Sesame belongs to the Pedaliaceae family, one of the oldest cultivated crops. Its origin of cultivation is the Indo-Pak region. ⁽¹⁾

India and China were the largest producers of this crop; however, in the past 10 years, Myanmar & African countries (especially Tanzania and Sudan) have surpassed India and China. ⁽²⁾

In the past, different organs of Sesame(Sesamum indicum L.) were used to treat certain medical conditions .i.e,⁽³⁾ 

• Roots for asthma
• Leaves for diabetes and mouth inflammation
• Seeds for constipation
• Seed oil and paste for wounds and infections

Before starting a discussion on whether sesame seeds cause weight loss or gain, we must know the building components of sesame seeds, i.e.,⁽⁴⁾

• Proteins (∼18%)
• Fatty acids (Ω-3 and Ω-6)(∼50%)
• Essential amino acids⁽⁵⁾
• Vitamins (Vit E and B)
• Lignans ⁽⁶⁾
• Phytosterols
• Phenols, quinones, and triterpenes

Knowing the composition of sesame seeds makes it easy to understand whether they cause weight loss or gain.

They contain almost all essential nutrients, thus meeting the body’s requirements.

Learn more about Essential Nutrition.

Sesame seeds can assist in your weight loss journey through the following mechanisms i.e.,

According to USDA, 100gm of sesame seeds contain ∼12gm of dietary fibre.⁽⁷⁾

Dietary fibre acts as a bulking agent in the diet. Seed coats contain both soluble and insoluble fibre. Soluble fibre retains more water and stays in the intestine longer. This also helps in relieving chronic constipation. ⁽⁸⁾

Ghrelin release is suppressed when GIT contains enough food. Low ghrelin levels suppress appetite and decrease food cravings, thus assisting in losing weight. ⁽⁹⁾

Fibre is derived from the seed coat, which has antioxidant properties and is beneficial in inflammatory bowel diseases. ⁽¹⁰⁾

Sesame seeds can promote weight loss by boosting metabolism in many ways, i.e.

• Proteins increase muscle mass, allowing muscles to burn more calories
• Ω-3 and Ω-6 fatty acids, when taken for continuously >12 weeks, are believed to increase resting metabolism (∼14%) and fatty acid oxidation (∼19%) as they act as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) ligands, altering gene expression and lipid metabolism. ⁽¹¹⁾
• Vitamin B complex increases metabolism due to its involvement in the cellular metabolism cycle. ⁽¹²⁾
• Some studies also indicate that sesame lignans decrease adiposity in post-menopausal women. ⁽¹³⁾

It is a well-established fact that chronic inflammation is the mother of deadly comorbidities, i.e. Diabetes mellitus, hypertension, etc. Besides the anti-hyperlipidemia and anti-hyperglycemia, sesame seeds also have potent anti-oxidant properties. ⁽¹⁴⁾

Lignans of sesame have a strong anti-oxidant role. Sesame oil is industrially saponified; lignan sesamolin is converted to sesaminol and sesamol, which can be added to cooking oil for great benefit. ⁽¹⁵⁾

Inflammation leads to resistance to many hormones, such as insulin and leptin, assisting in developing metabolic syndrome and other comorbidities. Sesame oil also contains tocopherols (Vitamin E) that prevent inflammation and oxidative bursts. ^(16,17,18)

We can conclude our discussion with the fact that sesame seeds can help in achieving weight loss goals. Apart from causing weight loss, sesame seeds and oil have certain health benefits, i.e.,

• Cardiovascular disease prevention
• Hepatorenal protection⁽¹⁹⁾
• Preventing constipation
• Improving skin health⁽²⁰⁾
• Reducing aging
• Cancer and tumour suppression⁽²¹⁾

1. Wei P, Zhao F, Wang Z, Wang Q, Chai X, Hou G, Meng Q. Sesame (Sesamum indicum): A Comprehensive Review of Nutritional Value, Phytochemical Composition, Health Benefits, Development of Food, and Industrial Applications. Nutrients. 2022 Sep 30;14(19):4079. doi: 10.3390/nu14194079. PMID: 36235731; PMCID: PMC9573514.
2. Chellamuthu, Muthulakshmi & Subramanian, Selvi & Swaminathan, Manonmani. (2020). Genetic Potential and Possible Improvement of Sesamum indicum L.. 10.5772/intechopen.94885.
3. Ajay Mili, Subham Das, Krishnadas Nandakumar, Richard Lobo, A comprehensive review on Sesamum indicum L.: Botanical, ethnopharmacological, phytochemical, and pharmacological aspects, Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Volume 281,2021,114503, ISSN 0378-8741
4. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170150/nutrients
5. Arowora, Kayode & STEPHEN, EZEONU & Imo, Chinedu & Emmanuel, Udeogu. (2017). Quantification of Protein and Amino Acid Composition in Some Oilseeds. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. 2. 8-11.
6. Andargie M, Vinas M, Rathgeb A, Möller E, Karlovsky P. Lignans of Sesame (Sesamum indicum): A Comprehensive Review. Molecules. 2021 Feb 7;26(4):883. doi: 10.3390/molecules26040883. PMID: 33562414; PMCID: PMC7914952.
7. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170150/nutrients
8. Ibrahim, Hisham. (2019). A Novel Treatment for Constipation by Sesame Seeds. International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology. 7. 2321-9653. 10.22214/ijraset.2019.1070.
9. Pradhan G, Samson SL, Sun Y. Ghrelin: much more than a hunger hormone. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2013 Nov;16(6):619-24. doi: 10.1097/MCO.0b013e328365b9be. PMID: 24100676; PMCID: PMC4049314.
10. Elleuch, Mohamed & Bedigian, Dorothea & Besbes, Souhail & Blecker, Christophe & Attia, Hamadi. (2011). Dietary Fibre Characteristics and Antioxidant Activity of Sesame Seed Coats (Testae). International Journal of Food Properties. 15. 10.1080/10942911003687231.
11. Logan SL, Spriet LL. Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation for 12 Weeks Increases Resting and Exercise Metabolic Rate in Healthy Community-Dwelling Older Females. PLoS One. 2015 Dec 17;10(12):e0144828. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144828. PMID: 26679702; PMCID: PMC4682991.
12. Tardy AL, Pouteau E, Marquez D, Yilmaz C, Scholey A. Vitamins and Minerals for Energy, Fatigue and Cognition: A Narrative Review of the Biochemical and Clinical Evidence. Nutrients. 2020 Jan 16;12(1):228. doi: 10.3390/nu12010228. PMID: 31963141; PMCID: PMC7019700.
13. Morisset AS, Lemieux S, Veilleux A, Bergeron J, John Weisnagel S, Tchernof A. Impact of a lignan-rich diet on adiposity and insulin sensitivity in post-menopausal women. Br J Nutr. 2009 Jul;102(2):195-200. doi: 10.1017/S0007114508162092. PMID: 19586570.
14. Theresa V. Rohm, Daniel T. Meier, Jerrold M. Olefsky, Marc Y. Donath, Inflammation in obesity, diabetes, and related disorders, Immunity, Volume 55, Issue 1,2022, Pages 31-55, ISSN 1074-7613, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.immuni.2021.12.013.
15. Andargie, M.; Vinas, M.; Rathgeb, A.; Möller, E.; Karlovsky, P. Lignans of Sesame (Sesamum indicum): A Comprehensive Review. Molecules2021, 26, 883. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26040883
16. Pérez-Pérez A, Sánchez-Jiménez F, Vilariño-García T, Sánchez-Margalet V. Role of Leptin in Inflammation and Vice Versa. Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Aug 16;21(16):5887. doi: 10.3390/ijms21165887. PMID: 32824322; PMCID: PMC7460646.
17. Wan Y, Li H, Fu G, Chen X, Chen F, Xie M. The relationship of antioxidant components and antioxidant activity of sesame seed oil. J Sci Food Agric. 2015 Oct;95(13):2571-8. doi: 10.1002/jsfa.7035. Epub 2015 Jan 23. PMID: 25472416.
18. Rizvi S, Raza ST, Ahmed F, Ahmad A, Abbas S, Mahdi F. The role of vitamin E in human health and some diseases. Sultan Qaboos Univ Med J. 2014 May;14(2):e157-65. Epub 2014 Apr 7. PMID: 24790736; PMCID: PMC3997530.
19. Elbakry, HagaR & Salam, Hoda & Abdelgayed, Sherein & Mohamed, Doha. (2022). Hepatorenal Protective Effects of Sesame Seeds Oil, Flaxseed Oil and their Mixture against Methotrexate Toxicity in Rats. Iranian Journal of Toxicology. 16. 51-62. 10.32598/IJT.16.1.877.1.
20. https://www.webmd.com/diet/sesame-oil-good-for-you
21. Mali AV, Padhye SB, Anant S, Hegde MV, Kadam SS. Anticancer and antimetastatic potential of enterolactone: Clinical, preclinical and mechanistic perspectives. Eur J Pharmacol. 2019 Jun 5;852:107-124. doi: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2019.02.022. Epub 2019 Feb 14. PMID: 30771348; PMCID: PMC6938675.