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Can't shake the winter chill? Massage sesame oil into your skin and let your body bask in the warm, nutty aroma of this ancient secret. Sesame oil is highly touted in the Ayurvedic world for its healing benefits. A symbol of strength and vigor, sesame oil nourishes the skin as it calms your nerves. Its luscious and unctuous nature both fortifies immunity and aids in detoxification.
Sesame Oil for Massage Does your skin appear lifeless and dull in autumn? Colder weather forces your blood to withdraw from the surface of the skin, drying it out. Sesame oil is the perfect remedy to restore your skin's natural luster and youthful sheen. Make this superb skin tonic an essential part of your daily beauty and skin/hair care routine. For best results warm the oil and massage it into your skin. When performing a self-massage, use long strokes on your limbs and circular motions on your joints. Your self massage will not only nurture your body and mind, you will also experience benefits such as:
Improved circulation, increased blood flow
Lymphatic stimulation which aids detoxification
Reduced pain and stiffness of muscles
Calm mind and nervous system, reduced mental stress
Comfort and relaxation
Improved sleep patterns
Enhanced self image and a feeling of well-being
Improved body awareness
Decreased effects of aging, soft and lustrous skin
improve collagen production and elasticity
Coating your skin with sesame oil locks in body heat.
Provides a natural barrier against drying weather elements.
Massage directly stimulates and cleanses internal organs
Luxurious Hair Sesame oil encourages thick, luxurious hair growth. As the richness of sesame oil nourishes your skin and hair follicles, its warming nature improves circulation to the very root of the hair shaft. Massage this extraordinary liquid into your scalp for a deep conditioning treatment that also reduces split ends.
Sesame oil is a multi-faceted and exceptionally healing oil. The deep nourishment that sesame oil offers penetrates even to the bone. Ayurveda knows sesame oil as a bone, teeth, hair and nail tonic.
Oral Care - Oil Pulling Oil pulling is an ancient method of swishing oil between the teeth that is gaining modern popularity. As a detoxicant and anti-bacterial, sesame oil pulling greatly enhances dental hygiene. Oil pulling is a simple, affordable way to help aid your body's natural detoxification processes. You will notice whiter teeth, reduced plaque and tartar, healthier gums, a smoother singing voice, and a cleaner tongue. Your dentist will notice! Here's how:
Place 1 tablespoon of unrefined and cold-pressed sesame oil into your mouth and swish for up to 15-20 minutes. If you simply cannot tolerate the taste of the oil, try adding a pinch of salt. When the sesame oil turns white you're done. To avoid clogging the plumbing, spit the oil into the garbage, not the sink. Please, never swallow! Don't fancy swishing oil? Chew one tablespoon of sesame seeds in the morning to keep your pearly whites clean. You can also sniff a couple of drops of sesame oil into your nostrils, and massage gently. You will find that your usual nasal dryness will not be as noticeable.
Digestive Health If you are feeling a little sluggish or irregular in the digestion department, consider adding sesame oil to your diet. Its nourishing properties will feed your digestive system and colon. It has also been shown to relieve constipation and generally improve your digestive power. For some of our cells that require fat to thrive, sesame oil can provide the essential nourishment that you need.
Antiviral & Antibacterial Ancient practitioners of Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine believe that sesame oil holds great significance for its immune building properties and ability to treat associated ailments and common skin pathogens. Western science knows it as an antiviral and antibacterial.
Sesame Facts Sesame oil was the oldest oilseed crop known to man, domesticated well over 5000 years ago. Sesame has one of the highest oil concentrations of any seed, exceeding 50 percent compared to soybean's 20 percent. It is also one of the most stable vegetable oils. Natural anti-oxidants give sesame oil a long shelf life.
About Sesame Oil
Sesame oil is derived from nutty sweet sesame seeds. As the seed matures, it bursts out of its pod. Think back to the children's story about "open sesame," a secret password in the medieval Arabic adventure tale Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. As the magic words revealed a cave full of treasures, the bursting sesame pod reveals all the goodness of a nutritional treasure.
Sesame oil is one of the most widely used base oils in Ayurvedic medicine, however if you have excess heat in your body, Ayurveda recommends that you limit and / or moderate your intake and use of sesame oil.
Buying & Preparation
Generally, it's best to purchase in small quantities if you don't anticipate using the oil quickly, although sesame oil is stable due to its high antioxidant values and doesn't turn rancid very quickly. Favor cold-pressed, unrefined, untoasted sesame oil for your skin and hair. Toasted sesame oil provides a much richer, nuttier flavor, for cooking but isn't necessarily the best choice for skin, hair and dental use. As with other oils, store your sesame oil in a cool, dark place in an airtight container.
This rich oil pairs delightfully with a myriad of different flavors. Darker sesame oil prepared from toasted sesame seeds has a stronger flavor and should be used in smaller quantities. Light sesame oil from untoasted sesame seeds has a delicious nutty flavor and will fill your kitchen with homey and appetizing aromas. Sesame oil has a robust and earthy sensuality to it. The intoxicating aroma of a simple mixture of ginger and sesame gently sauteing is enough to get your mouth watering. Pair sesame oil with chicken, veggies, humus, dipping sauces, salad dressings, rice - oh the list goes on!
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Find out by taking this free, easy quiz.
You'll learn your body type, and whether 'Sesame Oil' is a good fit.
Complete the basic quiz in 1 minute, or go deeper with additional quizzes
at your own leisure to learn more about your body.
AYURVEDA'S GUIDE TO VITALITY & WHOLESOME NOURISHMENT
Your Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body and your specific imbalances.
With an Ayurvedic diet you feel joy and satisfaction because what you are eating truly nourishes and balances you.
Disease results from diets and lifestyles that are incompatible with your nature.
By eating a personalized diet matched to your body, you experience optimal health.
See How it Works.
Ayurveda assesses metabolic imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics
(gunas).
Aggravating them weakens your body and causes imbalance.
By knowing which biocharacteristics are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct metabolic imbalances before you get sick.
Every biocharacteristic has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold).
You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite biocharacteristic.
In Ayurveda, oily refers to anything moistening. More specifically, oily refers to building substances that increases fat, or are themselves fatty. For example, sugar is Oily.
Taste is used to sense the most basic properties and effects of food.
Each taste has a specific medicinal effect on your body.
Cravings for food with certain tastes indicate your body is craving specific medicinal results from food.
Taste is experienced on the tongue and represents your body's reaction to foods.
Sweet taste causes physical satisfaction and attraction whereas bitter taste causes discomfort and aversion.
Kapha should use less sweet taste while Vata and Pitta would benefit from using more sweet taste.
One of the first signs of illness is that your taste and appetite for food changes.
The six tastes are sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent.
Do you crave foods with any of the tastes below?
Ayurveda is a metabolic theory of medicine that explains individual health, tendencies, and disease patterns through the concept of doshas, which can be understood as your metabolic patterns and tendencies.
Each dosha reflects a distinct metabolic nature and describes strengths & weaknesses in bodily function, and how these affect energy levels, digestion, susceptibility to disease, and many other tendencies.
Your metabolic nature not only affects your physical characteristics, but also influences your mental thought patterns, confidence, and enthusiasm.
Ayurveda balances these metabolic strengths & weaknesses to support your body's vitality and prevent recurrent disease cycles. This support is a critical aid, especially in chronic or incurable disease conditions.
The 3 metabolic body types
(doshas),
are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha).
Through dosha, Ayurveda empowers people to identify metabolic imbalances early, break repetitive patterns of disease, and cultivate habits that support long-term vitality and well-being.
Ultimately, these metabolic patterns also provide a framework for understanding yourself, including body, mind, and spiritual tendencies.
Ayurveda & Greek Medicine were the dominant form of medicine along the Silk Road from England to China and South Asia.
They work by assessing your metabolic type, patterns, and nature.
Greek medicine recognizes 4 metabolic temperaments, Melancholic, Choleric, Sanguine, and Phlegmatic.
Cold and dry with a slow, variable or erratic metabolism. Colicky, tense. Withdrawn, pensive, anxious, and hesitant. Analytical, intelligent, detail oriented and creative. Prone to ojas depletion, dehydration, an overactive nervous system, and depression.
Has a hot and dry metabolic nature. Enthusiastic, vibrant and bright. In excess burns up fluids and ojas, irritable. Corresponds to high bilirubin in the blood that irritates and heats up the body and liver.
Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Sesame Oil
Experiences are Personal
Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary.
The list of herbal-actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.
A tonic herb restores function through strengthening tissue. This can happen through a combination of nourishing the tissue, and invigorating tissue metabolism. The tonic should not be withering, as in caffeine.
An agent that kills microorganisms or inhibits their growth. Antimicrobial is an umbrella term that can be broken down into specific categories of target microorganism, such as anti-bacterials, fungals, and virals.
An herb that produces more blood cells in the body, or otherwise improves blood cell quality or hemoglobin content. Helpful for anemia and other types of deficiency.
An herb that strengthens the liver. It is helpful for people with a history of substance abuse, chronic liver issues from hepatitis and hemolytic anemias. Generally, liver tonics are oily, cool, sweet, mildly sour, or contain beta-carotene.
An herb that promotes fertility. Generally used by women who wish to become pregnant. These herbs may also help with menstrual problems of deficiency, such as amenorrhea (lack of a period).
In each study below, students from the
Joyful Belly College of Ayurveda ate the selected food for 3 days and reported the effects.
See other studies of food & herbs at Joyful Belly.
TEMPERATURE/CIRCULATION
How did Sesame Oil affect your temperature?
30
24
18
12
6
0
0
0
11
23
2
Much colder
Slightly colder
Same
Slightly warmer
Much warmer
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
How did Sesame Oil affect your sweat quantity?
30
24
18
12
6
0
1
0
25
10
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
How did Sesame Oil affect your appetite/hunger?
15
12
9
6
3
0
1
11
13
11
0
Much less hungry
Slightly less hungry
Same
Slightly hungrier
Much hungrier
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
How did Sesame Oil affect your digestion speed?
20
16
12
8
4
0
2
16
12
5
1
Much faster
Slightly faster
Same
Slightly slower
Much slower
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
TOXINS
How did Sesame Oil affect the amount of gas & bloating?
20
16
12
8
4
0
0
12
16
8
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
How did Sesame Oil affect your stool smell?
30
24
18
12
6
0
1
2
23
6
4
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
Tongue: How did Sesame Oil affect the thickness & size of your tongue coating?
20
16
12
8
4
0
0
7
14
14
1
Much smaller
Slightly less
Same
Slightly larger coating
Much larger
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
How did Sesame Oil affect the color of your tongue coating?
20
16
12
8
4
0
1
4
1
12
18
Yellower
Browner
Grayer
Whiter
No Change
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
How did Sesame Oil affect your urine smell?
30
24
18
12
6
0
1
0
26
9
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
How did Sesame Oil affect the amount of bubbles in your urine?
35
28
21
14
7
0
0
3
29
3
1
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Many more
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
How did Sesame Oil affect your sweat smell?
30
24
18
12
6
0
1
0
26
8
1
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
HYDRATION
How did Sesame Oil affect your urine frequency/quantity?
35
28
21
14
7
0
0
5
29
1
1
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
NERVOUS-SYSTEM
How did Sesame Oil affect your energy levels?
20
16
12
8
4
0
2
2
17
14
1
Much less energy
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more energy
Much more
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
How did Sesame Oil affect your muscle tension?
20
16
12
8
4
0
1
16
15
4
0
Much less tension
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more tension
Much more
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
How did Sesame Oil affect your anxiety?
20
16
12
8
4
0
3
15
12
5
1
Much less anxiety
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more anxiety
Much more
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
DIGESTION
How did Sesame Oil affect your digestion speed?
20
16
12
8
4
0
2
16
12
5
1
Much faster
Slightly faster
Same
Slightly slower
Much slower
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
How did Sesame Oil affect the amount of gas & bloating?
20
16
12
8
4
0
0
12
16
8
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
How did Sesame Oil affect your appetite/hunger?
15
12
9
6
3
0
1
11
13
11
0
Much less hungry
Slightly less hungry
Same
Slightly hungrier
Much hungrier
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
TONGUE
How did Sesame Oil affect the color of your tongue coating?
20
16
12
8
4
0
1
4
1
12
18
Yellower
Browner
Grayer
Whiter
No Change
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
Tongue: How did Sesame Oil affect the thickness & size of your tongue coating?
20
16
12
8
4
0
0
7
14
14
1
Much smaller
Slightly less
Same
Slightly larger coating
Much larger
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
STOOL
How did Sesame Oil affect your stool lightness?
25
20
15
10
5
0
4
9
19
4
0
Much lighter
Slightly lighter
Same
Slightly darker
Much darker
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
How did Sesame Oil affect your stool smell?
30
24
18
12
6
0
1
2
23
6
4
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
How did Sesame Oil affect your stool consistency?
15
12
9
6
3
0
5
13
13
5
0
Much softer
Slightly softer
Same
Slightly harder
Much harder
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
How did Sesame Oil affect your stool frequency/quantity?
20
16
12
8
4
0
1
4
11
17
3
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
How did Sesame Oil affect your stool color?
30
24
18
12
6
0
5
1
1
6
23
More yellow
More gray
More green
More orange
Same
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
URINE
How did Sesame Oil affect your urine frequency/quantity?
35
28
21
14
7
0
0
5
29
1
1
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
How did Sesame Oil affect the amount of bubbles in your urine?
35
28
21
14
7
0
0
3
29
3
1
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Many more
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
How did Sesame Oil affect your urine clarity?
33
27
21
15
9
3
5
27
4
More cloudy
Same
More clear
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
How did Sesame Oil affect your urine smell?
30
24
18
12
6
0
1
0
26
9
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
How did Sesame Oil affect your urine lightness?
30
24
18
12
6
0
1
0
27
8
0
Much lighter
Slightly lighter
Same
Slightly Darker
Much Darker
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
SWEAT
How did Sesame Oil affect your sweat quantity?
30
24
18
12
6
0
1
0
25
10
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
How did Sesame Oil affect your sweat smell?
30
24
18
12
6
0
1
0
26
8
1
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
SYSTEMIC
How did Sesame Oil affect your energy levels?
20
16
12
8
4
0
2
2
17
14
1
Much less energy
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more energy
Much more
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
How did Sesame Oil affect your muscle tension?
20
16
12
8
4
0
1
16
15
4
0
Much less tension
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more tension
Much more
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
How did Sesame Oil affect your anxiety?
20
16
12
8
4
0
3
15
12
5
1
Much less anxiety
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more anxiety
Much more
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
How did Sesame Oil affect your temperature?
30
24
18
12
6
0
0
0
11
23
2
Much colder
Slightly colder
Same
Slightly warmer
Much warmer
Total Responses: 36 Study ID:27 (2020-10-12 - 2020-11-02)
Sesame Oil may be beneficial for these symptoms.
The suitability of any food for a condition is highly dependent on the individual.
Please see your doctor before using this food to treat a medical condition.
We will use this information to better predict food that helps you.
CONTRAINDICATED FOR THESE SYMPTOMS
Sesame Oil may be harmful or contraindicated for these symptoms.
Note this is not a complete list of all possible contraindications.
Please see your doctor before using this food to treat a medical condition.
Herb Drug Interaction Risk
Here are some potential herb drug interactions with Sesame Oil. Please see your health care provider for more information.
Livotonic: Anything that strengthens or cleanses the liver can clear drugs more quickly, requiring a higher dose.
View other ingredients for Autumn-Winter
Sesame Oil is recommended for Autumn-Winter. Check out these other Autumn-Winter foods here.
Eating Ayurvedically makes you feel nourished and energized. Food digests with ease when
right for your body type (dosha). Healthy digestion is seen as the cornerstone of well-being in
Ayurveda. Healthy digestion generally prevents illness. If you do get sick, a strong digestive fire
reduces the severity of illness and increases your resilience. It also improves your mood. Once
you begin eating Ayurvedically, you will feel refreshed, vital and strong.
John Immel, the founder of Joyful Belly, teaches people how to have a
healthy diet and lifestyle with Ayurveda.
His approach to Ayurveda is clinical, yet exudes an ease which many find enjoyable and insightful.
John also directs the Joyful Belly College of Ayurveda,
offering professional clinical training in Ayurveda for over 15 years.
John's hobbies & specialties include advanced digestive disorders, medieval Catholic philosophy,
& botany. He holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University.
His wife and family of 7 kids live in Asheville, NC.
“Wonderful, comprehensive article. I rub warmed sesame oil with a few drops of essential oil added all over my body as directed above before bathing, then sit and meditate for 15 minutes or so, allowing the oil to penetrate my skin. Afterwards, a warm shower and a gentle wash-off with a mild soap. A little oil remains on my skin but not enough to soil my clothes. I use sesame oil in the colder seasons and coconut in the warmer. This daily routine really blesses my day and my health."
Want our top Ayurvedic recipes and health tips? Subscribe to our free newsletter!
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
The information and products on this website are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any
disease.
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