Sesame oil contains sesamin, which is a lignan; linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid; and vitamin E. These nutrients lower high blood pressure, which is also known as hypertension. Adding sesame oil to the diet may be a way of treating hypertension without having to resort to medication.
Significance
High blood pressure forces blood through arteries, and thereby damages the inner endothelial walls. Plaque collects at the points of injury. Hypertension can damage blood vessels in the eyes, heart, brain and kidneys.
A normal blood pressure falls below a systolic pressure of 120 mm Hg with a diastolic of 80 mm Hg. Ingesting sesame oil lowers blood pressure, a vital concern for many adults.
The Facts
In the March 2006 issue of Yale Journal of Biological Medicine, D. Sankar supplied edible sesame oil to hypertensive patients who were either taking a diuretic or a beta-blocker. At the end of the study, the plasma levels of vitamins C and E were increased and blood pressure levels were lower.
In May 2005, according to Sankar, the researchers not only examined blood pressure readings after patients ingested sesame oil and two other oils, all in separate study groups, but also measured lipid profiles, enzymes and antioxidants.
Each participant took 2 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. of the designated oil per day, either for cooking or food, or for both. At the end of the study, sesame oil produced the best results in hypertension, cholesterol and vitamin E levels.
Benefits
Reaching for sesame oil to lower hypertension for two months could be easy and worthwhile. Every nutritional means should be first explored before getting onto a potential pharmaceutical roller-coaster.
Structure
Sesame oil contains linoleic essential fatty acid, which is an 18-carbon molecule with two double bonds. It is a poly-unsaturated fatty acid. It has about 120 calories (14 g) per tablespoon, depending on the type of sesame oil.
Considerations
Limit the intake of sesame oil per day to about 2 tbsp. and 2 tsp. The linoleic acid in sesame oil should not overbalance the healthful ratio of omega-6 oils to fish or flax omega-3 oils. The recommended ratio lies between 4:1 and 1:1. (Too many omega-6 fatty acids already exist in American animal foods because of farm-feed.)
Eat the oil in salads or by spoonful. High-heat cooking with sesame oil may split the molecular double-bonds to release free radicals. Those free electrons damage internal tissues if not quenched by antioxidants.
Tags: blood pressure, fatty acid, essential fatty, essential fatty acid, linoleic acid,