Eating Black Sesame May Slash Heart Disease Risk

Blood pressure is a major focus of cardiovascular disease prevention, but the blood pressure lowering drugs may actually increase mortality. We need food-based drug alternatives now more than ever, and black sesame may be the perfect candidate. 

There is no denying heart disease is a huge concern in the modern world. It is indisputable that your chance of dying from cardiovascular disease is greater than any other cause. But modern medicine fixates on suppressing proxy markers of risk, such as cholesterol and blood pressure levels, with drugs, instead of identifying and resolving the actual underlying causes of this global health epidemic.

In the case of high blood pressure (hypertension), the drugs themselves (e.g. beta blockers, ace inhibitors, calcium channel blockers) may actually raise the risk of mortality. This was famously demonstrated in a 2010 study published in JAMA. Diabetics treated with blood pressure lowering drugs and who maintained tight blood pressure control (systolic BP at less than 130 mm Hg) had increased mortality compared to those on the less restrictive blood pressure control (systolic at less than 140 MM Hg).

Clearly, this outcome does not bode well for those who are aggressively pressured into taking blood pressure medications as a “preventive measure.” Indeed, hypertension is largely a symptom of pathological changes like endothelial dysfunction within the blood vessels. Treating the symptom — elevated BP numbers — like it is the disease itself is wrong minded, and rarely does anything to change the underlying problem; indeed, it may worsen the problem.

Today, it is common for relatively symptomless populations to be screened for hypertension, leading to millions of diagnoses and subsequent prescriptions. But things may be getting worse. Back in 2003, the questionable entity known as prehypertension was introduced (a “condition” of having blood pressure between 120/80 mmHg and 139/89 mmHg, considered an indication of risk for hypertension). That year, The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC-7) revised its classifications of high blood pressure (BP) to include “prehypertension.”¹ Yet, this category was formerly covered by both the “normal” and “borderline” groups, and since then, it has been suggested that some forms of prehypertension be treated with medication.² This reminds us of the WHO’s decision to reify “osteopenia” or “pre-osteoperosis” as a disease entity, resulting in the manufacture of tens of thousands of highly misleading diagnoses, despite the fact that it is not an evidence-based categorization.

Food Is Medicine When Treating Blood Pressure Disorders

Given the danger of being overdiagnosed and overtreated with blood pressure medications that may be cardiotoxic, not to mention carcinogenic, why not use food-based solutions that improve blood pressure that are not only time-tested, safe, affordable, easily accessible, but also delicious?

At GreenMedInfo.com we have indexed a remarkably broad range of natural substances — 153 presently indexed on our Hypertension database — that can prevent and/or reduce elevated blood pressure. Some of these are as familiar as oats, garlic, whey, watermelon, coenzyme Q10, cocoa, and the amino acid arginine. You’ll also find there 20 Therapeutic actions such exercise, yoga, aromatherapy that help with hypertension. Of course, our database also focuses on avoidable causes, such as over 30 problem substances that can worsen hypertension like fructose and NSAID pain-killers. Did you know, for instance, that sugar — not salt — is a bigger threat to blood pressure?

The good news is that this is only the tip of the research iceberg. Over the course of the past five years alone, an ever-increasing body of research has accumulated showing that relatively simply dietary modifications can prevent health problems like prehypertension from worsening to the point where pharmaceutical intervention will be recommended, or deemed necessary.

Only Half A Teaspoon of Black Sesame A Day for A Month Reverses “Pre-Hypertension”

For instance, a study published in 2011 in Nutrition Journal titled, “Antihypertensive and antioxidant effects of dietary black sesame meal in pre-hypertensive humans,” found that in those diagnosed prehypertension, simply giving them 2.52 grams of black sesame meal (that’s less than half a teaspoon)  in capsules each day for 4 weeks resulted in significant reductions of systolic blood pressure compared to the placebo group. The study method was described as follows:

Twenty-two women and eight men (aged 49.8 ± 6.6 years) with prehypertension were randomly divided into two groups, 15 subjects per group. They ingested 2.52 g black sesame meal capsules or placebo capsules each day for 4 weeks. Blood samples were obtained after overnight fasting for measurement of plasma lipid, malondialdehyde (MDA) and vitamin E levels. Anthropometry, body composition and BP were measured before and after 4-week administration of black sesame meal or a placebo.”

For those wondering, malondialedhyde (MDA) levels are are indicator of the amount of oxidative stress occurring in the body. The results were remarkable, showing that participants went from an average systolic blood pressure of 129.3, which is less than a point shy of the official definition of hypertensive (130-140), down to an average of 121.0, which is only a little over a point into the technical definition of prehypertension (120-129). The more detailed results were reported as follows:

The results showed that 4-week administration of black sesame meal significantly decreased systolic BP (129.3 ± 6.8 vs. 121.0 ± 9.0 mmHg, P < 0.05) and MDA level (1.8 ± 0.6 vs. 1.2 ± 0.6 μmol/L, P < 0.05), and increased vitamin E level (29.4 ± 6.0 vs. 38.2 ± 7.8 μmol/L, P < 0.01). In the black sesame meal group, the change in SBP tended to be positively related to the change in MDA (R = 0.50, P = 0.05), while the change in DBP was negatively related to the change in vitamin E (R = -0.55, P < 0.05). There were no correlations between changes in BP and oxidative stress in the control group.”

As you can see, in the black sesame intervention group a relationship was identified between the systolic blood pressure and the improvement oxidative stress status in the body (measured by the reduced MDA level). Presumably, the black sesame’s antioxidant properties are positively modulating the structure/function of the blood vessels and the hemodynamics of the blood itself, which helped to reduce the blood pressure.

The researchers of the study concluded:

These results suggest the possible antihypertensive effects of black sesame meal on improving antioxidant status and decreasing oxidant stress. These data may imply a beneficial effect of black sesame meal on prevention of CVD.”

You can actually read more about the study and implications in a report done by our naturopath contributor Case Adams here: Black Sesame Seed Reduces High Blood Pressure Also, consider that black sesame likely possesses many if not all of the same health benefits identified within regular sesame, which include about 90 health benefits, and which you can look at here on our sesame seed database. The difference, of course, is that black sesame seed is pigmented. This melanin-like substance known as allomelanin has potent antioxidant and healing properties which may also explain why black seed (nigella sativa) has been found to have such profound healing properties, and known in ancient times within the Islamic tradition as the “remedy for everything but death.”

Kitchen Cupboard Life-Savers You Should Know About

It is amazing to think that such a simple intervention with food can have such a powerful effect on reducing one of the primary risk factors linked to premature death in the developed world. This is not the only example! Take a glance below at some of the other foods we have reported on that have been validated clinically to significantly impact the risk of dying from some of today’s most common causes:

• 
  

  How Garlic Can Save Your Life

  
  


• 
  

  10 Food-Medicines That Could Save Your Life

  
  


• 
  

  Curry Dilates Arteries with One Serving

  
  


• 
  

  Lime Juice Could Save 100’s of Thousands of Lives Each Year

  
  


• 
  

  Why Eating Sesame Seed Paste Could Save Your Life

  
  

Looking for more? Check out our Healing Foods research feed.

Let’s face it. Modern Western medicine’s founding father Hippocrates was right all along: “Let Food Be Thy Medicine”!

References

¹The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure: the JNC 7 report. Chobanian AV, Bakris GL, Black HR, Cushman WC, Green LA, Izzo JL Jr, Jones DW, Materson BJ, Oparil S, Wright JT Jr, Roccella EJ, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure, National High Blood Pressure Education Program Coordinating Committee JAMA. 2003 May 21; 289(19):2560-72. [PubMed]

² Cardiovasc Ther. 2010 Dec;28(6):339-43. doi: 10.1111/j.1755-5922.2010.00167.x. Prehypertension: the rationale for early drug therapy. Fuchs FD1.

© January 29, 2018 GreenMedInfo LLC. This work is reproduced and distributed with the permission of GreenMedInfo LLC. Want to learn more from GreenMedInfo? Sign up for the newsletter here http://www.greenmedinfo.com/greenmed/newsletter.

The post Eating Black Sesame May Slash Heart Disease Risk appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.

The Profound Healing Properties of Sesame Seed

When it comes to dietary superfoods, there may be nothing on Earth that packs as much healing power into as small a package as the sesame seed. Scientific studies have revealed that sesame seeds are a superior source of cancer-fighting lignans, bumping flaxseed from its “top-seeded” position!

Anyone who is interested in natural health is likely to be acquainted with the potent healing powers of flaxseed. 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 chemoprotective 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 superior 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 metabolized sesame seed and flaxseed. Two specific mammalian lignans, enterolactone (ED) and enterodiol (EL), were the focus of the study. Plant lignans are converted 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-related 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 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 participants 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 determine baseline, and after four weeks of food bar consumption. Urinalysis results showed consumers of sesame seeds produced a greater amount of urinary lignans (albeit not significantly greater) than flaxseed 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 effect. 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 benefit 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 adding 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 appear as a gradual decline as we age, and in the onset of what are referred to as age-related diseases. Oxidative damage can be accelerated when we hyper-exert, as is the case of many competitive athletes. Fatigue, arthritis, muscle strain, and cognitive decline are all signs of oxidative damage that sesame seed has been found to improve. A 2015 Iranian study showed sesame seed supplementation had a positive effect on inflammation and oxidative stress biomarkers in patients with knee osteoarthritis. A more recent study examined the same stress biomarkers along with aerobic capacity in semi-professional soccer players. Players were sorted into two groups, and fed two tablespoons (40 g) per day of either ground sesame or a placebo during 28 days of regular training. The players that consumed sesame saw reduced muscle damage and oxidative stress, while improving aerobic capacity. Talk about extra points!

Pain and Inflammation

When you have pain, you also have inflammation, and sesame seeds have proven effective at treating both problems. A 2011 study exploring non-addictive, naturopathic treatment options for diabetic neuropathic pain, found that when sesame seeds were consumed in addition to standard insulin treatment, neuropathic pain and oxidative stress were reduced, as were inflammatory markers.

Two recent studies conducted on pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis confirm that supplementation with sesame seeds may be an effective adjunct therapy. An Iranian medical university examined 50 patients diagnosed with painful osteoarthritis of the knee. Divided into two groups, both groups experienced the same treatment protocol with one exception: the experimental group was given 2 tablespoons of ground sesame seed per day. After 2 months of study, researchers found the patients who ate sesame seeds had significantly less pain than the control group. A similar studyconducted in 2017 echoed these findings.

Hypertensive Heart Disease

Ancient medical wisdom often informs modern science. Scientists routinely test herbs and folkloric remedies to see if they do, in fact, carry mystical, medicinal properties. Oftentimes, once a therapeutic property has been identified, these natural ingredients are mimicked in the lab, creating drugs that may or may not be effective or healthy. Isolating a single molecule or biological action, then concentrating it into a synthetic pill version is not the same thing as consuming whole-plant food and metabolizing it naturally in the body.

A July 2017 study asked the question, “Can sesame consumption improve blood pressure?” After a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials, researchers found that, yes, sesame consumption can reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure, due to its high polyunsaturated fatty acid, fiber, phytosterol and lignan contents. Studies have examined a variety of sesame preparations, proving that the ways you can prepare and consume sesame seed are varied but the potent healing and nutritional properties remain consistent. A study on black sesame seed meal consumed at approximately 2.5 grams per day for 4 weeks, significantly decreased systolic blood pressure, while simultaneously improving antioxidant status and decreasing oxidative stress. An important 2006 study sought to determine if adding sesame oil to the diet would interfere with other blood pressure protocols, such as beta-blockers and diuretics. After asking participants to substitute sesame oil for all other edible oils in the diet, a clear determination was made through the data. After 45 days on sesame oil: “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. Withdrawal of sesame oil substitution brought back the initial blood pressure values.” In addition to this stunning high blood pressure cure, participants experienced a significant reduction in BMI from sesame oil substitution. No negative effects were perceived.

Whether you are consuming ground sesame seed, sesame oil, or a sesame paste such as tahini, you will benefit from adding this amazing food to your diet. To receive the maximum therapeutic benefit, it’s important to obtain organic, whole seeds. They can be ground into a condiment (combine with sea salt for added boost!) and added to soups, cereals, smoothies, and salads for enhanced nutrition and flavor. Avoid toasted oils, due to oxidation from the heat of roasting, and understand that oils have removed the fiber from the seed, which also removes some of the antioxidant benefits of lignans, the digestive co-passenger of fiber. Whole seed can be consumed in small doses by most individuals with no digestive disturbance, however it should be noted that whole seed is not recommended for therapeutic doses due to potential for irritation of the gut lining. Grinding the seeds is a form of predigestion that makes the rich nutrients more readily assimilable. Sesame is a significant source of protein, almost 20% by weight. It is a rich source of plant-based calcium, providing 9% of our U.S. RDA (recommended daily allowance). Sesame’s whole-plant form of calcium provides greater absorption and is far superior to inorganic forms of this nutrient. A 5-ounce serving provides a whopping 53% of the RDA of iron.

PubMed has nearly 3,000 studies on sesame seeds, proving that this substance has been on our global health radar for quite some time. The GreenMedInfo.com database on sesame lists 90 documented health benefits for this amazing seed. For additional research on sesame health benefits, read our article Open Sesame! 10 Amazing Health Benefits of this Super-Seed.

For additional research on the health benefits of sesame seeds visit our database on the subject

© December 21, 2017 GreenMedInfo LLC. This work is reproduced and distributed with the permission of GreenMedInfo LLC. Want to learn more from GreenMedInfo? Sign up for the newsletter here http://www.greenmedinfo.com/greenmed/newsletter.

The post The Profound Healing Properties of Sesame Seed appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.

Open Sesame! 10 Amazing Health Benefits Of This Super-Seed

Sesame (Sesamum indicum) is one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world, prized as an oilseed for at least 5,000 years.  While it is beginning to regain favor due to its exceptionally high calcium and magnesium content, few realize it is also one of the most potent medicinal foods still commonly consumed today.

In fact, its history as a medicine goes back 3600 years to Egyptian times where it was listed in the scrolls of the Ebers as a favored medicine.  Also, women in ancient Babylon were believed to use a mixture of honey and sesame seeds (havla) to prolong youth and beauty, and Roman soldiers ate the mixture for strength and energy.

In the past twenty years, a glut of scientific information has poured in demonstrating that sesame seed, and its components, have over three dozen documented therapeutic properties [see sesame research page].  Given these new revelations, it would seem that sesame would be just as at home in a medicine cabinet as it would be a kitchen cupboard.

Here are just 10 evidence-based medicinal properties of this food-medicine:

1. Diabetes: A study published in 2011 in the Clinical Journal of Nutrition showed that sesame oil improved the effectiveness of the oral antidiabetic drug glibenclamide in type 2 diabetic patients. [1]  Another study published in 2006 in the Journal of Medicinal Foods showed that the substitution of sesame seed oil as the sole edible oil lowers blood pressure and glucose in hypertensive diabetics. [2]

2. High Blood Pressure:  A study published in 2006 in the Yale Journal of Biological Medicine showed that sesame seed oil has a beneficial effect in hypertensive patients on either diuretics or beta-blockers. Substitution of all dietary oils with sesame oil brought down systolic and dystolic  blood pressure to normal, in addition to decreasing lipid peroxidation (bodily rancidity) and antioxidant status. [3] One of the compounds identified behind sesame seed’s antihypertensive effects are peptides that act as angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitors.[4]

3. Gingivitis/Dental Plaque: Sesame seed oil has been used for oral health for thousands of years in the traditional Indian medical tradition known as Ayurveda in a process known as “oil pulling.” It involves swishing sesame seed oil in the mouth for prolonged durations and has been said to prevent teeth decay, halitosis, bleeding gums, dry throat, and for strengthening the teeth, gums and jaw. Clinical research now confirms that it compares favorably to chemical mouthwash (chlorhexidine) in improving plaque-induced gingivitis,[5] and that it is capable of reducing Streptococcus mutans growth associated with oral plaque formation. [6]

4. Infant Health/Massage Oil:  A study published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research in 2000 showed that massaging infants with sesame oil improved both their growth and post-massage sleep, in comparison to control oils such as mineral oil.[7]

5. Multiple Sclerosis (MS): In the animal model of MS, also known as experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, sesame seed oil protects mice from developing the disease by reducing IFN-gamma secretion, a key factor in initiating autoimmune inflammation and injury in the nervous system.[8] It has also been research for its potential beneficial role in another neurodegenerative condition, Huntington’s disease. [9]

6. Antibiotic-Induced Kidney Damage: Sesame seed oil protects against gentamicin-induced kidney damage in rats by reducing oxidative damage caused by the antibiotic.[10]

7. Atherosclerosis: Sesame seed oil prevents the formation of atherosclerotic lesions in mice fed an atherogenic diet.[11]  The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory lignan found within sesame seeds known as sesamol has been identified to be partially responsible for its anti-atherogenic properties. In fact, sesamol has been shown to possess over two dozen beneficial pharmacologically active properties, many of which may contribute to improving cardiovascular health.

8. Depression: The sesame lignin sesamol was shown to exert an antidepressant-like effect in behavioral despair in chronically stressed mice, specifically by modulating oxidative-nitrosative stress and inflammation.[12]

9. Radiation-Induced DNA Damage: Sesamol has been shown to protect against gamma radiation-induced DNA damage, likely through its antioxidant properties. [13] It is capable of reducing mortality in radiation treated mice, in part through preventing intestinal and spleen damage.[14]   When compared to another powerful antioxidant, melatonin, it was found 20 times more effective as a free radical scavenger.[15]

10. Cancer: Sesame contains a fat-soluble lignin with phytoestrogenic properties known as sesamin, and which has been studied for inhibiting the proliferation of a wide range of cancer cells, including:

• Leukemia


• Multiple Myleoma


• Colon Cancer


• Prostate Cancer


• Breast Cancer


• Lung Cancer


• Pancreatic Cancer


• Lung Cancer

Sesamin’s anticancer effects have been linked to the NF-kappaB signaling.[16]

Sesame deserves to be recognized, along with garlic, honey, turmeric and a select few other substances,  as an easily accessible and affordable food-medicine that, if consumed regularly, could quite possibly save lives.

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[1] Sesame oil exhibits synergistic effect with anti-diabetic medication in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Clin Nutr. 2011 Jun ;30(3):351-8. Epub 2010 Dec 16. PMID: 21163558

[2] A pilot study of open label sesame oil in hypertensive diabetics. J Med Food. 2006 Fall;9(3):408-12. PMID: 17004907

[3] Effect of sesame oil on diuretics or Beta-blockers in the modulation of blood pressure, anthropometry, lipid profile, and redox status. Yale J Biol Med. 2006 Mar;79(1):19-26. PMID: 17876372

[4] Antihypertensive effect of angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory peptides from a sesame protein hydrolysate in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2006 May;70(5):1118-26. PMID: 16717411

[5] Effect of oil pulling on plaque induced gingivitis: a randomized, controlled, triple-blind study. Indian J Dent Res. 2009 Jan-Mar;20(1):47-51. PMID: 19336860

[6] Effect of oil pulling on Streptococcus mutans count in plaque and saliva using Dentocult SM Strip mutans test: a randomized, controlled, triple-blind study. J Indian Soc Pedod Prev Dent. 2008 Mar;26(1):12-7. PMID: 18408265

[7] Effects of massage&use of oil on growth, blood flow&sleep pattern in infants. Indian J Med Res. 2000 Dec;112:212-7. PMID: 11247199

[8] The Mechanism of Sesame Oil in Ameliorating Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis in C57BL/6 Mice. Phytother Res. 2011 Apr 28. Epub 2011 Apr 28. PMID: 21538630

[9]Sesamol attenuate 3-nitropropionic acid-induced Huntington-like behavioral, biochemical, and cellular alterations in rats. J Asian Nat Prod Res. 2009 ;11(5):439-50. PMID: 19504387

[10] Protective effect of daily sesame oil supplement on gentamicin-induced renal injury in rats. Biol Pharm Bull. 2001 Feb;24(2):181-7. PMID: 19487986

[11] Inhibition of atherosclerosis in low-density lipoprotein receptor-negative mice by sesame oil. J Med Food. 2006 Winter;9(4) PMID: 17201634

[12] Neuropsychopharmacological effect of sesamol in unpredictable chronic mild stress model of depression: behavioral and biochemical evidences. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2011 Apr ;214(4):819-28. Epub 2010 Nov 20. PMID: 21103863

[13] Antioxidant potential of sesamol and its role on radiation-induced DNA damage in whole-body irradiated Swiss albino mice. Environ Toxicol Pharmacol. 2009 Sep ;28(2):192-7. Epub 2009 Apr 11. PMID: 21784002

[14] Effect of sesamol on radiation-induced cytotoxicity in Swiss albino mice. Mutat Res. 2006 Dec 10 ;611(1-2):9-16. Epub 2006 Oct 11. PMID: 17045515

[15] Sesamol as a Potential Radioprotective Agent: In Vitro Studies. Radiat Res. 2011 Sep 7. Epub 2011 Sep 7. PMID: 21899433

[16] Sesamin manifests chemopreventive effects through the suppression of NF-kappa B-regulated cell survival, proliferation, invasion, and angiogenic gene products. Mol Cancer Res. 2010 May;8(5):751-61. Epub 2010 May 11. PMID: 20460401

 

© October 31, 2017 GreenMedInfo LLC. This work is reproduced and distributed with the permission of GreenMedInfo LLC. Want to learn more from GreenMedInfo? Sign up for the newsletter here http://www.greenmedinfo.com/greenmed/newsletter.

The post Open Sesame! 10 Amazing Health Benefits Of This Super-Seed appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.

Eating Sesame Seeds Superior To Tylenol For Knee Arthritis

A remarkable study published in the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases confirms that food is not only medicine, but sometimes superior to it. Medical researchers working out of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran, sought to investigate the effects of sesame seed supplementation on clinical signs and symptoms in patients with knee osteoarthritis.[i]

Knee arthritis is a form of degenerative joint disease or degenerative arthritis localized in the knee, and causes a variety of symptoms including pain, swelling, abnormal bone growth (which can result in bone spurs), disfigured cartilage and loss of motion, and it affects as many as 12.1% of adults aged 60+, according to the CDC.[ii]  Standard therapy involves the use of NSAID drugs, many of which have been linked both to internal bleeding and significantly increased risk of cardiac mortality, which is why the researchers sought out to look for “a complementary treatment to reduce complications and costs.”

The study took fifty patients with osteoarthritis of the knee, and divided them into two 25-patient groups: a sesame group, receiving 40 grams/day of powdered sesame seeds, and a standard drug therapy group, receiving two 500 mg doses of Tylenol twice a day along with 500 mg of glucosamine once daily. After two months of treatment, 22 patients in the sesame intervention group and 23 patients in the control group completed the study.

Table 1

Considering that treatment was comprised of little over an ounce and one half of sesame seeds, the results were truly remarkable. As presented in Table 1 above, there was a significant difference in pain intensity between the two groups after treatment, with the sesame group seeing the largest drop from 9.5 before treatment to 3.5 after treatment, and the control group seeing a more modest drop from 9 before treatment to 7 after treatment. Additional measurements were taken using both the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) Questionnaire and the Timed Up and Go (TUG) Test. Both tests revealed a similar degree of positive change in both treatment and control groups, when compared to baseline. [See table 2 and table 3 below].

Table 2 [KOOS]

Table 3 [TUG]

Taken together, sesame was the clear winner. Not only was this food therapy superior in reducing the intensity of pain, but it was at least equal in effectiveness to Tylenol and glucosamine in both the KOOS and TUG tests. This, of course, was accomplished without the notorious side effects associated with Tylenol; to the contrary, sesame seed has a wide range of side benefits, which we covered recently in our article on sesame’s health benefits.

So, how much is 40 grams of sesame seed? A tablespoon of sesame seeds is approximately 9 grams. So, approximately 4 tablespoons will get you to what the study found to be a ‘clinical dose.’ Also, the researchers powdered the sesame seeds in order to enhance digestion. Remember, it is best to do this fresh with a mortar and pestle (first choice) or coffee grinder, also making sure that your seeds are raw, certified organic, and vetted to have not undergone gamma irradiation.

To truly appreciate the significance of this study, take a look at the growing body of toxicological research indicating that the unintended, adverse health effects of Tylenol (acetaminophen) far outweigh its purported benefits. We recently featured articles on the fact that even only occasional use of Tylenol may raise a child’s asthma risk 540%, and that it may be time for the FDA to remove it from the market.

For additional research on natural and/or integrative interventions for knee osteoarthritis visit our research page on the topic: knee osteoarthritis.

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Why Eating Sesame Seed Paste (Tahini) Could Save Your Life

We don’t think of sesame seed paste as a ‘life saver,’ but new research shows it is capable of reducing blood markers of cardiovascular disease risk by 39% within only six weeks.

Sadly, in the Western world, when the average Joe thinks of protecting himself from heart disease, aspirin and statin drugs are often as high on the list – if not higher – than exercise and eating better. Through decades of intense marketing and miseducation millions have been made to think of the #1 killer as an inevitable force; one against which we fling pills and various pharmaceutical potions to ‘minimize risk,’ never to strike to the core of the problem and resolve it permanently.

This is one reason why natural medicine continues to gain popularity, as it is founded in more than a palliative approach to disease, and does not require the ingestion of patented chemicals (i.e. pharmaceuticals) whose side effects are often worse and far more plentiful than their claimed therapeutic ones. Instead of simply managing and/or suppressing symptoms, the goal is to invoke bodily self-healing, which is to say remove the interference that keeps it from doing so. And often, this is simply a matter of modifying the diet – adding something medicinal here, removing something not so healthy there.

One of the most promising studies to come through the biomedical pipeline of late was a gem published this month in the journal Archives of Iranian Medicine, and which looked at a traditional, sesame-based food-medicine known as Ardeh (aka tahini) for its ability to decrease cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetics – a group whose risk of cardiac mortality is greatly enhanced due to unhealthy ratios and quantities of blood lipids associated with chronically elevated blood sugar, glycation and insulin resistance.

Titled, “Ardeh (Sesamum indicum) Could Improve Serum Triglycerides and Atherogenic Lipid Parameters in Type 2 Diabetic Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial“,[i] the study consisted of 41 patients with type 2 diabetes, who were randomly assigned to one of the two groups: group A (Ardeh 28 g/d, n = 21) and group B (control, n = 20).  The patients in group A were given 28 grams (two tablespoons) of Ardeh with their breakfast, while group B patients continued with their regular breakfast, both for six months (the energy content of both groups was kept within the same range).

Both groups were evaluated at baseline and six weeks later for blood pressure, serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), LDL-C, HDL-C, and the so-called atherogenic index (i.e. heart disease promoting index) of plasma (AIP; log TG/HDL-C), TC/HDL-C ratio, and LDL/HDL-C ratio .

Remarkably, after the six week test period, significant positive changes were reported:

“After six weeks, there were significant decreases in serum TG (15.3 mg/dL) and AIP (39 %) in group A. Moreover, slight decreases in serum TC, LDL-C, and other atherogenic lipid parameters and a mild increase in HDL-C also were observed during Ardeh supplementation. Anthropometric measures and blood pressure were unchanged during the study period in both groups.” [emphasis added]

Based on these promising observations the researchers concluded: “Ardeh could have favorable effects in decreasing CVD risk factors in type 2 diabetics.” Keep in mind that they found a 39% decrease in the so-called atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), which is no small effect for a relatively small dietary change. It should be noted that the brand of tahini used in this study (Oghab Halva Company) had no additional additives or oil. It was ground sesame seed, plain and simple. Were this a drug trial, results like these would be broadcast the world over as the next life-saving (multi-billion dollar selling) blockbuster drug. For a more detailed explanation of the results, read the entire study at the link here.

This is not the first human clinical study to find a beneficial effect of sesame on cardiovascular health or diabetes. Here are few others:

Sesame is truly a super star among medicinal foods.  In fact, recently, we reported on a study that found that eating 40 grams of sesame seeds, or the equivalent of two tablespoons of tahini, was superior to Tylenol in reducing pain in those suffering from knee arthritis. You can also take  a look at the over 40 health benefits of sesame seed and/or its components on our sesame seed health benefits research page to learn more about this remarkable healing food.

Let’s face it. At this point, with human clinical research from respected, peer-reviewed journals revealing that simple dietary changes – yes, as simple as eating some sesame paste (tahini) daily — can have huge impacts on risk factors for the most deadly and common diseases known in modern times, the time has come to reevaluate what exactly it is that is going on under the name of medicine today. Drugs don’t cure disease any more than bullets cure war. Foods, on the other hand, can be curative, and may just help us to put our ‘war against heart disease’ – like are failed ‘war on cancer’ —  to rest once and for all.

Finally, for a quick tahini recipe, take a look at this About.com how to, and consider super-charging the heart-friendly properties of this food with the addition of garlic, whose life-saving properties we have expanded on in another article.

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[i] Parvin Mirmiran, Zahra Bahadoran, Mahdieh Golzarand, Asadolah Rajab, Fereidoun Azizi. Ardeh (Sesamum indicum) Could Improve Serum Triglycerides and Atherogenic Lipid Parameters in Type 2 Diabetic Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial.  Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2013 Apr;20(2):202-8. doi: 10.1177/2047487312437625. Epub 2012 Jan 25.

[ii] Kalliopi Karatzi, Kimon Stamatelopoulos, Maritta Lykka, Pigi Mantzouratou, Sofia Skalidi, Nikolaos Zakopoulos, Christos Papamichael, Labros S Sidossis. Sesame oil consumption exerts a beneficial effect on endothelial function in hypertensive men. Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2012 Jan 25. Epub 2012 Jan 25. PMID: 22345690

[iii] Devarajan Sankar, Amanat Ali, Ganapathy Sambandam, Ramakrishna Rao. Sesame oil exhibits synergistic effect with anti-diabetic medication in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Clin Nutr. 2011 Jun ;30(3):351-8. Epub 2010 Dec 16. PMID: 21163558

[iv] D Sankar, M Ramakrishna Rao, G Sambandam, K V Pugalendi. A pilot study of open label sesame oil in hypertensive diabetics. J Med Food. 2006 Fall;9(3):408-12. PMID: 17004907

[v] D Sankar, M Ramakrishna Rao, G Sambandam, K V Pugalendi. Effect of sesame oil on diuretics or Beta-blockers in the modulation of blood pressure, anthropometry, lipid profile, and redox status. Yale J Biol Med. 2006 Mar;79(1):19-26. PMID: 17876372

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