For many years, the popularity of sesame oil has never waned. Originally thought to have been first cultivated in the Indus Valley then eventually spreading throughout Asia, sesame seeds and sesame oil have been in use for over 5,000 years. The ancient Vedic texts from India mentioned the use of sesame oil and the Assyrians used sesame oil and seeds in their food, as medicine, and as a salve.
The small, white or black seeds are used in a variety of dishes in all parts of Asia, and the oil itself can be stored for extended periods of time without going rancid.
Recently, the popularity of sesame seeds and sesame oil have surged even higher because of their health benefits. Researchers have found that sesame seeds contain minerals that are good for the body such as copper, calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, zinc, and fiber.
There are many more minerals that all help in keeping the body healthy, which is why many ancient civilizations treasured the oil and seeds. Sesame oil is not difficult to extract from the seeds, and it is also inexpensive, thus making it accessible to people from all walks of life.
From cooking to being used as a massage oil, sesame oil, and sesame seeds have a variety of health benefits.
The benefits of sesame seeds and sesame oil are:
Our body needs healthy fats to function properly. They are essential for a healthy functioning brain, they are an excellent source of energy, and crucial in relation to fat-soluble vitamins. Regularly, adding sesame seeds or sesame oil to your diet will help you to make sure you get enough healthy fats to maintain optimum health and happiness.
ALSO READ: Healthy Fats You Should Be Consuming
1. Good for the hair
The hair is considered as a person’s crowning glory so knowing that one of the benefits of sesame seeds and sesame oil is ensuring that the hair is healthy is important to many people. Sesame oil has been found to cure hair loss and get rid of any harmful foreign pathogens in a person’s hair and scalp.
2. Healthy skin
Sesame is full of zinc, which helps the skin be more elastic and produce collagen. Sesame oil as a salve has been used to treat burns and other skin wounds, as it also helps the body in healing itself faster.
Scroll down for more benefits of sesame seeds and sesame oil
3. Cardiovascular health
As a type of vegetable oil, sesame is valued because it contains sesamol (considered to be an antioxidant) and sesamin. These minerals help the body in keeping cholesterol levels low, preventing a person from suffering heart attacks or stroke.
Sesame also keeps a person’s blood pressure low (due to their high magnesium content) and combats diabetes.
However, many doctors advise that a person should not add sesame to their diet if they are already taking any blood-thinning or anticoagulant medication as this could lead to severely dangerous effects on the body.
4. Oral health
Sesame oil has potent antibacterial properties, so dentists have also begun to use it in their treatments. Sesame oil has been found to whiten teeth, prevent the buildup of plaque, and protects the teeth from any bacteria that could damage them.
Ever heard of oil pulling to whiten teeth and improve oral health? Next to coconut oil, sesame seed oil can be used to pull oil and keep your mouth and breath fresh and bacteria free. Click here for more info.
To any person who would like to improve his overall health, adding some sesame to your diet is definitely a must-try. We love to cook with black sesame seeds for their flavor. However, they are often a bit harder to find. If you can’t find them, white sesame seeds will do the trick. We add them to salads, stir-fries, homemade granola, and so much more. Why not try and make your own yummy tahini?
Sesame oil can be added to salad dressing, marinades, stir-fries, and many other dishes.
Whether it’s by adding it to your cooking, taking it orally, or even just using it as aromatherapy, there’s no doubt the health benefits that sesame can give.
Thanks for reading. I hope this information was helpful. Until next time!
Amy Goodrich
Crazy cat lady, life and food lover, certified biologist, and holistic health coach.
I have been thinking of experimenting with different oils in my product line, looks like I will have to take a serious look at sesame oil! Do you know if allergens are prevalent with these types of oils?
Hi Courtney, people can have an allergic reaction to nearly everything. So sometimes is does happen that people are allergic to sesame seeds. But it doesn’t happen very often.
Having Sesame seeds in summers is not very recommendable to everyone, because, Sesame is hot in nature. Yes, it is a good source of calcium
Thanks for the addition. Although we live in the tropics where it is always ho/summer and never had any issues eating sesame seeds. And we eat them a lot!