Sesame

 

• Sesame oil (+ vit E) (30 ml/day = 2 tablespoons) was shown to beneficially affect several cardiometabolic indices (including lipids, FBG, BP, HOMA-IR, and MDA) in patients with MetS.

• Lowers Blood Pressure.

Sesame oil and vitamin E co-administration may improve cardiometabolic risk factors in patients with metabolic syndrome: a randomized clinical trial

Objectives: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) represents a clustering of metabolic abnormalities that are associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. We aimed to evaluate the effects of sesame oil enriched with vitamin E (vit E), sesame oil alone and sunflower oil on lipid profile, fasting blood glucose (FBG), malondialdehyde (MDA), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (Hs-CRP), homeostatic model assessment (HOMA-IR), and blood pressure (BP) in patients with MetS.

Subjects: Overall, 75 individuals with MetS (aged 30-70 years) participated in this randomized, single-blind controlled trial. Patients were randomly allocated to: (1) Group A (n = 25): sesame oil (30 ml/day = 2 tablespoons) enriched with vit E (400 mg/day), (2) Group B (n = 25): sesame oil (30 ml/day), (3) Group C (n = 25): sunflower oil (30 ml/day). Anthropometric data, dietary intake, blood pressure, and biochemical markers, including fasting serum lipids, FBG, serum insulin, MDA, and hs-CRP were measured at baseline and at week 8.

Results: In individuals in the sesame oil enriched with vit E group (Group A), there were significant reductions in serum total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), FBG, HOMA-IR, MDA, hs-CRP, high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) systolic and diastolic BP (for all the comparison p < 0.02). Similarly, in Group B (taking sesame oil alone), TC, TG, FBG, HOMA-IR, MDA, systolic and diastolic BP were significantly improved (for all the comparison p < 0.025), while there were no significant changes in serum HDL (baseline = 35.9 ± 7.2 mg/dL vs. 36.4 ± 6.2 mg/dL, p = 0.432) and hs-CRP (baseline = 4.38 ± 1.34 mg/dL vs. week 8 = 3.96 ± 1.7 mg/dL, p = 0.057) in second group. No significant changes in any of the studied clinical and anthropometric data were found in Group C (on sunflower oil).

Conclusion: Sesame oil (±vit E) was shown to beneficially affect several cardiometabolic indices (including lipids, FBG, BP, HOMA-IR, and MDA) in patients with MetS.

Sesame Oil Benefits Blood Pressure (link) (2003)

Sankar and colleagues studied 195 men and 133 women with high blood pressure. All were taking nifedipine (brand names include Adalta, Nifedical, and Procardia), a common blood pressure-lowering drug. Despite this treatment, all patients still had moderate high blood pressure. Sankar's team asked the patients to switch to sesame oil as the only cooking oil they used.

Sixty days later, the patients' average blood pressure dropped into the normal range.

"The reduction in blood pressure in our study may be due to the presence of PUFAs, vitamin E, and sesamin in sesame oil," Sankar tells WebMD. "The blood-pressure reduction was noted at the third week of using sesame oil as the sole edible oil."

Effect of Sesame Oil on Diuretics or ß-blockers in the Modulation of Blood Pressure, Anthropometry, Lipid Profile, and Redox Status (2006)

The study was undertaken to investigate the effect of sesame oil in hypertensive patients who were on antihypertensive therapy either with diuretics (hydrochlorothiazide) or ß-blockers (atenolol). Thirty-two male and 18 female patients aged 35 to 60 years old were supplied sesame oil (Idhayam gingelly oil) and instructed to use it as the only edible oil for 45 days. Blood pressure, anthropometry, lipid profile, lipid peroxidation, and enzymic and non-enzymic antioxidants were measured at baseline and after 45 days of sesame oil substitution. Substitution of sesame oil brought down systolic and diastolic blood pressure to normal. The same patients were asked to withdraw sesame oil consumption for another 45 days, and the measurements were repeated at the end of withdrawal period. Withdrawal of sesame oil substitution brought back the initial blood pressure values. A significant reduction was noted in body weight and body mass index (BMI) upon sesame oil substitution. No significant alterations were observed in lipid profile except triglycerides. Plasma levels of sodium reduced while potassium elevated upon the substitution of sesame oil. Lipid peroxidation (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances [TBARS]) decreased while the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and the levels of vitamin C, vitamin E, ß-carotene, and reduced glutathione (GSH) were increased. The results suggested that sesame oil as edible oil lowered blood pressure, decreased lipid peroxidation, and increased antioxidant status in hypertensive patients.

10 Science-Backed Benefits of Sesame Oil (link)

A Blend of Sesame and Rice Bran Oils Lowers Hyperglycemia and Improves the Lipids (2016)

Background: Considering the health benefits of sesame oil and rice bran oil, the study was conducted to determine the extent to which the daily use of these oils blend controls hyperglycaemia and improves the lipid profile. 

Methods: In this 8-wk open-label randomized dietary intervention study, 300 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients and 100 normoglycaemic subjects were grouped as i) normoglycaemic subjects treated with sesame oil blend Vivo(TM) (n=100), ii) type 2 diabetes mellitus patients treated with sesame oil blend (n=100), iii) type 2 diabetes mellitus patients treated with glibenclamide (n=100; 5mg/d), and iv) type 2 diabetes mellitus patients treated in combination of glibenclamide (5mg/d) and sesame oil blend (n=100). 12hr fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, and lipid profile followed post prandial blood glucose were measured at baseline. Sesame oil blend was supplied to the respective groups and instructed to use as cooking oil for 8-wk. Fasting and postprandial blood glucose was measured at wk-4 and wk-8 while HbA1c and lipid profile were measured at wk-8. 

Results: At wk-4 and wk-8, type 2 diabetes mellitus patients treated with sesame oil blend or glibenclamide or combination of glibenclamide and sesame oil blend showed significant reduction of fasting and post prandial blood glucose (p<0.001). HbA1c, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and non-high density lipoprotein cholesterol were significantly reduced (p<0.001) while high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was significantly increased at wk-8 (p<0.001) in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients treated with the sesame oil blend or combination of glibenclamide and sesame oil blend, whereas glibenclamide alone treated type 2 diabetes mellitus patients showed a significant reduction of HbA1c (p <0.001) only. 

Conclusions: A novel blend of 20% cold-pressed un-refined sesame oil and 80% physically refined rice bran oil as cooking oil, lowered hyperglycaemia and improved the lipid profile in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.