10 reasons to include sesame in your diet

Mark Seton, Flickr

Our best memory involving sesame is perhaps, when it’s paired with jaggery as til laddoos during Makar Sankrant. However, your consumption of these tiny, nutty and slightly bitter seeds shouldn’t be an annual event. Sesame seeds have several benefits, and it pays to have more of them. Here’s why:

Sesame seeds are high in fiber, which ultimately aids digestion and elimination.

High zinc content in sesame oil boosts collagen production, which means enhanced skin elasticity and better tissue damage repair.

These seeds are packed with magnesium and calcium, which are known to help relieve stress.

Black sesame seeds have a high iron content – a perfect dietary supplement for those suffering from anaemia and weakness.

The seeds are good for your bones. 

A handful of sesame seeds have more calcium than a glass of milk. The high zinc content also helps maintain and boost bone density.

Rich in several B-complex vitamins, such as niacin, folic acid, sesame seeds are an excellent dietary supplement for healthy skin, hair and eyes.

The high magnesium content in sesame seeds can act as a vasodilator to reduce blood pressure.

Sesame seeds have up to 50% of oleic acid (mono-unsaturated fatty acid) of the total fatty acid content. Oliec acid has been known to reduce LDL or bad cholesterol and boost HDL or good cholesterol content in blood, ultimately reducing the risk of coronary artery diseases and strokes.

These magnesium-rich seeds also help prevent asthma and other respiratory disorders.