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Sesame seeds

Sesamum indicum

Also known as Til, Benne, Simsim

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Small oil-rich seeds used whole, toasted, or ground into tahini across the Middle East, Africa and East Asia. The USDA reference entry is for whole dried seeds with the hull intact, which holds most of the calcium and the oxalate.

Heart HealthInflammationBone Health

Potential health benefits

Best supported: Moderate

Ordered by how well the human research supports them — strongest first. A rating describes the state of the evidence, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Blood lipid profile

Heart Health
Moderate evidence

Several trials report modest reductions in LDL and total cholesterol with sesame seed or sesame lignan supplementation, though trials are small and many come from a narrow set of research groups.

Moderate evidence. Several human studies point the same way, with real caveats.

3 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Healthy blood pressure

Heart Health
Limited evidence

Evidence is limited. Meta-analyses of small trials report reductions in blood pressure with sesame products, but the trials are short, mostly small and geographically concentrated, which weakens confidence in the pooled estimate.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

4 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Inflammatory markers

Inflammation
Limited evidence

Some trials report reductions in C-reactive protein and other inflammatory markers with sesame supplementation, mostly in people with osteoarthritis or metabolic disease, and the trials are small.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

2 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Bone mineral density

Bone Health
Insufficient evidence

Sesame is often promoted as a calcium source for bone, and there is no dependable human research showing an effect on bone density. Much of the calcium in unhulled seed is bound to oxalate and poorly absorbed.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

No source is attached to this association yet, so it is rated insufficient by default. It is listed because people commonly ask about it — not because there is evidence for it.

Ask about Sesame seeds

Ask about Sesame seeds

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories573 kcal29%
Protein17.7 g35%
Total fat49.7 g64%
Carbohydrate23.4 g9%
Fibre11.8 g42%
Total sugars0.3 g—
Water4.69 g—
Fats
Saturated fat6.96 g35%
Monounsaturated fat18.8 g—
Polyunsaturated fat21.8 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)21.4 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A0 µg0%
Vitamin C0 mg0%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E0.25 mg2%
Vitamin K0 µg0%
Thiamin (B1)0.791 mg66%
Riboflavin (B2)0.247 mg19%
Niacin (B3)4.51 mg28%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.05 mg1%
Vitamin B60.79 mg46%
Folate97 µg24%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Choline25.6 mg5%
Minerals
Calcium975 mg75%
Iron14.6 mg81%
Magnesium351 mg84%
Phosphorus629 mg50%
Potassium468 mg10%
Sodium11 mg0%
Zinc7.75 mg70%
Copper4.08 mg454%
Manganese2.46 mg107%
Selenium34.4 µg63%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene5 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin0 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash4.45 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Seeds, sesame seeds, whole, dried (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 170150).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • roastedIncreases sesamol and antioxidant stability

    Roasting converts part of the sesamolin into sesamol, which is a more active antioxidant and is why toasted sesame oil resists oxidation better than most unrefined oils.

  • groundIncreases nutrient availability

    Whole sesame seeds are small enough to pass through the gut partly intact. Grinding into tahini ruptures the seed and increases how much of the fat and minerals are released.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Allergy

    Sesame allergy

    Sesame is now a top-nine major allergen in the United States and is separately regulated in the EU, Canada and Australia. Reactions are frequently severe, the allergy is often lifelong, and sesame hides in tahini, hummus, breads, dips and spice blends, which makes avoidance unusually difficult.

  • Worth knowing

    Oxalates

    Unhulled sesame and tahini are high in oxalate, which binds calcium and contributes to calcium oxalate kidney stone formation in susceptible people. Much of the calcium sesame is famous for is bound up with that oxalate and poorly absorbed. Hulled seeds contain considerably less of both.

  • Worth knowing

    Phytate and mineral absorption

    Sesame phytate binds iron and zinc within the meal. Roasting and soaking reduce it to a degree.

  • Worth knowing

    Salmonella in tahini

    Tahini and halva have been repeatedly implicated in international Salmonella outbreaks, because the seeds are not always heat-treated sufficiently before grinding and the low-moisture paste allows the bacteria to survive for long periods.