Health effects of Sesame seed

One meta-analysis showed that consumption of sesame seeds was associated with a small decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure;another analysis showed that consumption of sesame seeds improved fasting glucose and hemoglobin A1c.A sesame oil study reported a reduction in oxidative stress markers and lipid peroxidation.

Allergy

Sesame can trigger the same allergic reactions as other food allergens, including anaphylaxis.Cross-reactivity exists between sesame and peanuts, hazelnuts and almonds.In addition to foods derived from sesame seeds, such as tahini and sesame oil, individuals with sesame allergies are encouraged to be aware of foods that may contain sesame, such as baked goods.In addition to food sources, individuals with sesame allergies are warned that various nonfood sources may also trigger reactions to sesame, including cosmetic and skin care products.The prevalence of sesame allergy is approximately 0.1-0.2%, but is higher in Middle Eastern and Asian countries where consumption is more common as part of traditional diets.Sesame allergy may affect 1.5 million people in the United States.Canada requires sesame to be labeled as an allergen.In the European Union, the presence of sesame, as well as 13 other foods, must be determined, either as an ingredient in packaged foods or as an accidental contaminant.The United States passed the "FASTER Act" in April 2021, making labeling mandatory,effective January 1, 2023, making it the ninth required food ingredient.

Chemical composition 

Sesame contains the lignans sesamin, sesamin, pinoresinol and agarisol.

Pollution:

Large batches of sesame may be contaminated with Salmonella, E.coli, pesticides, or other pathogens, such as in September 2020, where high concentrations of the common industrial compound ethylene oxide were found in a 250-ton batch of sesame from India After its detection in Belgium, dozens of products and stores in approximately 50 countries were recalled across the European Union. Products with organic certification are also affected by contamination.The government conducts regular food inspections on sesame contamination, such as Salmonella and E.coli in tahini, hummus, or seeds, and finds that poor hygiene practices during processing are common sources and pathways of contamination.

Culinary

Sesame is a common ingredient in a variety of dishes.It is used whole in cooking due to its rich, nutty flavor. Sesame is sometimes added to bread, including the toppings of bagels and hamburger buns.They can be baked into crackers, usually in the form of bars. In Sicily and France, the seeds are eaten on bread (ficelle sésame, sesame threads).In Greece, the seeds are also used to make cakes.Fast food restaurants use buns that are sprinkled with sesame seeds on top. McDonald's buys approximately 75% of the Mexican sesame crop for their worldwide sesame bread.Sesame biscuits called Benne wafers are sweet and salty and popular in places like Charleston, South Carolina.Sesame, also known as benne, is believed to have been brought to colonial America in the 17th century by slaves from West Africa.The whole sesame plant is widely used in West African cuisine.These seeds are often used as a thickener for soups and puddings, or can be roasted and steeped in water to create a coffee-like beverage.Sesame oil, made from the seeds, can be used as a substitute for butter and as a shortening for making cakes.In addition, the leaves of mature plants are rich in mucilage, which is used as a laxative and as a treatment for dysentery and cholera.Upon reaching North America, the plant was grown by slaves as a subsistence staple and as a nutritional supplement to their weekly rations.They have been part of a variety of American cuisines since then.In Caribbean cuisine, sugar and white sesame seeds are combined into sticks that resemble peanut brittle and sold in shops and street corners, as in Bahamian benny cakes.

In Asia, sesame seeds are sprinkled on some sushi-like foods.In Japan, the whole seeds are found in many salads and baked snacks, and the tan and black sesame varieties are roasted and used to make seasoning gomashio.East Asian cuisines, such as Chinese cuisine, use sesame seeds and oil in some dishes, such as dim sum, sesame balls (Cantonese: jin deui), and Vietnamese bánh rán. Sesame flavor (through oil and roasted or raw seeds) is also used to marinate meats and vegetables.A chef at a tempura restaurant mixes sesame and cottonseed oil for frying.Sesame, known as simsim in East Africa, is used in African cuisine.In Togo, sesame seeds are the main ingredient in soups, while in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and northern Angola, wangila is a sesame powder dish, often served with smoked fish or lobster.Sesame and oil are widely used in India. In most of the country, sesame seeds are mixed with heated jaggery, sugar or palm sugar to create balls and sticks similar to peanut brittle or nut strings and eaten as a snack.In Manipur, black sesame seeds are used to make chikki and cold-pressed oil.

Sesame is a common ingredient in many Middle Eastern cuisines.Sesame seeds are made into a paste called tahini (used in a variety of ways, including hummus tahini) and the Middle Eastern dessert halvah. After being ground and processed, the seeds are also used in sweets. Sesame is also a common ingredient in za'atar, a Levantine spice blend that is popular throughout the Middle East.In Indian, Middle Eastern and East Asian cuisines, sesame candies are popular sweets made from sesame seeds mixed with honey or syrup. In Japanese cuisine, goma-dofu is made of sesame paste and starch.

Mexican and Salvadoran cuisine refer to sesame seeds as ajonjolí. Mainly used as a sauce additive, such as mole or adobo.It is also often used as a sprinkle on artisanal breads and baked in traditional form to cover a smooth dough, especially on whole wheat flatbreads or artisanal nutrition bars such as alegrías.

Sesame oil is sometimes used as a cooking oil in different parts of the world, but different forms have different high-temperature frying characteristics.The oil in its "roasted" form (as opposed to its "cold pressed" form) has a distinctively pleasant aroma and taste and is used as a table dressing in some regions.