Sesame Oil

Latin (Botanical) Name:   Sesamum indicum

Plant Family:   Pedaliaceae

Common Extraction Method:   Cold press

Typically Used Plant Part:   Seed

Color:   Pale yellow

Aromatic Characteristic:   Sweet, nutty, sesame aroma

 

It is known that the sesame plant originated in Asia (especially India). Historically, sesame was grown more than 5,000 years ago by the Chinese as a drought-tolerant crop. Ancient seeds from this period were found buried in Zhejiang, China. Some archaeological research in the Middle East has revealed that sesame oil was produced in India and Iran more than 3,000 years ago.

Sesame seeds were one of the first crops to be processed for oil. The ancient Egyptians used the ground seeds as flour, but there is also evidence that they used it for making medicine and for ceremonial purification. It is thought that sesame was exported to Mesopotamia around 2500 BC. The Babylonians used sesame oil to make perfumes. The Romans, on the other hand, used to grind sesame seeds with cumin to make a dough to make bread.

Sesame was also thought to have "mystical powers". The expression "open sesame" in the tale "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" in the Thousand and One Nights Tales is an indication of this. According to another story, a governor is sent to Yin Tai (present-day Japan) to find the holy medicine for immortality by order of the emperor. The governor searches the forests and mountains for this magic remedy. After many years he returns with sesame seeds and asks the emperor to consume the seeds and oil regularly for longevity.

Sesame oil offers many health benefits thanks to its components such as fatty acids, vitamins A, B and E.

      KEY COMPONENTS / ACTIVE INGREDIENTS

• Oleic acid (Omega 9)
• Linoleic acid (Omega 6)
• Palmitic acid
• Stearic acid
• Linolenic acid (Omega 3)
• Arachidic acid

      BENEFITS

• It shows antioxidant characteristic [1] [2] :

• Hair friendly:

Sesame oil helps to moisturize the hair, soften it, prevent breakage and dandruff [6].

• It shows anti-inflammatory characteristic:

Sesame oil has anti-inflammatory characteristic thanks to the sesamin component it contains. It helps to reduce pain, inflammation, rheumatoid arthritis pain [7] [8] [9].

• It shows antifungal characteristic:

Sesame oil helps prevent fungal growth with its antifungal characteristic [10].

• Heart friendly:

Sesame oil contains 82% unsaturated fatty acids [11]. It is especially rich in omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-6 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fat that is essential in your diet and plays an important role in preventing heart disease [12]. Sesame oil helps lower bad cholesterol levels and protect heart health [13] [14].

      WARNINGS

• Avoid contact with eyes, in case of contact rinse with plenty of water.
• Do not use the product if you have a known allergy to any of its ingredients.
• It is recommended that children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, people using medication should consult their doctor before using sesame oil.

 

      ACADEMIC STUDIES

[1] M. T. S. Saleem, M. C. Chetty, S. Kavimanic (2013). Putative antioxidant property of sesame oil in an oxidative stress model of myocardial injury. J Cardiovasc Dis Res. 2013 Sep; 4(3): 177–181.

[2] J. P-J Chiang, D-Z Hsu, J-C Tsai, H-M Sheu, M-Y Liu (2005). Effects of topical sesame oil on oxidative stress in rats. Altern Ther Health Med. Nov-Dec 2005; 11(6) : 40-5.

[3] G. Pizzino, N. Irrera, M. Cucinotta, G. Pallio, F. Mannino, V. Arcoraci, F. Squadrito, D. Altavilla, A. Bitto (2017). Oxidative Stress: Harms and Benefits for Human Health. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2017; 2017: 8416763.

[4] K. Selvarajan, C. A. Narasimhulu, R. Bapputty, S. Parthasarathy (2015). Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Activities of the Nonlipid (Aqueous) Components of Sesame Oil: Potential Use in Atherosclerosis. J Med Food. 2015 Apr 1; 18(4): 393–402.

[5] A. N. Zaid et al. (2019). Impact of Sesame Oil Source: A Quality Assessment for Cosmeceutical and Pharmaceutical Use. FABAD J. Pharm. Sci., 44, 3, 189-196, 2019

[6] Perke B. M. (2013). Evaluation of Role of Shirobhyanga with Reference to Kesha Swasthya (Health f Normal Hair). March 2013International Research Journal of Pharmacy 4(3).

[7] Érika Maria Henriques Monteiro et al. (2014). Antinociceptive and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of the Sesame Oil and Sesamin. Nutrients 2014, 6, 1931-1944.

[8] M Afroz et al. ().  A systematic review on antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) oil and further confirmation of anti-inflammatory activity by chemical profiling andmolecular docking. http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/10871/.

[9] R. Sotnikova, S. Ponist, J. Navarova, D. Mihalova, V. Tomekova, M. Strosova, K. Bauerova (2009). Effects of sesame oil in the model of adjuvant arthritis. Neuroendocrinol Lett 2009; 30(Suppl 1): 22–24.

[10] Ahmed T., Shittu LAJ, Bankole M. A., Shittu R. K, Adesanya O. A., Bankole M. N., Ashiru, O. A. (2009). Comparative studies of the crude extracts of sesame against some common pathogenic microorganisms. Scientific Research and Essay Vol. 4 (6), pp. 584-589, June 2009.

[11] https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171016/nutrients

[12] F. Hashempour-Baltork, M. Torbati, S. Azadmard-Damirchi, G. Peter Savage (2017). Quality Properties of Sesame and Olive Oils Incorporated with Flaxseed Oil. Adv Pharm Bull. 2017 Apr; 7(1): 97–101.

[13] S. M. Namayandeh, F. Kaseb, S. Lesan (2013). Olive and Sesame Oil Effect on Lipid Profile in Hypercholesterolemic Patients, Which Better? Int J Prev Med. 2013 Sep; 4(9): 1059–1062.

[14] L. Vennila (2017). Cardioprotective Effect of Sesame Oil: A review. World Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, Volume 6, Issue 11, 331-341.