Sesame seeds & oil – health benefits

  Sesame [Sesamum indicum) is an annual plant of the family Pedaliaceae. The seeds of the plant have medicinal and commercial value. It is a commonly used seed in daily life as food, feed, and cosmetic. The seeds of Sesamum indicum are processed to extract sesame oil.

  Sesame has the highest oil content among the major oil crops, up to 45-57%, and therefore occupies the status the “Queen of Oil” since ancient times. Sesame seeds are highly nutritious foods with protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals.

  Sesame oil is also known as “til oil” in India. In India, it is commercially produced in Gujarat, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Karnataka. It is also found in Egypt, Middle East, and China.

  Chemical composition:

   Sesame oil contains Palmitic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, gandoleic acid, behenic acid, stearic acid, and arachidic acid. All are essential fatty acids. Sesame oil is reported to contain 80% healthy unsaturated fatty acids and a small amount of saturated fatty acids.

 Sesame oil contains major unsaturated fatty acids, oleic and linoleic acids. The content of saturated fatty acids varies from 0 to 10.58%.

Sesame lignans are the main active ingredients in sesame seeds and have strong antioxidant activity.

 It contains high amounts of sesamolin, sesaminol, sesamin. Sesamol provides stability to the oil.

 Health benefits

The oil has numerous health and cosmetic benefits:

·       Anti-inflammatory

The lignans present in sesame oil have anti-inflammatory properties and protect vital organs

·       Antibacterial activity

Sesamin, the lignan compound in the seed has great antibacterial activity against E. coli, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, Shigella flexneri bacteriae.

·       Antioxidant effect

Sesame oil has the presence of endogenous antioxidants such as sesamolinol, sesaminol which are lignans.Sesamin represents about 50% of the sesame lignans, with sesamolin, sesamol, and sesaminol accounting for remaining small proportion.

Black  sesame seeds having the highest sesamin, sesamol, and total lignans content. Studies have found that sesamin has good antioxidant properties, cholesterol lowering, lipid metabolism regulation, blood pressure stabilization, and anti-tumor effects

·       Improves heart health

Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of the seed or oil make it effective for reducing atherosclerosis and the risk of cardiovascular disease.

·       Supports skin health & brain and blood vessels health

Sesame seeds are rich in vitamin E. Studies have shown that γ-tocopherol is the major form of vitamin E in sesame seeds, which is more potent than α-tocopherol.

 Vitamin E is an effective anti-oxidant which can reduce clot related strokes. Vitamin E also improves your skin health fighting against free radicals causing oxidative stress.

·       Improves hair growth & shine

It moisturizes the hair follicle and prevents dryness. The oil has enhanced penetration and reaches up to the hair follicle and increases the circulation of the scalp, thereby increasing hair growth and reduces graying of hair.

A study has shown that tocopherol, tocotrienol and sesamin extract significantly reduced the UV-induced damage. It forms a protective coat around the hair preventing hair damage.

Sesame seeds have been reported to be a source of several minerals, such as potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, zinc and manganese and all of them are vital for heart, bone  and hair health.

Side effects

 ·       Weight gain &obesity

Sesame seeds are high in unsaturated fatty acids and excessive consumption of sesame seeds can cause the body to gain weight.

·       Gastrointestinal upset

Excessive intake of sesame seeds can lead to gastrointestinal discomfort.

·       Hormonal dysfunctions

Excessive usage may lead to hormonal imbalances.

·       Excessive consumption can enhance the risk of bleeding

Sesame seeds are rich in omega 3 fatty acids [ essential fatty acids].Omega-3 fatty acids can inhibit platelet aggregation, increasing the risk of bleeding  and sesame seeds are rich in this ingredient.

·       Over consumption may reduce blood pressure below the normal value [hypotension]

Omega-3 fatty acids are known to lower blood pressure, and excessive consumption of sesame seeds is also associated with a risk of severe hypotension or low blood pressure.

·       Antinutrients in sesame oil affect the digestion and absorption of mineral

Sesame seeds contain some antinutrients, such as oxalic acid and phytic acid, which, in excess can affect the digestion and absorption of mineral such as calcium and proteins in the gut.

 Oxalic acid and phytic acid in sesame hulls are antinutrients which prevent absorption of other nutrients.

Oxalic acid in sesame hulls can cause more than half of the calcium in sesame to exist in the form of calcium oxalate, so that it is not well digested.

Phytic acid can also bind to proteins in the intestine to form calcium–magnesium phytate protein complexes, which cannot be digested by protein hydrolases, thereby reducing the utilization of proteins and minerals.

 Processing techniques such as soaking, fermentation, sprouting, germinating, and cooking can significantly alter the phytic acid content of sesame seeds, resulting in improved mineral utilization.

Safety

Consumption and topical application of sesame oil is very safe in moderate doses. The side effects mentioned here do not happen in normal usage. Only huge or excessive usage is associated with adverse effects as many other substances can have.

References

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Penetration study of oils and its formulations into the human hair using confocal microscopy
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https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26911234/
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