Say Open Sesame and Eat These Tiny Seeds to Improve Your Health

Say Open Sesame To Get Into Seeds As A Healthy Vegan Protein Food

Sesame Seeds are well known throughout North America for their great flavor and aesthetically pleasing topping to many of our favorite breads.

The tiny seeds grow in a pod found on the flowering plant Sesamum indicum and are full of healthy nutrients like protein, iron, zinc, magnesium, copper, calcium, vitamin E, manganese and fiber.

The largest producers of sesame are Tanzania, Myanmar, India, and Sudan, so it is also a popular and essential ingredient in many Middle Eastern cuisines. Sesame seeds can be made into tahini paste, which is used in various ways, including baba ganoush, hummus and the Middle Eastern halvah confection.

In addition to their tastiness, sesame seeds open the door to a variety of health benefits.

Great Source of Healthy Vegan Protein

For every ounce, sesame seeds have 4.7 grams of protein, which is great news for vegetarians and vegans that want to eat plant based high protein food.  Many vegan dishes include sesame tahini for this reason.  Sesame tahini paste is easier to digest than whole sesame seeds.

Sesame Helps to Lower Cholesterol and Blood Pressure

In a Taiwanese study in 2006, postmenopausal women who took 2 oz of sesame powder per day for 5 weeks had a 10% reduction in bad cholesterol. In another study, white seeds were used at 1.5 oz per day for 60 days and it was concluded that sesame seeds are successful in lowering cholesterol levels.

At least 3 studies state that sesame oil can lower blood pressure.  This may be due to the higher levels of magnesium in sesame seeds.

Say Open Sesame to Seeds

Relieve Pain from Osteoarthritis

An article from Berkeley Wellness states that – “In a small Iranian study in the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases in 2013, people with knee osteoarthritis who added 1½ ounces (about 4 tablespoons) of powdered sesame seeds a day to their usual treatment (acetaminophen and glucosamine) for two months reported greater pain relief than those just on their usual treatment.  The article said that the seeds may also:

Help Fight Oxidative Stress

“Seven clinical trials concluded that sesame seeds reduce markers of oxidative stress among people with hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol. In particular, sesame seeds raise blood levels of antioxidants (including vitamin E) and enzymes (like glutathione peroxidase) that protect against oxidative damage associated with some chronic diseases.”
All the health benefits of sesame can give us good reason to contemplate two very interesting stories.  “Open Sesame” has become one of the world’s most popular “magical” phrases,  thanks to the story of Aladdin.  There is also another lessor known old story of how the Roman legions kept sesame seeds in their pockets for energy and strength during their long marches.  Just imagine the powers of the tiny sesame seed!

 

Click here for a recipe for a nourishing dessert recipe, but be sure to use raw organic honey, and not refined sugar.

 

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