While sesame seeds are hailed as a source of healthy fats and fiber with bone-health boosting powers, sesame oil often goes unnoticed. The fact is, sesame oil can be equally, if not more, beneficial for one’s health. Rich in omega 6-fatty acids, this seed oil also contains a significant amount of flavonoid phenolic antioxidants, which makes it a spectacular free-radical scavenger. Furthermore, its nutritional content also includes an impressive quantity of vitamins along with dietary fiber, which significantly contributes to its many benefits. Gaining popularity in recent years, the sesame seed oil is often proposed as an alternative for other well-known vegetable oils since it is inexpensive and full of nutrients. If you are also thinking of introducing this seed oil into your kitchen, then you need to first understand the benefits linked with its healthy consumption.
Table of Contents
Health Benefits of Sesame Oil
1. Sesame Oil Is Rich In Antioxidants
Rich in vitamin E and vitamin K, sesame seed oil has antioxidant properties and can effectively act as a good free-radical scavenger. Free oxygen atoms, also known as free-radicals, which are present in the bloodstream, are known to react with the healthy cells in the body. This reaction exerts oxidative stress over the cells walls, thus damaging them. However, the addition of sesame oil, an antioxidant-rich ingredient, can eventually lower the concentration of these free oxygen atoms. This happens as the antioxidants combine with the free-radicals before they reach the healthy cells, thus lowering the risk of free-radical damage.
Also Read: Benefits Of Sesame Seeds | Side-Effects Of Sesame Seeds
2. Heart Friendly
The fatty acid content in sesame oil makes it a great heart-friendly ingredient, which means that it works well for the promotion of one’s cardiovascular health. Various polyunsaturated fatty acids such as sesamol and sesamin (both of which are present in sesame oil) aid in the lowering of the bad cholesterol level. Hence, by keeping the cholesterol level low, sesame oil can help in the proper functioning of your heart, and it’ll also aid in the prevention of strokes or heart attacks.
3. Sesame Oil Has Anti-Inflammatory Properties
This benefit of sesame oil is derived when the oil is applied externally and then absorbed by the skin cells. One of the chief minerals present in this oil is copper, which is also a great anti-inflammatory agent. Copper is a well-known adversary of arthritis, an inflammatory disease caused due to the attack of the immune system on the muscle tissues, which eventually causes inflammation of the tissues. A massage with sesame oil, however, allows the skin cells to acquire a significant amount of copper that’ll help in reducing the swelling.
4. Improves Blood Circulation
Very much like its anti-inflammatory nature, the impressive percentage of copper present in sesame seeds oil also helps in a regulated blood transfer throughout the different organs of the body. The foundation for this benefit lies in the fact that copper is an essential ingredient that helps in the production of red blood cells, which, as we all know, are the lifeline of a healthy life. Regulated consumption of copper can significantly increase the number of red blood cells flowing through the organs, which in turn creates an adequate supply of oxygen throughout the body. This could help in the prevention of anemia, and the improvement of one’s cognitive abilities.
5. Manages Anxiety
An active compound present in sesame seed oil called tyrosine is connected with the level of serotonin in one’s brain. Serotonin is a hormone that effectively increases the happiness quotient in the brain, thus relieving anxiety. This is considered to be one of the most underrated benefits associated with the consumption of sesame oil.
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6. Aids In Lowering Blood Pressure
Some of the most common minerals found in sesame seed oil include zinc and copper, both of which can be a great addition to a high blood pressure diet. Why? Well, the answer to that lies in one of the most common facts ever told. Almost all food items contain a certain amount of salt, which can also be chemically represented as NaCl (Na is for sodium and Cl is for chlorine). The sodium, when consumed in an unregulated amount, can constrict your blood vessels, which results in increased blood pressure. And this is where zinc and cooper come into action, for they combine with the sodium and prevent it from contracting the inner walls of the blood vessels, thus keeping the vessels dilated and the blood pressure under control.
7. Boosts Metabolism
Though the presence of dietary fiber is quite low as compared to other nutrients, it is still significant enough to steadily improve your body’s mechanism. Fiber is considered to be the non-digestible part of the food, thus a fiber-filled food item is much harder for the stomach to digest. In the end, the stomach exerts a great amount of work for its digestion, which results in the burning of calories and improving metabolism.
8. Maintains Sugar Levels
Apart from zinc and copper, the other major mineral constituent of the sesame seed oil is magnesium, which in turn plays a vital role in maintaining the body’s glucose levels. One of the major reasons that why magnesium is able to regulate blood sugar is because its presence in the blood helps in reducing insulin resistance (insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas that breaks down sugar molecules into energy). Therefore, by consuming foods rich in magnesium, one can get a little help in managing blood sugar levels.
9. Improves Skin
The high quantity of vitamin E and other antioxidants present in sesame seed oil helps in preventing the skin cells from coming in contact with free radicals. Moreover, the external application of sesame oil allows the skin cells to absorb zinc, which in turn is quite beneficial for elastic and smooth skin while also preventing it from oxidative stress. When applied over the skin, the oil forms a thin protective layer that allows the skin cells to retain their water, thus keeping them moisturized.
10. Improves Bone Density
Calcium is the building block of bones and needless to say, the amount of C]calcium present in sesame oil can effectively strengthen your muscles and increasing the bone density. When the excess water is removed from the body, a certain amount of calcium from the bones is also taken away. This removed calcium is replaced by the calcium atoms present in the blood. It is important to note that the amount of calcium used as a replacement must be more than the one that is removed, or else the bones will end up being weak. Thus, a calcium-rich diet is vital to one’s wellbeing and sesame seed oil could be a great addition to it.
11. Strengthens Hair Follicles
Since the days of Ayurveda (an ancient medicinal practice), sesame seed oil has been used to improve hair strength and health. Sesame oil has also shown promise as it helps the hair retain its natural color. And to further add to its list of hair-benefits, the anti-bacterial properties of sesame oil can very impressively eliminate the growth of dandruff, thus leaving behind a moisturized skin.
12. Great For Oral Health
Putting sesame oil in your mouth and swishing it around is known to make teeth whiter. The powerful anti-bacterial property of sesame oil helps in reducing the rate of plaque formation and inhibits the growth of bacteria that can make you very ill.
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Various Uses Of Sesame Oil
As we have informed you about the various benefits linked with sesame oil, it is equally important for you to be aware of the various methods with which you can maximize its beneficial nature.
1. Oral Ingestion
This is by far the most popular method of sesame oil consumption. Sesame oil can act as a healthier substitute for other vegetable oils. The sole reason behind this is the fact that sesame oil is rich with polyunsaturated fats, which tend to make it more heart-friendly as compared to the others.
2. For External Application
By externally applying sesame oil, you can take advantage of its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. A thorough massage with sesame oil can help you in soothing the pain caused by arthritis, as the copper present in the oil gets absorbed by the skin cells and reduces inflammation.
The Final Note
In the end, all we can say is that choosing sesame oil over other vegetable oil cannot be a wrong decision. However, its consumption must be in a regulated fashion, for in the end it is an oil and is loaded with fats. The vitamin and mineral content, on the other, would do justice to your health, as sesame oil is rich with it and contains a whole span of varieties, thus making it beneficial in every aspect.