Sesame Oil

How Does This Ayurvedic Food Improve Wellness?

CONSTITUTIONAL MEDICINE INSIGHTS

Recipes with Sesame Oil: Rice with Ground Seaweed & Sesame

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.
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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.

Cooking Sesame Oil

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!

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.

Sesame comes in several forms:

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Rice with Ground Seaweed & Sesame

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Cold Sesame Cucumber & Tofu Noodle Bowl

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SERVING SIZE: 1 tsp
FAMILY: Pedaliaceae
SPECIES: Sesamum indicum
EAT IN: AUTUMN-WINTER

Medicinal Effects of Sesame Oil

Constitutional nutrition systems use biocharacteristics to classify the metabolic nature of food, herbs, lifestyle choices, your body, and disease.

METABOLIC NATURE / BIOCHARACTERISTICS

Metabolic Nature / Biocharacteristics
Ayurveda assesses metabolic imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics (vital qualtiies). 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.
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HOT

ABOUT HOT BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Hot is identified by increased body temperature, metabolism, or inflammation.

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OILY

ABOUT OILY 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.

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TASTES

The 6 Tastes
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?
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PUNGENT

ABOUT PUNGENT BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Pungency is characterized by irritation, or sharp, spicy foods that irritate the mouth such as black pepper.

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SWEET

ABOUT SWEET BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Sweet refers to anything builds tissue, including macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SWEET

AYURVEDA BODY TYPES (DOSHAS)

The Three Doshas / Body Types
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.
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PACIFIES

AGGRAVATES

GREEK MEDICINE / TEMPERAMENTS

The Four Temperaments / Humors
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.
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PACIFIES

MELANCHOLIC

ABOUT MELANCHOLIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

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.

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PHLEGMATIC

ABOUT PHLEGMATIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

A Phlegmatic has a cold and wet metabolic nature. The coldness implies a slow metabolism, the moisture that you are well-nourished. Phlegmatics tend towards sluggishness and thickened fluids, including mucus.

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AGGRAVATES

CHOLERIC

ABOUT CHOLERIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

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.

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SANGUINE

ABOUT SANGUINE BIOCHARACTERISTIC

A hot and oily nature with a moderate metabolism and a well nourished body makes Sanguine individuals vigorous, vivacious, outgoing and generous, and prone to impulsivity and self indulgence. Bullish and intense when out of balance.

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Other Health Virtues

Tissue (dhatu):

Muscle

MUSCLE

Muscle tissue (Mamsa Dhatu) includes muscles and ligaments.

SEE ALL 'MUSCLE' FOODS / HERBS

Fat

MILD FAT

Fat tissue (Meda Dhatu) includes adipose tissue and sebum (skin oil).

SEE ALL 'FAT' FOODS / HERBS

Affinity:

Skin Care

SKIN-CARE

Includes skin care, and anything that nourishes epithelial membranes (of digestive, respiratory, urinary tract, blood vessels, etc).

SEE ALL 'SKIN-CARE' FOODS / HERBS

Family:

Pedaliaceae

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.

(see all)

Energy Vitality:

Builds Stamina

BUILDS-STAMINA

Promotes strength, endurance and resistance in the body. Rebuilds weak tissues after a time of depletion.

SEE ALL 'BUILDS-STAMINA' FOODS / HERBS

Stimulates Energy

STIMULATES-ENERGY

This category groups thyroid and adrenal stimulating herbs.

SEE ALL 'STIMULATES-ENERGY' FOODS / HERBS

Nutritive

NUTRITIVE

An herb that is strengthening and nourishing.

SEE ALL 'NUTRITIVE' FOODS / HERBS

Tonic

TONIC

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.

SEE ALL 'TONIC' FOODS / HERBS

Skin Care & Beauty:

Emollient

EMOLLIENT

Soothes & softens the skin. Often a topical demulcent or oil.

SEE ALL 'EMOLLIENT' FOODS / HERBS

Rubefacient

RUBEFACIENT

An herb used topically that causes dilation of the capillaries and an increase in blood circulation. The skin will appear red or flushed.

SEE ALL 'RUBEFACIENT' FOODS / HERBS

Skin Tonic

SKIN-TONIC

An herb that strengthens and nourishes skin, improving tone, color, moisture and complexion.

SEE ALL 'SKIN-TONIC' FOODS / HERBS

Immune System:

Antimicrobial

ANTIMICROBIAL

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.

SEE ALL 'ANTIMICROBIAL' FOODS / HERBS

Heart & Circulation:

Blood Tonic

BLOOD-TONIC

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.

SEE ALL 'BLOOD-TONIC' FOODS / HERBS

Liver & Gallbladder:

Livotonic

LIVOTONIC

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.

SEE ALL 'LIVOTONIC' FOODS / HERBS

Reproductive Health:

Builds Semen

BUILDS-SEMEN

Herbs that increase the production of semen, often by rebuilding fluids in general.

SEE ALL 'BUILDS-SEMEN' FOODS / HERBS

Galactagogue

GALACTAGOGUE

Increases production of breast milk, often by raising prolactin and diaphoresis.

SEE ALL 'GALACTAGOGUE' FOODS / HERBS

Promotes Fertility

PROMOTES-FERTILITY

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).

SEE ALL 'PROMOTES-FERTILITY' FOODS / HERBS

Promotes Virility

PROMOTES-VIRILITY

Encourages virility and potency.

SEE ALL 'PROMOTES-VIRILITY' FOODS / HERBS

Bone & Joint:

Bone Tonic

BONE-TONIC

An herb that strengthens the bones and joints.

SEE ALL 'BONE-TONIC' FOODS / HERBS

Hair Growth Tonic

HAIR-GROWTH-TONIC

An herb or formula that encourages healthy hair growth.

SEE ALL 'HAIR-GROWTH-TONIC' FOODS / HERBS

Strength, Muscle Health:

Muscle Tonic

MUSCLE-TONIC

Herbs that strengthen and tone muscle tissue. Helpful for people recovering from long term illness and debility, or after a sprain.

SEE ALL 'MUSCLE-TONIC' FOODS / HERBS

Other:

Medium Chain Triglycerrid

Constituents:

Fats

Foods with a Similar Nature to Sesame Oil

Sesame Seeds

Sesame Seeds has these Actions in Common
Builds-semen, Muscle-tonic, Promotes-virility, Stimulates-energy, Blood-tonic, Builds-stamina, Nutritive, Rubefacient, Tonic, Bone-tonic, Galactagogue, Promotes-fertility, Skin-tonic
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Tahini

Tahini has these Actions in Common
Bone-tonic, Galactagogue, Promotes-fertility, Stimulates-energy, Antimicrobial, Builds-semen, Muscle-tonic, Promotes-virility, Tonic, Blood-tonic, Builds-stamina, Nutritive, Skin-tonic
LEARN MORE
Almonds

Almonds has these Actions in Common
Blood-tonic, Builds-stamina, Promotes-virility, Tonic, Bone-tonic, Muscle-tonic, Skin-tonic, Builds-semen, Nutritive, Stimulates-energy
LEARN MORE
Eggs

Eggs has these Actions in Common
Emollient, Nutritive, Tonic, Builds-semen, Hair-growth-tonic, Promotes-virility, Builds-stamina, Muscle-tonic, Skin-tonic
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Ghee

Ghee has these Actions in Common
Emollient, Nutritive, Tonic, Livotonic, Promotes-fertility, Builds-semen, Muscle-tonic, Promotes-virility
LEARN MORE
Coconut Oil

Coconut Oil has these Actions in Common
Stimulates-energy, Hair-growth-tonic, Promotes-virility, Tonic, Livotonic, Skin-tonic, Emollient, Nutritive
LEARN MORE
Stinging Nettles

Stinging Nettles has these Actions in Common
Builds-stamina, Nutritive, Blood-tonic, Galactagogue, Promotes-virility, Bone-tonic, Hair-growth-tonic, Tonic
LEARN MORE
Flower / Bee Pollen

Flower / Bee Pollen has these Actions in Common
Blood-tonic, Promotes-fertility, Tonic, Builds-stamina, Promotes-virility, Nutritive, Stimulates-energy
LEARN MORE
Dates (dried)

Dates (dried) has these Actions in Common
Blood-tonic, Muscle-tonic, Tonic, Galactagogue, Nutritive, Livotonic, Promotes-fertility
LEARN MORE
Honey

Honey has these Actions in Common
Antimicrobial, Nutritive, Tonic, Emollient, Promotes-virility, Muscle-tonic, Stimulates-energy
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Herbs & Supplements with a Similar Nature to Sesame Oil

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha has these Actions in Common
Promotes-virility, Blood-tonic, Tonic, Bone-tonic, Builds-semen, Builds-stamina, Galactagogue, Muscle-tonic, Nutritive
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Bala

Bala has these Actions in Common
Nutritive, Promotes-fertility, Promotes-virility, Stimulates-energy, Tonic, Builds-semen, Builds-stamina, Muscle-tonic
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Amalaki

Amalaki has these Actions in Common
Builds-semen, Hair-growth-tonic, Nutritive, Promotes-virility, Skin-tonic, Stimulates-energy, Tonic, Blood-tonic
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Almond Oil

Almond Oil has these Actions in Common
Builds-semen, Emollient, Hair-growth-tonic, Muscle-tonic, Nutritive, Skin-tonic, Tonic
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Anantamul

Anantamul has these Actions in Common
Tonic, Blood-tonic, Builds-semen, Galactagogue, Livotonic, Promotes-fertility, Skin-tonic
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Shatavari

Shatavari has these Actions in Common
Antimicrobial, Builds-semen, Galactagogue, Muscle-tonic, Nutritive, Promotes-fertility, Tonic
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Bhringaraj

Bhringaraj has these Actions in Common
Tonic, Antimicrobial, Blood-tonic, Bone-tonic, Hair-growth-tonic, Livotonic, Skin-tonic
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Vidari

Vidari has these Actions in Common
Livotonic, Muscle-tonic, Nutritive, Promotes-fertility, Tonic, Builds-semen, Galactagogue
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Punarnava

Punarnava has these Actions in Common
Tonic, Antimicrobial, Blood-tonic, Builds-semen, Builds-stamina, Promotes-virility, Stimulates-energy
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Ashwagandha Arishta

Ashwagandha Arishta has these Actions in Common
Muscle-tonic, Promotes-virility, Tonic, Blood-tonic, Builds-semen, Builds-stamina
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Oats, Fresh Milky Seed

Oats, Fresh Milky Seed has these Actions in Common
Promotes-virility, Tonic, Blood-tonic, Muscle-tonic, Nutritive, Promotes-fertility
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Sesame Oil - Metabolic Impact Report

The reports shared below are part of an educational assignment completed by students at the Joyful Belly College of Ayurveda & Greek Medicine. These represent subjective experiences intended to help students explore principles of Ayurveda through personal observation. In each report below, students ate the selected food for 3 days and self-reported these effects. See other food & herb reports at Joyful Belly.