Spices

White sesame seed benefits and side effects

December 24, 2019

Introduction

Sesame seed (Sesamum indicum L.) also called Konjed or Samsam or Gingelly or Til belongs to the family Pedaliaceae. It is popularly known as “Queen of Oilseeds and being considered a rich source of antioxidants. Sesame seeds color varied from cream-white, intermediate colors (e.g., gray, brown, golden, yellow and light white) to charcoal-black. White sesame seed benefits are mainly because of its high antioxidant.

White sesame seeds are used as edible oil (50–60%) as they enhance the diet with the pleasing aroma and flavor. It is also used as an ingredient in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Compared with white seeds, black sesame seeds usually have higher ash and carbohydrate content, but lower protein, oil, and moisture ratios (1). A research study reported that white sesame seeds had relatively higher antioxidant capacity compared to gold sesame seeds and ascribed the possible reason for the differences in the contents of antioxidants (2).

Geographical distribution

White sesame is cultivated mainly in subtropical, tropical, and southern temperate regions of the world mainly Burma, India, China, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Brazil, and Pakistan.

History

Sesame seed and its oil have been utilized as an important foodstuff for about 6,000 years. Ancient Chinese literature (300 B.C.), on the medicinal effects of various plants, describes sesame as a good food having various physiological effects, especially useful for providing energy, a tranquil frame of mind, and preventing aging when eaten over a long period. Further, in traditional Indian medicine, Ayurveda, sesame oil has been used as the basal oil for human body massage since 700-1, 100 B.C.

Uses of white sesame seeds

Roasted Sesame seed is generally used as a topping for many baked foods such as bread, biscuits, and crackers. Sesame seed paste is quite popular in China, Korea, and other Asian countries. In Japan, roasted seeds are mixed with common salt and used as a topping on cooked rice. Sesame mash and a paste made by grinding seed in a conical ceramic mortar are widely utilized as a seasoning for salads, cooked rice, boiled meat, and other foods. Sesame-tofu Goma-dofu is prepared from mashed sesame seed and a starch such as arrowroot starch is a popular food in Japan (3)

Nutritional value of white sesame seed

White sesame seed is rich in oil, proteins, vitamin B1, dietary fiber as well as an excellent source of phosphorus, iron, magnesium calcium, manganese, copper, and zinc. Let us look at the other component of white sesame seeds (4).

Compound	Amounts per 100 g.
Energy	551 Kcal
Protein	26.47 g
Total lipid (fat)	52.37 g
Carbohydrate	13.37 g
Fiber, total dietary	3.86 g
Calcium	465 mg
Iron, Fe	6.42 mg
Magnesium	400 mg
Phosphorus	443 mg
Potassium	337 mg
Sodium	20 mg
Zinc	7.98 mg
Copper	1.33 mg
Manganese	1.50 mg
Thiamin	0.5 mg
Riboflavin	1 mg
Pyrodoxine	0.4 mg
Pantothenic acid	4 mg
Niacin	4 mg
vitamin B12	2 mg
Biotin	0.02 mg
Folic acid	0.2 mg
Vitamin A	1000 IU
Vitamin D	100 IU
Vitamin E	10 IU
Vitamin K	0.5 mg
Fatty acids, total saturated	16.39 %
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated	46.54 %
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated	37.08 %

White sesame seed benefits

1. White sesame seeds are rich in nutrients

White sesame seed benefits are due to vitamin E, tocopherols, lignans such as sesamin, sesamolin, and sesaminol glucosides which show a wonderful effect on the modulation of fatty acid metabolism. Also inhibition of cholesterol absorption and biosynthesis. Antioxidant and vitamin E of white sesame seeds show sparing effects, hypotensive effects, improvement of liver functions in connection with alcohol metabolism, and antiaging effects (5).

2. Manage diabetes-associated other diseases

The person who is diabetic also suffers other complications such as hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress and inflammation. However white sesame seed oil due to fat-soluble lignans sesamin, sesamolin, and sesamol help to reduce the oxidative stress thus ultimately reduce the blood sugar level. (6) The white sesame seed oil also helps to reduce the detrimental effects of diabetes and other disorder (7).

3. White sesame seed flour is effective for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease

Different neuropathological conditions, brain aging as well as irregular apoptotic cell death may cause various neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.

Defatted white sesame seed flour (byproduct after oil extraction) contain ferulic acid and vanillic acid that act as a bioactive antioxidants agent which protect brain cell from damage and keep brain healthy (8).

4. Enhance athletes performance

Intake of 40 g (two tablespoons) per day of sesame for 28 days reduce bad enzyme-like creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and malondialdehyde and increase good enzyme such as superoxide dismutase, vitamin A, and vitamin E which reduce muscle damage and oxidative stress thus minimize the effects of overtraining in athletes (9).

5. White sesame seeds treat Menstrual Bleeding Cessation and oligomenorrhea

Oligomenorrhea is one type of infrequent menstruation disease in which menstruation retards for more than two weeks. However, intake of sesame seeds (daily for 7 weeks) induce bleeding in women with oligomenorrhea (85% of the patients) without any side effects because it contains unsaturated fatty acids and antioxidant lignans, exemplified by Sesamin, Sesamolin and Sesaminol which act as phytoestrogens (10).

6. Treat osteoporosis

Sesamin found in white sesame seed has the ability to osteoblast differentiation via expression of essential genes and key enzymes of the bone mineralization process. Thus enhance new bone synthesis and prevent bone loss (11).

7. Sesamin in white sesame seeds treats osteoarthritis

The presence of sesamin in white sesame seed acts as an anti-inflammatory agent thus reduces inflammation by induction of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans synthesis which helps for the treatment of osteoarthritis (12).

8. 40 g white sesame seeds lower cholesterol level

Daily consumption of 40 g white sesame seeds for 60 days decreases the levels of serum total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and TC/HDL-C ratio due to the presence of dietary fiber and linoleic acid (13).

9. Antioxidant and anticancer properties of White sesame seed

A high amount of phenolics and flavonoids compound of white sesame seeds show a beneficial effect on antioxidant and antiproliferative activities. Sesame seed inhibits human liver cancel growth thus may use as a functional food to prevent chronic diseases (14).

Side effect of white sesame seed

1. Presence of allergen

White sesame seed contains allergen is known as 2S albumin allergen, Ses i or Oleosins which preserve its structure from the degradation in the gastrointestinal tract thus affects the mucosal immune system and provoke an allergic reaction like anaphylactic shock, asthma, urticaria, angioedema, sesame allergy (15,16).

2. Eczema patients should avoid sesame seed

An infant or child who is suffering from eczema should avoid intake of sesame because it may cause food allergy (17).

3. Anaphylaxis risk

White sesame seeds contain at least 10 allergenic proteins which cause severe reactions, with a high risk of anaphylaxis. Therefore precaution should be needed before consumption (18).

4. Risk of Falafel burger anaphylaxis

The person who is allergic to sesame seed should avoid falafel vegetable burgers consumption because it is made by wheat flour bun filled with chickpea balls. It is served together with a white sauce containing freshly ground sesame seeds (19).

Edited By: Dr. Asha Jyoti Bharati

References

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