Open Sesame! The Magic of Sesame Seeds

Flaxseeds deservedly get a lot of attention for their abundance of omega-3 essential fatty acids. But flaxseeds don’t get enough attention for their wealth of lignans. Lignans are fiber compounds that, being phytoestrogenic, steal receptor sites from the body’s more powerful estrogen and protect against its effect on breast cancer. Lignans also contribute to the elimination of excess estrogen from the body.

But science says that sesame seeds may be just as magical! . . .

A recent randomized study has found that sesame seeds, a seed that gets very little attention, produce an amount of lignans in the body equal to the amount produced by flaxseeds. The study gave 25g of sesame seeds to healthy postmenopausal women (Nutrition & Cancer 2005;52:156-65).

A second study provides even more evidence of benefit for this little heralded seed. Postmenopausal women given 50g of ground toasted sesame seed for five weeks, lowered their total cholesterol by 5% and their heart harmful LDL cholesterol by 10% compared to a placebo that had no beneficial effect at all (J Nutr 2006;136:1270-5).

So, even though sesame seeds get less press than seeds like flaxseed and pumpkin seed, these two studies suggest that getting more sesame seeds could be very beneficial for your health.

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