About Sesame Seed or Beniseed and its Health Benefits

Sesame or beniseed is gotten from sesame plant and they are rich in several important compounds and nutrients that add value to the overall human health.

There are present of good number of nutrient-dense condiments in beniseed that provide a lot of benefit to the health and total well being of man. These seeds also serve several other culinary purposes.

In sub-sections of this article, we shall be discussing the health benefits of beniseed (sesame) in details following the outline below:

Now, reading through the points noted below lets you know some of the science-based and researched benefits of sesame to the human health and lifestyle.

1.     Helps To Moderate Cholesterol Level

Sesame (beniseed) contains phytonutrients as well as phytosterols which helps in lowering the level of cholesterol in the body by reducing its rate of absorption and can as well help in weight loss as it burns body fats.

Phytosterols are plant sterols which are comparable to cholesterol but conversely functions actively in the intestine to reduce and displace the level of cholesterol absorption. Research has shown that sesame has the highest content of this phytosterol and that is why it ranks the highest in lowering cholesterol.

Recent studies show that sesame is considered the best lowering the level of cholesterol in the blood among other grains, seeds and legumes due to its richness in phytonutrients that acts quickly on this waxy fat that causes obstruction in the flow of blood.

Beniseed (Sesame) contains 400 grams of phytosterols per every 200 grams of the seeds; sourced from Draxe.com.

2.     Good For Heart Health

Because of the ability to maintain normal cholesterol levels which in turn improve blood pressure, sesame can help in improving the health conditions of the heart.

Lignans which are mainly found in some seeds and whole grains and legumes are present in sesame seeds and helps to enhance lipids and normalize blood pressure.

These polypgynols are good for heart health as they prevent the heart from certain illnesses such as stroke, heart attacks and other related.

Taking moderate quantity of sesame seed helps to prevent another heart-related sickness called atherosclerotic because of the presence of anti-inflammatory compound called sesamol in the sesame oil.

3.       Prevent Diabetes

 The minerals contained in sesame such as magnesium is beneficial to health because it can help in the prevention of diabetes and by the increased intake of such foods rich in magnesium can effectively aid in the production of insulin too.

Some of the fatty acids contained in the seed of sesame help to treat diabetes mellitus especially that of type-2 diabetes.

These seeds when added to a glibenclamide serve as better medication to type-2 diabetes; just as taking a moderate quantity of the seeds on daily basis can go a long way to produce a better effect on this condition.

4.      Helps in Asthma Treatment

Magnesium can also help in the opening of the airways and as such is good for those having airways spams such as one who is asthmatic.

Eating of magnesium-rich food such as sesame heaps asthmatic persons because it contributes as much in relaxing and dilating the airways as well as reducing inflammation in the airways thereby reducing the asthmatic condition.

This is to generally say that sesame is good for respiratory health because it prevents this respiratory disorder called asthma.

5.     Prevent Anaemia & Other Blood Diseases

Sesame (Beniseed) contains iron which is good for health as it helps in prevention of anaemia and other blood diseases.

Human body requires iron in good quantity so as to help produce haemoglobin which is the protein found inside the red blood cells.

The function of this haemoglobin is to transfer oxygen from the lungs to tissues and then to the foetus; for this haemoglobin to produced, the body requires iron.

since research have proved that sesame is rich in iron, it is advisable to take this seeds moderately from  day to day so as to gain the quantity of iron the body requires to produce haemoglobin and prevent anaemia.

6.     Prevents/ Treats Constipation

Beniseed is rich in dietary fibre which makes its good for the digestive system as it helps in proper digestion and eliminating the chances of bloating, cramping and constipation.

The oily composition of sesame seeds also helps to soften the content of the intestines which in turns helps to prevent hard stool and provide constipation relief.

Conclusively on this, using seasame seed as daily snacks serves as a natural remedy for reducing the occurrence of constipation; provide immediate relief from constipation and prevent it as well.

7.     Helps in Maintaining Strong Bones 

The vitamins, calcium and impressive amount of important minerals contained in sesame make it good for the skin, teeth, bones and general health. Particularly on the bone, these seeds serve as dietary recommendation for treating bone injuries and boosting the bone mineral density.

Some of these minerals that contribute to bone health are calcium; which is specifically known to build and maintain the bone as well as zinc and phosphorus.

Zinc and phosphorus are not neglected in this point; play vital role to prevent every diseases that affect the bone health and strengthen the bones also.

Presence of copper helps for the prevention or reduction of joint and bone-related problems.

8.     Sesame Oil Nourishes The Skin

Zinc is contained in sesame in large quantity and so it generates collagen which helps to replenish the damaged tissues of the human body.

Regular use of sesame oil helps to keep the skin more elastic, prevent it from wrinkle appearances and skin coloration such as dark spot.

Sesame oil also prevents the body from being harmed by ultraviolet rays from the sun which can cause skin cancer. 

This is as a result of some anti-cancer compounds such as magnesium, phytosterols and phytic acid in sesame.

9.     Helps in Detoxifying The Liver

It is good for the liver because of the presence of methionine which aids in the effective detoxification of the liver and improves its function.

Sesame protects the liver from oxidative damage due to the presence of strong anti-oxidant in it. This anti oxidant on the other hand helps in promoting proper and healthy functioning of the liver.

10.   Good For Eye Health

Sesame seed and its oil help to improve the eye health especially the black sesame seeds.

Experiments have shown that black sesame seed play important role in enhancing the liver blood and nourishing the eye.

Presence of omega 6 fatty acids in sesame contributes greatly in that protecting the eyes from certain deteriorations.

As the liver is connected to the eye, the function of sesame on the liver also extends to the eye because when the liver is affected, the eyes become very dry and the vision blur.

11. Good For Pregnant Women

 Sesame is good for pregnant women because it contains natural folic acid for preventing and reducing the chances of birth defects.

12. Good For Oral Health

Sesame oil is used for oil pulling which helps to pull toxins from the tongue as well as the whole system and specifically whitens the teeth.

That oil from sesame is found to be more gently detoxifying than other oils which are used for detoxification.

Oil pulling can be done using toasted sesame oil. 1 to 2 tablespoon full of sesame seed oil can be used to lessen dental plaque.

It is done by putting the above mentioned quantity of toasted sesame seed oil in the mouth for up to 15 minutes and then rinse the mouth with water after the duration. This helps to remove excess bacteria from the mouth and whiten the teeth.

13. Protect the Organs From Radiation Effects

Sesame seeds have been found very effective in protecting the body organs from effects of radiation due to the presence of sesamol in it; radiation which can be so irritating and harmful to human health.

14. Serves As Weight-loss Diet

Sesame can be used by people who are practicing weight loss because it containd phytochemicals that helps in burning excessive fats and body metabolism as well.

There is presence of other active ingredients in beneseed (sesame seed) that helps in reducing hunger and avoid over eating which will help anyone practicing weight loss.

15. Balances Sex Hormone

Research has proven that sesame helps in the production of sex hormone mainly in post-menopausal women.

The presence of fats, protein and other essential nutrients in sesame seeds helps in production of lipids and blood sex hormones.

Investigations have also shown that taking of 50 grams of sesame seed powder on daily basis is very effective on improving the production of serum sex hormone.

Uses:

Sesame seeds have long been used for medicinal purposes because of its vast nutritional benefits, and whether used in the production of vegetable oil or other ways it still contains those amazing nutrients that are beneficial to health. Culinarily, sesame is used to add taste to some recipes due to its nutty and mild flavour.

Apart from its use in the production edible vegetable oil, it can also serve as a substitute for egusi and use in the preparation of what is called Esa soup in Nigeria, though both egusi and sesame seed looks alike in every aspect, their sizes are likely what differentiates them mostly and also beniseed is said to have more oil than egusi too.

This is mainly grown in the tropical areas of Africa such as Nigeria, Sesame is also called benniseed and widely known for its use in the production of vegetable oil which is high demand because of the nutritional and health benefits it possesses.

Sesame seeds can be eaten raw. Whether eaten in raw form, cooked or used as ingredients provide lot of health benefits which have been explained above. Eating these seeds raw can be bitter in taste but still healthy.

Nutrition values of Sesame seeds

100g  per Serving

Calories 565

Total Fat                   48g     74 %

Saturated Fat           6.7g     34 %

Sodium                     11mg  0 %

Total Carbohydrate 26g9 %

Dietary Fibre      14g         56 %

Protein 17g         34 %

Vitamin A            0 %                                        

Calcium                99 %                      

Iron                     82 %

Vitamin C             0 %

Following the nutritional values which can be gotten from grams of sesame per serving, one can be able to know the quantity that can be okay for a day. Sesame can be taken alone or combined with other nutritious seeds or nuts to gain the same health benefits.

Taking 50 grams of sesame seeds per day won't be bad as a good source of healthy fat contained in diet.

Sesame seed though beneficial to human health can have a side effect when taken in excess just as other healthy seeds. An allergic reaction such as anaphylaxis is applicable to sesame seeds oil when abused.

Black sesame seeds were mentioned in a paragraph of this write which can make people wonder if there are other types of sesame seeds. Actually, there other sesame seeds available such as golden sesame and white sesame.

No matter the type or colour of the sesame seeds, their nutritional benefits and values remain the same; the slight different is just in their flavour and colour.

People may ask what quantity of these seeds and nuts should be taken in a day. Some of the public health organization such as American Heart Association recommended eating of nuts as part of complete healthy diet.

Summary:

Sesame possesses beneficial nutrients and is rich in many minerals and vitamins which includes selenium, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, dietary fibre, protein, molybdenum, folate, magnesium, iron, manganese, vitamin B1 and B6.

These nutrients have several benefits that they add to human health through the consumption of sesame seed.

Sesame seeds help to the moderate the level of cholesterol in the body, good for heart health, prevent diabetes, helps in asthma treatment, prevent anaemia and other blood diseases, reduces constipation, helps in maintaining strong bones, nourish the skin, good for eye health, helps in detoxification of the liver, good for pregnant women, good for oral health, protect the organs from radiation effects, serves as a weight-loss diet and balances sex hormone.