Sesame oil, extracted from the seeds of the Sesamum Indicum plant, is rich in oleic acid and linoleic acid and numerous minerals such as phosphorus and calcium, useful for the prevention of osteoporosis. Let’s find out better.
Characteristics Of Sesame Oil
Sesame oil is extracted from the seeds of the sesame plant, called according to the botanical term Sesamum Indicum, of the Pedaliaceae family. Sesame can reach 50 cm in height, has white tubular flowers and the seeds are very small, so much so that 500 seeds are needed to obtain one gram.
The color of the seed can be white or black depending on the variety and the oil obtained changes slightly according to the type of seed of origin. However, the oil yield is very high given that 40 to 60% of sesame oil can be extracted, while for example to obtain olive oil the yield from the fruit is only 15 to 35%.
Properties And Benefits
Sesame oil is rich in oleic acid and linoleic acid, a source of omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids. The composition of oleic and linoleic acid varies from 35 to 50% of each of the two, while among the saturated fatty acids palmitic abounds and the stearic. Sesame seed is a source of numerous mineral salts such as iron, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, silicic acid, and above all calcium as well as other trace elements.
Contains precious vitamins with a prevalence of vitamins A, E, and group B (B1, B2, B3). Finally, it contains eight essential amino acids important for the brain and this seems to be one of the reasons that lead to the use of sesame oil in Ayurvedic medicine for head and scalp massage, including the hair itself.
Sesame oil is used as an anti-inflammatory for tea prevention and the well-being of the skin. It also has antiviral and antibacterial properties that make it a powerful remedy against pathogens that can attack the epidermis and cause infections, especially of a fungal nature, such as streptococci and staphylococci.
The stability of the oil is very high thanks to the presence of three natural antioxidants: sesamol, sesamolin, and sesamol; this allows conservation even at room temperature without risking the typical rancidity of many vegetable oils such for example linseed oil which needs to be kept in the refrigerator.
The presence of cell reinforcements, as well as advancing time frame of realistic usability, battles maturing and free extremists, in this way for food use, the suggested amount is around 2 soup spoons each day to prepare dishes, continuously utilizing it crude to keep up with every one of
its properties, particularly the mix of fundamental unsaturated fats. Its composition and structure also allow it to be used as a light laxative which does not intervene drastically as in the case of the aid of purgatives but slightly facilitates the evacuation of feces.
Sesame Oil In Food
In Africa, some dishes are now widespread here too such as that which is the basis for the preparation of chickpea hummus. Sesame oil has recently entered Mediterranean cuisine and is consumed raw as a dressing oil for salads, pasta, and risotto after cooking and even in recipes for desserts and flans in the dough itself.
The flavor of sesame oil is described with an initial sweet predominance, a slight additional stringent taste, and a warm power at the end.When pressed from black seeds, the oil is dark to brown and this is commonly found in Asia while sesame oil from light seed varieties takes on a lighter amber-like color.
The seeds can be roasted and the pressing of these leads to a more intense color and flavor for an oil that is commonly used in Chinese and Korean cuisine to improve the taste of dishes. Instead, the til is obtained by cold pressing of the raw and not toasted seeds, the flavor is much more delicate than the Chinese one and it is traditionally used in India both as a condiment and as a means of cooking food.
Use Of Sesame Oil
External use helps, through direct applications, to reduce dandruff, regulate acne, and firm up the skin of the face and body. Several cosmetic products, soaps, and shampoos have sesame oil among their ingredients. Furthermore, sesame oil is an excellent base for massage oil which has usually been used since ancient times, especially in India.
Its application as a massage base is a particularity appreciated by Ayurvedic doctors who use it both alone and as a base for the extraction of other properties from other plants, obtaining excellent quality oils. In the field of natural treatments, it has the particular characteristic of absorbing the properties of the herbs with which it comes into contact with extreme ease and of conveying them, reinforcing the intervention action which is aimed at the creation of a health product or as a cosmetic for beauty.
To summarize its properties, it is applied directly when the skin is red due to various causes such as sunburn, inflammation, eczema, rashes, and even irritation from children’s diapers. Internal use is active on platelets, hemoglobin (oxygenation of red blood cells), the nervous system, and the spleen; it is useful as a general tonic, for example in children who have slow growth.
Curiosity
In India, the sesame plant is called Tila which means “small particle”, while the word sesame appears to derive from the Arabic sesam which means herb. Indian mythology tells that the first sesame seed was born from Lord Vishnu’s drop of sweat which then fell back to Earth and sprouted to bring one of the most used oils in the Indus valley.
From these ways of being called, we can already see how its use in Africa and Asia is rooted, ancient, and has entered into traditional use both in cooking recipes and in the skin and cosmetic treatments.
A Do-It-Yourself Eco-Cosmetic Recipe
As an indication, a 500ml bottle of cold-pressed sesame oil from organic farming costs more than €5. Let’s get the sesame oil base and prepare a scrub by adding rice or corn flour. The preparation is simple and just combine 2 or more tablespoons of sesame oil with a tablespoon of flour of the type you prefer (more delicate rice and more exfoliating corn).
Apply to moistened skin of the face or body by massaging gently and rinse with plenty of warm water. The advice is to remove the residues of the do-it-yourself eco-cosmetic product well, otherwise, you can find it mixed both on you and the sanitary fixtures themselves.
Read Also: Palmarosa Essential Oil: Uses, Benefits, And Tips