cap secured by a transparent shrink wrap. Inside the cap, there’s a standard liner, although it is not sealed to the bottle neck. Instead, the neck is sealed with a strong foil film.
● The sealing appears secure and sufficient to prevent leaks, even under high temperatures, when black seed oil can expand by up to 20% during transport.
SEEDS ORIGIN
There is no publicly available information about the origin of the seeds used in Zhou Nutrition's black seed oil. The bottom of the bottle is stamped with an expiration date and lists the country of origin as Israel.
Based on our findings, we believe the oil is not made from Israeli-grown seeds. Although Israel does cultivate black seeds, they produce a low-thymoquinone (about 0.2%), non-bitter oil, and the harvest volume is typically too small for large-scale extraction. It is more likely that the black seeds used in this oil were imported into Israel. Usually, Israeli companies are using Indian, Syrian, or Turkish imported seeds. Therefore, while the product may be extracted in Israel, the seeds likely originate elsewhere — by taste of oil most likely is Turkey.
● An interesting observation: another brand, Heritage Store, also lists “Product of Israel” on its label. Both Zhou Nutrition and Heritage Store products feature the USDA Organic icon and the CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers) certification. This suggests that the original importer of the oil into the U.S. may have secured the certifications and required resellers to display them. Notably, no other brands we reviewed carry both certifications on their labels.
OIL DISCRIPTION
The oil itself has a light yellow, cloudy appearance. It has a pleasant, herbal aroma and a medium level of bitterness.
In our opinion, the oil is indistinguishable in color, flavor, and bitterness from other well-known Turkish black seed oils such as those from Piping Rock, Sweet Sunnah Premium, Prime Natural, Kiva, Maju, and Amazing Herbs Premium. It shows minor differences when compared to Freshfield, Healths Harmony, Rawya, and Rawya Extra Strong.
THYMOQUINONE (TQ)
No information regarding the TQ level of Zhou Nutrition's oil is available on their website, sales platforms, or social media. According to Israeli studies, the TQ content in black seed oil produced from Israeli-grown seeds is around 0.20%, resulting in a non-bitter oil. The noticeable bitterness in Zhou Nutrition's oil supports our belief that the seeds likely did not originate in Israel.
If the oil is indeed of Turkish seeds origin — as our investigation suggests — the TQ level would align with other Turkish oils, for which the publicly shared data (although not always accompanied by certificates) includes:
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Maju, Rawya, Rawya Extra Strong – Minimum 2%
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Sweet Sunnah Premium – 1.71%
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Freshfield – 1.64%
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Kiva, Prime Natural – Over 1.5%
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Amazing Herbs Premium – Minimum 1.2%
● As confirmed by experienced farmers, thymoquinone (TQ) levels can vary even among seeds from the same country. This variation is influenced by factors such as the elevation of the farms and regional climate conditions. In Turkey — a country known for its mountainous terrain — farms are located at a wide range of altitudes. Additionally, the climate differs significantly between regions: the northern Black Sea coast is much cooler, while the southern Mediterranean coast experiences considerably warmer temperatures.
TABLE OF ANALYSIS
Extraction oil videos & photos
NO
Acids pH level analyses
NO
Nigellon level
NO
Non-filtered oil with seeds
NO
Thymoquinone level
NO
Volatile Oils level
NO
Cold press method analyses
NO
Thymohydroquinone level
NO
Heavy Metals level analyses
NO
Thymol level
NO
Industry Clarifications:
(The following industry points are worth noting)
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"Unrefined" ≠ Non-Filtered: Even unrefined oils are typically filtered and don’t contain seed particles.
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"Cold Press" misuse on the label: The term is widely used without proof. True cold pressing should be validated by testing for compounds like Benzo(a)pyrene and related PAHs.
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"Organic" ≠ Pesticide-Free: USDA standards still allow natural pesticides (§§ 205.601 - 205.602). No Nigella sativa seeds are entirely free from them.
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"Non-GMO" claims are unnecessary: Nigella sativa is not genetically modified, and global demand doesn’t justify GMO cultivation.
FINAL RANKING #4-D
Positions #1 and #2 in our ranking are unquestionably held by the world’s strongest black seed oils—both extracted from Ethiopian Nigella sativa seeds.
Position #3 (with sub-positions A through D) is occupied by select Turkish black seed oils that are slightly more bitter than other Turkish-sourced brands. While they don't reach the potency of Ethiopian oils, they still rank above the rest due to their sharper flavor profile.
Position #4 includes all remaining Turkish black seed oils that show a standard, medium bitterness level with no significant differences — even after in-depth testing. Within this group, sub-positions are assigned based on transparency, consistency, and labeling clarity.
Zhou Nutrition and Heritage Store both fall short in terms of transparency. Their labeling—specifically the phrase “Product of Israel” — can be misleading to consumers, as the oil itself is typical Turkish black seed oil, not of unique origin or quality. Because of this confusion and lack of clarity, Zhou Nutrition is placed at sub-position “D,” below more transparent brands like Amazing Herbs, Sweet Sunnah, and even Piping Rock, which all provide clearer information about their products.
BRAND OWNERS:
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CONSUMERS:
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