It sounds kind of crazy. “Powerful sesame seed” certainly seems like an oxymoron, but this tiny seed offers so much more than a distinct nutty flavor. It is a powerhouse of organic minerals, especially calcium, and is an alkaline food that supports bone and general health. That’s exactly why sesame seeds made it to the list of Foundation Foods in the Osteoporosis Reversal Program.
Sesame seeds add texture to baked goods, a nutty flavor to sushi rolls, stir-fries and salads, and ground sesame seeds are used to make delicious and nutritious spreads like tahini, hummus and sesame butter. Plus, I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who doesn’t like them.
The Hard Facts about Sesame Seeds
Sesame seeds are full of calcium, magnesium, copper, vitamin B1, zinc and dietary fiber. They offer the most nutritional value when the entire seed is used (un-hulled).
Whole sesame seeds contain about 88 mg of calcium per tablespoon of seeds. Just a quarter cup of natural sesame seeds provides more calcium than a whole cup of milk. A quarter cup of raw natural sesame seeds has 351 mg of calcium while one cup of non-fat milk has 316.3 mg, and one cup of whole milk has only 291 mg of calcium. Plus, they are alkaline whereas milk is acidic.
Sesame seeds are also rich in zinc, another mineral that has a positive effect on bone mineral density. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found a correlation between low dietary intake of zinc and osteoporosis at the hip and spine.1
Copper, better known for its anti-inflammatory ability shown to reduce some of the pain and swelling of rheumatoid arthritis, is also a supporter of bone and blood vessel health.
More than Just Bone Health
While calcium is vital to bone health, it also can help with migraines2 and provide relief for PMS.3
These multi-tasking seeds are also rich in sesamin and sesamolin, fibers called lignans that can lower cholesterol and help prevent high blood pressure.4
As if you need another reason to make sesame seeds a pantry staple, they are a great source of phytosterols, plant sterols that have also been shown to lower blood cholesterol5 and improve heart health.6
Processing and Cooking
Keep in mind, how a food is processed and cooked changes its nutritional value. For example, the calcium level decreases about 60 percent when the hulls are removed from the sesame seed; however, the form of calcium in the hulls is calcium oxalate, a less absorbable form of calcium.
The actual harm of removing the hull is debatable. When the seed is crushed, as in tahini or sesame butter, its nutrients are more easily digested. When left whole, the seeds do not break down as well during digestion.
Toasting or roasting sesame seeds alter their nutritional value. Studies show that the calcium levels are slightly higher when the seeds are toasted. For example, one could get 27 percent of their daily value of calcium in one ounce of whole sesame seeds, but 28 percent if the seeds are roasted. Likewise, one ounce of hulled raw kernels will get give you 2 percent of your daily value of calcium. That number doubles when the kernels are toasted.
Small Seeds, Big Taste
Okay, you get it, they’re healthy! But there’s more, because sesame seeds are also delicious. If you think that a bakery roll is the only way to serve sesame, you are missing out. Toasted or raw seeds (whole or hulled) can be added to steamed broccoli (a veggie rich in calcium), stir-fried green beans, put on top of salads and in dressings, sprinkled on baked goods, and mashed and ground into condiments and spreads. Try using sesame seeds in place of acidifying breadcrumbs.
During my travels to the Middle East, I learned many uses of sesame, both culinary and medicinal. One of my go-to snacks to this day is tahini. It’s a wonderful paste made of sesame seeds that you can use in spreads, dressings, sauces, or all by itself on crackers and toast. You can even use it as a dip with fruits and veggies.
To get started with sesame seeds, here’s my favorite and simple tahini recipe. Enjoy!
Treasure Trove Tahini
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 cups
Ingredients:
5 cups sesame seeds (hulled)
1½ cups extra-virgin olive oil
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350. Toast sesame seeds for 5-10 minutes, tossing the seeds frequently with a spatula. Do not allow to brown. Cool for 20 minutes. Pour sesame seeds into food processor and add the oil. Blend for 2 minutes. Check for consistency. The goal is a thick, yet pourable texture. Add more oil if necessary and blend until desired consistency.
Storing Tahini:
Tahini should be stored in the refrigerator in a tightly closed container. It will keep for up to 3 months.
Want More Delicious Foundation Foods and Recipes?
Sesame seeds are just one example of the bone-building power houses that are all around us. That’s why I developed the list with over 160 ‘Foundation Foods’ that you can mix-and-match to accelerate your bone building progress.
For the complete list and for more simple recipes, be sure to check out the Osteoporosis Reversal Program.
References
1 Hyun T., Barrett-Connor E., Milne D. ; “Zinc intakes and plasma concentrations in men with osteoporosis: the Rancho Bernardo Study”. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 80, No. 3, 715-721. September 2004.
2 Thys-Jacobs S, “Alleviation of Migraines with Therapeutic Vitamin D and Calcium”. Headache: the Journal of Head and Face Pain. Volume 34 Issue 10, 590 – 592. May 2005.
3 Thys-Jacobs S, “Micronutrients and the Premenstrual Syndrome: The Case for Calcium”. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. Vol. 19, No. 2, 220-227. 2000.
4 Adlercreutz H. “Lignans and human health”. Critical Reviews in Clinical Laboratory Sciences. Vol 44, 483-525, 2007.
5 Ostlund, R. E., Jr, Racette, S. B., and Stenson, W. F. “Inhibition of cholesterol absorption by phytosterol-replete wheat germ compared with phytosterol-depleted wheat germ.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Vol. 77, No. 6, 1385 – 1589. 2003.
6 Kritchevsky, D. Phytosterols: Dietary fiber in Health and Disease. (Eds.) Kristchevsky and Bonfield., Plenum Press, New York, 427: 235 – 242. 1997.
Another benefit of human consumption of enjoying sesame seeds for flavoring foods (as opposed to salt, etc., for some of us that don’t care for salt and its inherent flaws!) is that these little tasty seeds also offer assistance with ‘regularity’, sortof similar to psyllium (products such as Konsyl, Metamucil (sp?), etc.), and my urologist informs. me that they can be helpful “subtle scrubbing and cleansing substances” in both the intestines and the colon! Makes sense, especially if you decide to have some REAL FUN BY HAVING A COLONOSCOPY! Giddy up, let’s GO! But seriously, these seeds are like a little “healthful foods blessing!” Thanks for allowing me to share. . .
Thank you
You’re welcome
Very interesting……looking forward to learning more. Thank yoy
You are welcome, Roslyn. Feel free to peruse this site to learn more!
very nice site good job
Love tahini! Will eat more now that I’m building my bones the healthy way! Wonderful food tips. My sincere gratitude for your intelligent , truthful, life giving web site.
You’re welcome! And I appreciate your kind words 😀
This is a very simple recipe. I just wanted to say that you can add more things to it to make a sauce like garlic, yougurt, green chillies and even lemon. You can use it as a dip for french fries, broast etc its very delicious 🙂
Iam writing to you with regard to my mother. She is 55 years old and for past 2 years she is suffering from acute thigh bone pain. Initially many doctors prescribed her painkillers and said that she will be fine. This phase went on for a period of 1 year and second year the pain started double times the previous year…. And even doctors were unable to relieve her from pain..
Last September 2014, she was so much in pain that, she should not stand and was hospitalized, doctors put weight on her waist and asked her for bed rest of 15 days. After that she was ok for few days then again the pain started after 6 months…from jan 2015 she as applying mustard oil boil and put some garlic in it and then apply on the legs( remedy told by one of Ayurveda on television). Iatrogenic applying this the pain was relieved for 2 months max and it again started last month. The pain is usually during night when she goes to sleep… She cannot sleep, nights are sleepless……
Recent doctor has given some calcium tables and said that it will take 3 months to regain the calcium. She is taking 1 tablet per week for calcium and taking women Horlicks in morning.
I would like to ask you, for how long do we take this sesame with milk, as she is taking it two times a day. Is there any way how we can reconfirm that the sesame seeds are responding on the pain.
Appreciate your kind response to advise what best will be the diagnosis for my mother.
Comment.
am so glad to learn about how beneficial the seeds are to our health.accessing them is what is difficult in my country zambia
Hi, Thanks for the great website with lot of good info.
You’re welcome!
So these seeds promote bone growth, is there anything which tells that bone growth where to go? I have DISH Arthritis which means flowing calcium down my spinal vertebrae. While the body needs calcium, I don’t need it contributing to the ossification.
Yes, there is. Vitamin K2 directs calcium where it’s needed. Look into it. Good luck!
Hi,
Can you please let me know how to have raw sesame seeds??
This is quite a development pls can I sprinkle. Sesame in all my meals?
Yes, you can sprinkle it on any food!
Sesame seeds that are hulled are worthless for bone-building….Whole, raw, organic unhulled black sesame seeds are the way to go. Conventional seeds have fewer minerals. At the same time, oxalates and phytic acid in the seeds make the calcium very hard to absorb. To increase calcium absorption:
1) Soak overnight, toss out soak water in morning, then dry them in a dehydrator
2) Toast them lightly on low heat on stove
3) Blend them well in boiling hot water with an acidic fruit (raspberry, cranberry, strawberry, kiwi, etc.)
4) Drink up to 1 ounce of blended sesame seeds per day (the black ones are better for building bones)
5) Drink this smoothie warm for easier digestion…there is no need to add anything else to it…simple combinations are easier to digest.
6) This drink is easier to digest than milk, and more alkalizing and mineral-dense.
Chemically, the acid in the fruit 1) helps digest the seeds 2) frees up calcium and other minerals from oxalates and phytic acid by keeping these important ions water-soluble…just my two cents
Thank you for your input, Greg, and for sharing this information with the community!
Soak 1 Tsp of Black Sesame seeds overnight and consume it with the water in empty stomach.
It definitely helps me with my arthritis ( much better than pain killers ). This method was described in Ayurvedic methods. This also helps with Stiffness in the hands ( Carpel ) as claimed by my relative. Not sure on the effects over consuming the sesame seeds.
i have what you called a frozen shoulder and my wife having a problem with her L4L5S1spine also trigger fingers , so we started to use this method of soaking black sesame seeds overnight and drinking it on an empty stomach before breakfast now my wife started to use black sesame seeds as well as the white one in most of our dishes especially yogarts and bean sprout, the availability of black seeds was easy here in middle east, as for me i started to feel the good effect, i hope as we continue this natural treatment we will achieve our goals and not taking so much medicines that is harmful on our kidneys and liver…. thank you for this author of this article.
I THINK YOU MAKE ABSOLUETLY NO SENSE WITH SOAKING AND THEN DRYING. WHY THE HECK WOULD YOU SOAK THEM FOR 12 HOURS THEN RE-DRY THEM, STUPID. SERIOSULY, I AM ALL FOR SPROUTING, BUT TO SOAK NUTS TO RELEASE ALL THE NUTRIENTS THEN TO RE-SEAL / DRY THEM AGAIN IS ABSOLUTELY STUPID
The seeds are soaked to release the ANTI-nutrients that are known to attack our biochemical reactions.
The seeds need to be dried if they need to be ground into either a paste or lightly ground into a powder. They don’t need to be dried if making sesame seed milk.
Many applications. No need to get mad.
thanks I soak them and then eat them without drying
hi ..I am wondering about the calcium in tahini..I have heard the calcium is in the form calcium oxalate and I have heard this form of calcium is not good for the kidneys. I am just wondering because I eat a lot of tahini..it is almost like a staple in my diet. But 3 of my family members have suffered from kidney ailments..don’t have a problem so far, but I am wondering about this. Also tahini can make me feel euphoric..wonder what that is ..
Anahata, homemade tahini can be alkalizing and bone-healthy! Store-bought tahini is acidifying due to the additives. Here’s a post with a recipe for Treasure Trove Tahini that you might enjoy and feel better about eating! 🙂
https://saveourbones.com/the-power-of-the-sesame-seed/
The tahini I buy has one ingredient: sesame seeds. There are no additives. What happens to the roasted seeds with no oil? It doesn’t form its own oil while being pulverized in the food processor?
Is it healthier to eat sesame seeds that are organic.
Joanne, organic foods and produce are always a better choice!
excuse me 100g of seasame seeds = 600mg of calcium
and 100g of milk = 143mg calcium
HOw well is the calcium from sesame seeds absorbed by the body?
Great Article.
Tnx Vivan, i just bought roasted sesame seed from a store out of curiosity & ate today & decided to go online to knw more about it am glad i cme across your articles on the seed & am enlightened.
Thank you for this very interesting article! I love sesame seeds, they are healthy and they taste great! I made a steamed vegetable stock adding sesame seeds and it’s just delicious! Here is the recipes: https://foodfulife.wordpress.com
Thank you for sharing that, Serena!
Did you mention the importance of reducing phytic acid in order to help improve vitamin and mineral absorption from sesame seeds, nuts, grains, legumes, beans? Did you explain the importance also of soaking grains, nuts, seeds (sesame seeds also), legumes and beans, and sprouting? These activites (soaking and sprouting), it turns out, greatly enhance the bioavailability and absorption of the vitamins and minerals in these foods. I am just learning about this, and thought that your readers and possibly you might also appreciate this added info. The Gerson Therapy Diets also help to rebuild bones and teeth. It’s good to know that we do have options that can help us to reverse the effects our years of “unintentionally uninformed or unintentionally misinformed” choices.
Thank you for your contribution, Alannah! I absolutely agree with the healthful properties of sprouted grains and seeds.
Tahini is a great addition to those soups which are served “creamy” – no cream or milk needed – just blend in Tahini , to Carrot, pumpkin, sweet potato (etc) soups – delicious!
Vivian Dear,
Thanks for all the information on “Sesame”” seeds.
In India, Sesame seeds are widely used. I enjoy reading and seeing your video programs. Wish i could meet you some day. Come to India.
Love.
Usha.
You’re welcome! And thanks for the invitation 😀
I always enjoy all the good information that you share with us and I enjoed your book, It really opened my eyes to the fact that many doctors dont want to give you a more natural way to increase the bone density.
The recipes you share are great, but I must restrict my use of sugar, I use Stevia, but some recipes call for a lot of furts and the like, I wish you would take into consideration the fact that some people can’t use a lot of sweets, and give us alternates.
Thank you so much for your dedication.
Best wishes,
Lucy
And I thank you for being a part of the Saver community!
I buy my sesame seeds from Whole Foods. I store them in a glass bottle in the refrigerator. One of the snacks that I enjoy a great deal is to scatter some seeds in the skillet and heat up until they start popping(a minute or two). Then I pour the heated seeds into a small bowl and add a 1/4 teaspoon of virgin olive oil to it. Wow, is it delicious!! You can also add a little bit of sea salt or ground coriander.
Thanks Vivian for putting your stamp of approval on a snack that I really enjoyed before I knew all of the health benefits.
Rich
Keep enjoying them, Rich! And you’re very welcome!
Thank you for all the information you provide. I eat bread with sesame seeds and I eat Tahini because I like them but I never thought they were so good for the bones. I am so grateful that you are sharing your knowledge with us.
My pleasure!