Sesame seeds: a natural pain reliever superfood

By Sari Huhtala

Sesame seeds provide a perfect nutritional, cholesterol-lowering boost to meals, with the added benefits of being a natural analgesic, proven to reduce pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Sesame seeds have natural anti-inflammatory and analgesic pain-relieving compounds like sesamin, which help to reduce pain and swelling in joints, while the magnesium and healthy fats in the seeds help to improve lubrication of the joints and joint mobility.

A one ounce serving, about three tablespoons, of raw sesame seeds offers up nearly three times more iron than a one ounce serving of beef liver, according to the USDA National Nutrition Database.

In addition, a small handful provides about 12 per cent of daily calcium needs, 24 per cent of magnesium, 30 per cent of thiamin and 22 per cent of phosphorous needs.

Compared to other nuts and seeds, sesame seeds offer up more phytosterols – cholesterol-lowering and anticancer properties.

Consumed as a tahini – made from a blend of healthy oil and sesame seeds – helps the body absorb the nutrients they provide even more efficiently. Two tablespoons of tahini contain five grams of protein, three grams of fibre and heart healthy fats. A study published in Nutrition Research showed that consuming 1.5 ounces of tahini (sesame seed paste) daily reduced LDL (bad) cholesterol by 9.5 per cent over a four-week period. When study subjects returned to a regular diet consuming no tahini LDL cholesterol levels rose, returning to their original levels. Antioxidants in sesame seeds, like lignans, help to improve blood lipids.

A study in the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases revealed that a daily dose of sesame seeds helped reduce pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis. In the study, 50 patients with knee osteoarthritis were divided into two groups: one group was given standard treatment twice a day for pain, while the other group consumed 40 grams of powdered sesame seeds, the equivalent of two tablespoons of tahini, and received standard treatment. The group consuming sesame seeds reported significantly less pain than the standard treatment group.

Ideas for adding sesame seeds to a diet:

Sprinkle raw seeds on a salad or baked veggies. Make homemade hummus with tahini, make tahini-based salad dressings, add a spoonful of tahini on top of a salad or dip veggies into tahini, or add it to soups, or in a smoothie. Drizzle tahini on roasted vegetables or grain bowls. Use tahini in a homemade nut and seed butter.

(This information is not intended to replace medical advice and treatment from a health care practitioner).

Sari Huhtala is the creator, publisher and editor of Alive and Fit Magazine, which was created in 2007.  She has over 25 years of experience in journalism and over 15 years of experience as a certified personal trainer and fitness instructor, and is a holistic chef, offering holistic cooking and edible wilds workshops. She is an organic farmer, wild-crafter and grandmother, who has spent over 20 years navigating a holistic, healthy path for her family. Find her at 
The Laughing Forest in Spanish, ON.

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