Quite sure you enjoy the delectable taste of sesame with your burger and buns, but did you know that sesame has several benefits for your health? These tiny seeds are packed with a blend of nutrients and are the richest sources of healthy fats. The nutritional composition of sesame seeds also makes it great antioxidant food, thus protecting your body, skin and internal organs from damage.
These seeds are extensively studied for human health and the results have always been astonishing in terms of improvement in exercise performance, delay in the signs of ageing and prevention of high cholesterol, high blood pressure and cerebral ischemia among others. You will find these benefits in greater details in this article.
Due to its impressive health benefits, the use of these seeds is widely recommended for general health promotion and it has also been suggested to be used as a nutraceutical agent (foods which have pharmacotherapeutic effects).
To learn more about sesame, its nutritional composition and basic facts will be discussed prior to its health benefits.
Some basic facts about sesame
Sesame is a flowering plant, whose seeds are widely used to produce sesame oil. Sesame is grown as an annual plant. Both the oil and seeds have a rich nutritional composition and benefits for health. Sesame is an important oilseed crop but its harvest is limited by factors like water logging, salinity and fungal diseases. So, it is commonly grown by genetic transformation technique to improve the quality of seeds. Here is what you must know about these seeds:
- Scientific name: Sesanum indicum
- Family: Pedaliaceae
- Common name: Benne, Til
- Native region and geographical distribution: Sesame was conventionally grown in parts of Africa, whereas Sesamum indicum is native to India. These seeds are widely grown and used in China, Korea, Russia, Turkey, Mexico and South America other than being grown in India and Africa.
- Parts used: Seeds.