Benefits of Black sesame

Introduction

Sesame seeds are rich in protein, carbohydrates, and minerals. It is mainly differentiated into black, white, and yellow sesame on the basis of the color of the seed coat. Black sesame seed is one of the most important oilseed crops. The benefits of black sesame are good for the heart due to high antioxidants.

History

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) belongs to the genus Flax, an important ancient oil crop with a long history of more than 2200 years of cultivation.

Geographical distribution

Sesame is widely cultivated in tropical and temperate regions, particularly in Myanmar India, China, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Uganda, Mexico, Guatemala, and Venezuela.

Common name

Sesame seed, also known as sesamum, gingelly, bennissed, sim-sim, and till.

Uses of Black sesame seeds

The black sesame seeds and its oil are popularly used in cookery to flavor foods (bread, biscuits, crackers, Halaweh, java beans, and bennimix in Sierra Leone dim sum dish) and drinks. Toasting black sesame seeds release beneficial chemicals to enhance the flavor.

Nutritional value of Black sesame seed

It contains a high amount of fat, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, protein and other components as follows (1)

Health Benefits of Black sesame seed

Some of the benefits of black sesame are as follows

1. Treat hypertension and oxidative stress

Black sesame meal capsules (2.52 g) for four weeks help in reducing hypertension and prehypertension. It thus reduces systolic blood pressure and an increase in vitamin C, vitamin E levels, and beta-carotene which increase the antioxidant capacity (2).

2. Black sesame reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases

Gamma-tocopherol found in black sesame plays an important role in patients with coronary heart disease. Therefore, the black sesame meal relaxes the endothelium of blood vessels and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease (3).

3. Anti-cancer properties

A rich amount of lignan (sesamin) in black sesame has a wonderful effect on ameliorating tumor development and progression of human cancer cells (4).

Thus prevent or treat various types of cancer such as breast and prostate cancer cells (5). The high amount of phenolics and lignans such as sesamin, sesamol, and anthrasesamone plays an important role in antioxidant and antiproliferative activities (6).

4. Sesame seeds are rich in nutrients

It contains up to 55% oil and 20% protein (high amount of tryptophan and methionine). Sesame also contains linoleic, oleic acids, gamma-tocopherol vitamin E, and high content of fat-soluble lignans (sesamin and sesamolin). Thanks to recent sesame oil have a phytoestrogen activity; it has a cholesterol-lowering effect (7).

5. Protect from disease

Black sesame seed is a good source of mammalian lignans enterolactone and enterodiol, have potential anticancer effects. Thus whole sesame seed is as rich a source of mammalian lignan precursors as whole flaxseed (8).

6. Antioxidants of black sesame Enhance fertility

Sesame (0.5 mg/kg) for 3 months contains various antioxidants like lignans which help to improve the sperm count and motility in infertile men. Thus, sesame improves the quality of the produced sperm and safe treatment for male factor infertility (9).

7. Treat Alzheimer ’s disease

Black sesame pigment, sesame lignans, such as sesaminol and sesamol found in black sesame simulated gastrointestinal digestion against key enzymes involved in Alzheimer’s disease by inhibition of acetylcholinesterase enzyme which further prevent amyloid aggregation (10).

8. Prevent bioaccumulation of heavy metals

Black sesame pigment binds heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and mercury and reduces the risk of impairment of the immune and central nervous systems (11).

9. Reduce the risk of food allergy

Black sesame seed increases the epithelial barrier which inhibits allergen absorption through the intestinal tract thus protects from a food allergy (12).

10. Good for postmenopausal women

Sesamin, sesame lignin obtained from black sesame decrease total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, increase sex hormone (phytoestrogen), and antioxidant activity (improves α and γ-tocopherol status).

Therefore, intake of 50 g sesame seed powder daily for 5 wk show the wonderful effect on postmenopausal women by improving blood lipids, antioxidant status, and possibly sex hormone status (13).

11. Treat nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)

High fructose diet increases the risk of NAFLD, obesity, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome. Black seed due to minerals, lignins decreases body weight, adipose tissue weight, and liver weight. Black sesame also decreases serum insulin and glucose levels and improved body insulin resistance. Moreover, black sesame decreases free fatty acid, triglycerides, and total cholesterol thus protect from NAFLD, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome (14).

12. Black sesame and weight loss

Sesaminol diglucoside (SDG) found in black sesame seed helps to decrease the mass of white fat pads and serum glucose levels and increase the amount of good protein that protects the mice against high fat-induced weight gain (15).

13. Treat rheumatoid arthritis

Black sesame seed (800 mg/kg) is a good source of sesamin, sesamol, sesamolin, α-linolenic acid, and γ-tocopherol. Therefore, acts as anti-inflammatory agents that reduce swelling and other causing factors of inflammation and increase body weight, spontaneous activity, hemoglobin level, and red blood cell count thus reduce pain and treat rheumatoid arthritis (16).

Important facts about black sesame

1. Health benefits of young sesame leaves

Young sesame leaves contain acteoside which has high antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and neuroprotective. Thus protects from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Therefore can be used as a healthy food supplement (17).

2. Young sesame leaves and weight loss

Sesame leaves also effective in reducing body fat and/or preventing obesity due to Sesaminol diglucoside (SDG) in them (18).

3. Health benefits of sprouted sesame seeds

Research study proved that sprouted sesame seeds (both black and white) effectively increase catechin, epicatechin, and sinapic acid. Germination also increases total phenolics and amino acid content approximately 4 times. Therefore, sprouted sesame shows high antioxidant activity due to the presence of these phytochemicals and may use as an excellent source for functional foods (19).