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Wonderful Benefits of Sesame Oil

Pragya T
Sesame oil or til oil has many benefits and is a great alternative medicine. It is considered to be very effective for lowering blood pressure levels and is used for skin and hair care.
The most common use of sesame oil is for cooking. It is commonly used as cooking oil in South India, however in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean cuisine it is used to add a subtle flavor to various dishes.
Light sesame oil is used for deep-frying, and dark sesame oil which is prepared from roasted sesame seeds, is used for stir-frying. It is used to make pickles and refined sesame oil is used to make margarine.

Nutritional Value of Sesame Oil

Sesame oil contains many nutrients, which promote good health. Two of its most important nutrients are vitamin E (an antioxidant) and polyunsaturated fats.
Given here, is the nutritional value of sesame oil.

Vitamin E :- 4%
Vitamin K :- 22%
Total Fat :- 153%
Saturated Fat :- 71%

Sesame Oil Health Benefits
There are multiple uses and benefits of this oil. It is mostly used for cooking, but apart from that it is used for skin care, hair care, etc. Sesame oil is also used in many Ayurvedic medicines, for treating various ailments.

Benefits for Skin

Sesame oil gets absorbed by the skin easily and is used for body massage. It is an anti-oxidant, and helps to neutralize the oxygen radicals beneath the skin tissue. This oil for skin is used to soothe sunburns.
It is anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-inflammatory. It is used to treat fungal diseases, like athletes foot. It is used as a douche with warm water, to treat vaginal infections of yeast.

Hair Benefits

Sesame oil is used for massaging the scalp like other hair oils. Using it for hair regularly helps to darken the color of the hair. This oil is considered to reduce hair fall and body's heat. It is used to treat dry dandruff, and for killing the dandruff causing bacteria.

Blood Pressure

This oil contains, vitamin E which is an excellent antioxidant. This antioxidant helps for lowering high blood pressure and maintaining low cholesterol levels.
It is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 essential fatty acids), but amazingly this acids are kept at a room temperature in this oil. This happens because sesame oil contains natural preservatives, which are sesamol and sesamin.
Due to high amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids, this oil can help to control the blood pressure. For people suffering from high cholesterol levels, this oil is a good cooking oil choice.

Oil Pulling

The method of oil pulling is used in ayurveda. Very few oils are recommended for oil pulling, and sesame oil is one of them. Oil pulling is a process, where the oil is used to swish in the mouth. This process is considered to help maintain oral and body health.
Oil pulling is also used for reducing the enamel wear from the stomach acid which happens in hangover and bulimic conditions.

Nutrient Benefits

The mineral zinc in sesame oil, promotes healthy bones. This oil contains copper which helps in rheumatoid arthritis relief. Calcium mineral in this oil, helps in the prevention of many health problems, like migraine, PMS, osteoporosis, and colon cancer. Magnesium content in this oil, helps to maintain respiratory and vascular health.

Infant Health

Sesame oil is used to give massage to infants. Many believe that it helps to calm babies, thus relaxing them into sleep.
Massaging infants with this oil also improves the nervous system and stimulates the growth of brain. A small study showed that massaging infants with sesame oil helps to grow them faster compared to other oils.

Therapeutic Benefits

Sesame oil is anti-oxidant and anti-depressant, which is why it helps in well-being. So, this oil is used for relieving tension and depression. It is also used to treat constipation and to improve dental health.
There are many studies claiming the health benefits of this oil. You can find such studies data online. Though, there are many benefits of this oil, there are many ways to use it too.
Make sure you use the right amount of the oil and use it the right way which can be orally or topically. In case, you are not sure about the amount of oil you need to use, consult a health expert.