Black Sesame Seeds 100 g, 50 g

Black Sesame Seeds  100 g ($9.99), 50 g ($6.99)

Benefits:

Nutrients:
2 tablespoons (14 grams) of black sesame seeds contain:
Calories:                   100
Protein:                         3 grams
Fat:                                 9 grams
Carbs:                            4 grams
Fiber:                             2 grams
Calcium:                      18% of the Daily Value (DV)
Magnesium:                16% of the DV
Phosphorus:                11% of the DV
Copper:                        83% of the DV
Manganese:                 22% of the DV
Iron:                              15% of the DV
Zinc:                                9% of the DV
Saturated Fat:                1 gram
Monounsaturated Fat: 3 grams
Polyunsaturated Fat:    4 grams

Black sesame seeds are an especially rich source of macrominerals and trace minerals. Your body requires trace minerals only in small amounts, while macrominerals are required in larger quantities.

A higher intake of macrominerals like calcium and magnesium is associated with improved heart disease risk factors, particularly high blood pressure. Some of the trace minerals in black sesame seeds — in particular iron, copper, and manganese — are important for regulating your metabolism, cell functioning, and immune system, as well as the circulation of oxygen throughout your body, among other activities. Because more than half of a sesame seed is composed of oil, sesame seeds are also a good source of healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. The most recent scientific evidence suggests that replacing foods high in saturated fats with foods high in unsaturated fats may lower your risk of heart disease.

Regular Vs. Black Sesame Seeds  It’s commonly believed that black or other coloured sesame seeds have been left whole with the outer hull of the shell intact while pure white sesame seeds have had the hull removed. This is mostly true, but it’s important to note that some unhulled sesame seeds still have a white, tan, or off-white colour, making them difficult to distinguish from hulled sesame seeds. It’s best to examine the packaging to determine whether they’re hulled or unhulled. Unhulled sesame seeds are typically crunchier and have a stronger flavour, compared with the softer, mild white sesame seeds that have had their hull removed.

The following chart highlights some of the most notable differences between 1 tablespoon (9 grams) of hulled and unhulled sesame seeds.

………………Unhulled              Hulled
Calcium       88 mg                 5 mg
Iron                 1 mg                 0.5 mg
Potassium    42 mg              30 mg
Copper           0.37 mg            0.11 mg
Manganese    0.22 mg           0.12 mg

Some beneficial plant chemicals in sesame seeds, such as lignans, are found in large amounts in the outer hull of the seeds. Therefore, unhulled black sesame seeds typically contain more lignans than hulled white sesame seeds. Also, emerging research suggests white and black sesame seeds differ in their contents of beneficial plant chemicals, amino acid proteins, and antioxidants. Black sesame seeds appear to boast more lignans and certain beneficial unsaturated fatty acids unsaturated fats. However, only a few studies have been conducted on the differences between black and white sesame seeds. More research is needed to fully understand these differences.

Benefits Of Sesame Seeds  Black sesame seeds are rich in nutrients that support optimal health, and regularly eating them may have specific benefits. One reason why black sesame seeds could be so beneficial to health is due to the seeds’ effects on oxidative stress, particularly for people who are living with a chronic disease.

In one 8-week mouse study, consuming 0.45–0.9 mL of a black sesame seed extract per pound (1–2 mL per kg) of body weight daily improved insulin resistance, treated oxidative stress in the liver, and appeared to protect against obesity. Some human research has shown that black sesame seeds may help reduce oxidative stress. A study in 30 people found that taking 2.5 grams of black sesame seed capsules per day for 4 weeks significantly decreased levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), one of the most commonly used biomarkers of oxidative stress. Yet, human research is limited at this time, and more studies are needed. Because some studies used concentrated sesame seed extract, the results may not be the same for whole black sesame seeds. Thus, more randomized controlled studies in humans are needed.

Antioxidants  Antioxidants are substances that play an important role in preventing or slowing different types of cell damage in your body. One type of cellular damage that antioxidants are believed to protect against is oxidative stress. Long-term oxidative stress may contribute to the development of many chronic conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Some foods are better sources of antioxidants than others. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains are some of the best sources.

All sesame seeds contain antioxidants and healthy plant chemicals, but black sesame seeds appear to be a particularly rich source. It also appears that sprouted black sesame seeds could have even higher amounts of some antioxidants than seeds that have not yet sprouted.

Blood Pressure  A small study in 30 adults found that taking a capsule containing 2.5 grams of black sesame seed meal daily for 4 weeks significantly decreased systolic blood pressure (the top number of a reading), while a placebo group did not experience changes. Moreover, a systematic review of research on sesame seeds’ effects on blood pressure found that five out of seven clinical studies observed significant improvements in blood pressure. Still, the researchers noted that studies with stronger methodology were needed to confirm these initial findings.

Anti-cancer  Over the past few years, sesame seeds have been investigated for their anticancer properties.Two of the compounds in black sesame seeds — sesamol and sesamin — are believed to contribute to their anticancer. Sesamol has demonstrated its anticancer properties in multiple animal and test-tube studies. These studies have observed the compound’s ability to combat oxidative stress and regulate various stages of cell lifecycle and signaling pathways — each of which plays a role in the development of cancer. Sesamin plays a similar role in cancer prevention. The compound also appears to promote the destruction of cancer cells through apoptosis (programmed cellular death) and autophagy (the removal of damaged cells). Human studies, as well as studies conducted with whole black sesame seeds rather than sesame seed concentrates, are still lacking. Therefore, it’s currently unclear how eating black sesame seeds affects cancer risk.

Hair and Skin  Sesame seed oils are often included in hair and skin products, such as soap, shampoo, and moisturizer. Therefore, you may wonder whether eating black sesame seeds is also good for hair and skin health. While few studies have directly examined how eating black sesame seeds affects hair and skin, the seeds contain many nutrients known to encourage healthy hair and skin, including iron, zinc, fatty acids and antioxidants.

Other studies have investigated the topical application of sesame oil. For example, a 2011 study found that sesame oil could block up to 30% of harmful ultraviolet (UV) light rays. UV light not only causes sunburns but also can lead to wrinkles, early aging of the skin, and even cancer. Another more recent study in 40 people being treated in the emergency room for trauma to their extremities found that massaging the injured extremities with sesame seed oil significantly reduced pain. However, neither of these studies used oil made from black sesame seeds specifically.

Botanical Name: Sesamum Indicum
English: Black Sesame Seeds
Also, known as:
Habitat: Middle East Asia
Origin:
Harvested: Cultivated
Parts Used: Seeds

General Information:
Sesame (Sesamum indicum) is a flowering plant in the genus Sesamum. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalised in tropical regions around the world and is cultivated for its edible seeds, which grow in pods. The flowers of the sesame seed plant are yellow, though they can vary in colour with some being blue or purple. Sesame is grown primarily for its oil-rich seeds, which come in a variety of colours, from cream-white to charcoal-black. In general, the paler varieties of sesame seem to be more valued in the West and Middle East, while the black varieties are prizes in the Far East. The small sesame seed is used whole in cooking for its rich nutty flavour (although such heating damages their healthful polyunsaturated fats), and also yields sesame oil.

 

How to use:
We make these suggestions to help you get the best benefit from the herbs that you’re choosing to improve your health. Also we make these ideas and recommendations so that consuming them easier and better fit into your lifestyle by adding them to the food that you already eat.
For the full health benefit, it is best to consume (or use the whole herb in poultices) the whole herb. All of the compounds in the herb act best together, as nature intends. Extracts draw out the most prominent beneficial compounds and may concentrate them. What is not extracted can be helpful in ways that we do not yet understand.

Cut Pieces or Powdered Herb:
There are different ways to use cut pieces or powdered herb.
Food Preparation: You can add powdered or pieces of herb (if the pieces you buy are bigger than you like, a coffee or herb grinder will quickly reduce) to any yogurt, smoothie, apple or other sauces, spreads, salads or other foods more familiar to you that don’t use heat. Heat can be damaging to the beneficial compounds in the herb. Other options like oatmeal, scrambled eggs, pasta sauce, soup, cookies and anything else that fits your lifestyle, but minimizing (by adding near the end of cooking) the heat is helpful.
Also, for children, you can mix powdered herb with honey or glycerin to make paste. The thicker the paste, the more potent and herbal in taste. The sweet taste of honey and glycerin will help medicine go down. The resulting liquid is called an electuary.
For seeds in general, but especially small seeds, it’s best to grind these to break the protective hulls a short time before consumption. This makes all the benefits available, rather than some remaining locked inside the hulls that are unbroken by insufficient chewing.
To make adding herbs even easier, you could add a week’s worth of your chosen herb(s) to an amount of, for example, yogurt that you would eat in a week. Mix thoroughly and eat this each day of the week. So you make once /week and just eat each other day.
Hot Infusion: The basic method for dried herbs and flower is, take 2-3 tablespoons of dried herb in a cup or teapot. Pour hot water over it and cover it with lid for 10-30 minutes. The heat from making tea can degrade some of the beneficial compounds in the herb. This method minimizes this effect. For the full health benefit, it is recommended to consume what is left over after making tea.
Decoctions: Decoctions are suitable for roots, barks, large seeds & berries, and other dense material. The simple way to make decoction is, in a saucepan, add 1 tablespoon of dried herbs to 1 cup of water, Bring the water to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30-60 minutes with the pot covered. Squeeze out as much as liquid as possible. Best practice is to drink the liquid and also consume the solid material that remains. Herb pieces can also be used.
Powdered Herb:
There are different ways to use powdered herb.
Capsules: HerbsCrafters makes capsules guaranteed to be filled with the pure herb with no filler or any other products. You can also use powdered herb to make your own capsules at home. These capsules are best taken with liquid to aid in digestion and absorption and to ensure it doesn’t stick in your throat.
Poultice: Poultice can be made with an herbal powder and liquid (mostly water) to form a paste which is then applied to the skin. This method is very helpful for skin conditions.
Herbal shot: Powdered herb can be mixed with water, fruit juice or other liquid to make herbal shot.

Tips:
You can sweeten your herbal decoctions with bit of honey, natural fruit juice, stevia leaves powder or licorice root powder.

Precautions:
You should consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using any herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.
All information on this website is for educational purpose ONLY.
This information has not been evaluated by Health Canada.
This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.