The Profound Healing Properties of Sesame Seed


ing power into as small a package as the sesame seed. Scientific studies have re- vealed that sesame seeds are a superior source of cancer-fighting lignans, bumping flaxseed from its “top-seeded” position! Anyone who is interested in natural


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health is likely to be acquainted with the potent healing powers of flaxseed, 70 of which are discussed here. Thanks to two significant studies done in the 1990s, flaxseeds gained fame for their high lignan content and phytoestrogens, biologically active elements with antioxidant and che- moprotective properties. These studies found flaxseed to be the richest source of lignans, with concentrations 100-800 times higher than any other plant food tested. This led many health-conscious people to believe that flaxseed is the su- perior source of lignans, especially for vegans. But this is not the end of the high- lignan seed story. An important 2005 study has put a


better option on the table. Published in the journal Nutrition and Cancer, researchers compared the amount of mammalian lignan that was produced from metabo- lized sesame seed and flaxseed. Two specific mammalian lignans, enterolac- tone (ED) and enterodiol (EL), were the focus of the study. Plant lignans are con- verted by the bacterial flora in the colon into mammalian lignans (from the plant, to the mammal). Structurally similar to estrogen, lignans are credited for flaxseed’s ability to reduce the risk of hormone-re- lated diseases such as cancers of the breast, ovary, and prostate. Lignans have the ability to bind to estrogen receptors in cells, an action that has an inhibitory effect on the metastasis process. Lignans are


hen it comes to dietary super- foods, there may be nothing on Earth that packs as much heal-


chemoprotective, anti-carcinogenetic, and pack an anti-cancer punch! In this study, healthy, postmenopausal


women ate food bars containing 25 grams of unground flaxseed, sesame seed, or a combination of the two seeds. Study par- ticipants were divided into three groups who were instructed to supplement their diets with one of the three types of food bars for four weeks. Metabolized lignans were measured via urinalysis, which was taken at the beginning of the study to de- termine baseline, and after four weeks of food bar consumption. Urinalysis results showed consumers of sesame seeds pro- duced a greater amount of urinary lignans (albeit not significantly greater) than flax- seed or mixed seed consumers. A 2012 study echoes these findings in


a study of breast cancer tumor growth. Researchers compared sesame and flax seed as inhibitors of breast cancer tumor


growth in mice. After 8 weeks of feeding either flaxseed lignan, sesame seed lignan, or a control (inert) substance, both flax and sesame were found to reduce breast tumor size, with sesame having the superior ef- fect. It is suspected that sesame seed is a better inducer of apoptosis, programmed cell death, than flaxseed, giving sesame seed an anti-cancer boost. Sesame seed has demonstrated ben-


efit to mankind for thousands of years, and has been used traditionally for an array of health concerns. Let’s examine some of the top reasons you should consider add- ing a few heaping teaspoons of sesame to your daily diet. There are virtually limitless ways to consume sesame, and rest assured, it is as delicious as it is healthful.


Age-Related Decline The majority of studies on sesame seed are for oxidative stress, which can


Elizabeth Bozeman, MD


www.RobinhoodIntegrativeHealth.com Elizabeth Bozeman, MD


Dr. Elizabeth Bozeman is a Board Certified Family Physician. She is also board Certified in Preventive, Holistic and Integrative Health. She trained at the Mayo Clinic and has been practicing for 15 years. She has a passion for helping people get better using a more natural and holistic approach. She helps patients with balancing hormones, thyroid function, fatigue and offers prolotherapy for musculoskeletal injuries.


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