Sesame seeds: Benefits, nutrition facts & recipe ideas

With health-boosting phytochemicals, fatty acids, antioxidants, fibre and protein to boot, sesame seeds are a nutritional force wrapped up in a very small package.

Thanks to their impressive nutritional profile, sesame seeds are believed to support immunity, lower blood pressure and offer protective benefits against heart disease and cancer.

Here's everything you need to know about small but mighty sesame seeds – their health benefits, nutrition facts and how to get more of them into your daily diet.

Sesame seeds nutrition

A 30g serving of sesame seeds (around 3 tablespoons) contains 179 calories, 17.4g fat (of which 6.6g is monounsaturated, 7.6g is polyunsaturated and only 3.14g is saturated), 5.5g protein and 2.4g dietary fibre. 

That same 30g serving provides 0.44mg copper (44% NRV), 216 mg phosphorus (30.8% NRV), 111 mg magnesium (29.5% NRV), 201 mg calcium (25.1% NRV), 0.45 mg manganese (22.5% NRV), 3.1 mg iron (22.2% NRV), 0.225 mg vitamin B6 (16% NRV), 1.6 mg zinc (15.9% NRV) and 0.8 mg vitamin E (6.3% NRV).

Sesame seeds are fairly high in fat, but the vast majority of the fat is poly- (41%) and monounsaturated (39%). These fats can help to lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease.

NRV = Nutrient Reference Value (EU guidance on the daily amount of a vitamin or mineral that the average healthy person needs to prevent deficiency)

Sesame seeds health benefits

1. Sesame seeds promote a healthy immune system

A low immune system can increase the risk of infections, as well as the severity of illness. But sesame seeds are rich in several nutrients that support the health of the immune system.

They’re notably high in zinc, a vital mineral that helps the body to develop new immune cells and activates enzymes that break down proteins in viruses and bacteria so that they are less likely to spread.

They’re also packed with copper, an essential trace mineral that supports numerous functions of the immune system, as well as vitamin B6, which aids biochemical reactions in the immune system.

2. Sesame seeds can boost bone health

Poor bone health can increase the risk of osteoporosis and lead to an increased risk of bones becoming fragile and breaking easily.

Thankfully, sesame seeds are a fantastic source of several bone-boosting nutrients, including:

• Calcium, which is essential for maintaining bone mass.
• Phosphorus, which works with calcium to help build bones.
• Magnesium, which contributes to increased bone density.

Chia, flax and pumpkin seeds are also good sources of this bone-boosting trio – and you can find all three of them in your daily Purition!

3. Sesame seeds may reduce the risk of disease

According to some studies, sesame seeds may have potent anti-cancer effects.

For example, a review by the European Journal of Pharmacology claims that sesamin (a compound found in sesame seeds) works to cut off the blood supply to cancer cells, suppress tumour development and prevent cancer cells from spreading.

Sesamin also has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. This helps to protect cells from chronic inflammation and oxidative damage, which reduces the risk of disease.

4. Sesame seeds support a healthy heart

High cholesterol levels make it difficult for enough blood to flow through your arteries and can increase the risk of heart disease.

But a 2017 review by Curues concluded that sesame oil can lower levels of ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol, whilst maintaining ‘good’ HDL cholesterol.

This is due to the mono and poly-unsaturated fatty acids they contain. Research suggests that both of these fats help to decrease bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels, whilst lowering rates of cardiovascular disease.

And to top it off, sesame seeds contain lignans and phytosterols, which are also believed to have cholesterol-lowering powers!

5. Sesame seeds may reduce blood pressure

High blood pressure can lead to the hardening of arteries, which is a huge risk factor for both stroke and heart attack.

But sesame seeds contain calcium and magnesium, which both help to support blood vessel health and may even help to reduce blood pressure.

A review by the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture stated that sesame consumption can reduce both systolic and diastolic blood pressure due to its high polyunsaturated fatty acid, fibre, phytosterol and lignan content.

How to eat more sesame seeds

Enjoy the benefits of sesame seeds in Purition

Whether you’re looking to lose weight, improve your energy levels, support healthy digestion or just feel better in yourself, it all starts with eating more healthy whole foods. And that’s exactly where Purition can help.

Made with 7 seeds and nuts (whole ground golden linseed (flax), sunflower kernels, almonds, coconut, pumpkin seeds, whole chia seeds and sesame seeds) plus extra protein and fibre, it’s a quick and convenient way to get nourishing whole foods into your day.

We use fresh, whole sesame seeds in our blends. We don’t chop, grind or process them, which means you benefit from sesame seed’s nutritional power exactly as nature intended. After our sesame seeds arrive at HQ, we mix them with 6 other fresh ingredients (that’s the likes of chia, flax and sunflower seeds) to create our signature whole food blend.

Purition will fill you up for 4+ hours, provide a sustained release of energy and improve your gut health by helping you to increase your fibre intake. Enjoy it for breakfast or lunch daily to change your diet for the better – and boost your long-term health and immunity – with very little effort.