Are The Viral Health Claims True? Here’s The Science. : ScienceAlert

Black Sesame: The New Matcha? Experts Weigh In on the Viral Superfood Trend

In the ever-evolving world of viral food trends, black sesame has emerged as the latest plant-based sensation to captivate social media. With its striking dark hue and rich, nutty flavor, this ancient ingredient is being hailed as a potential health powerhouse. But is black sesame truly the new matcha, or is it just another fleeting trend? Let’s dive into the science and separate fact from fiction.

What is Black Sesame?

Black sesame seeds, derived from the Sesamum indicum plant, have been a staple in Asian cuisine for centuries. Unlike their white counterparts, black sesame seeds are darker due to their outer hull, which is left intact during processing. This hull is where many of the seed’s nutrients are concentrated, leading to claims that black sesame is nutritionally superior.

Nutritional Profile: Black vs. White Sesame

While both black and white sesame seeds are nutrient-dense, black sesame seeds boast higher levels of certain key nutrients. They contain more fat, protein, and carbohydrates, as well as elevated levels of vitamins and minerals like calcium, iron, and magnesium. However, the amounts of these nutrients are based on 100 grams of seeds—a quantity most people would struggle to consume daily.

Antioxidant Power: The Real Star of Black Sesame

One of the standout features of black sesame is its antioxidant content. These seeds are rich in lignans, a type of antioxidant that has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and cholesterol-lowering properties. Studies have also found higher levels of phenols, another group of antioxidants, in black sesame compared to white sesame.

But here’s the catch: while antioxidants are beneficial, consuming large amounts of black sesame doesn’t automatically translate to significant health benefits. The key is moderation and incorporating a variety of nutrient-rich foods into your diet.

Health Claims: What’s True and What’s Not?

Social media is abuzz with claims that black sesame can reduce blood sugar levels, lower the risk of heart disease, and even reverse gray hair. But how much of this is backed by science?

Blood Pressure and Cholesterol: A systematic review of six studies found that sesame seeds, in general, may help reduce BMI, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. However, the evidence was deemed low quality, and no definitive health recommendations could be made. Only one study specifically examined black sesame, showing a modest reduction in systolic blood pressure in individuals with prehypertension.

Gray Hair: Despite viral claims, there is no scientific evidence to support the idea that black sesame can reverse gray hair. Hair pigmentation is influenced by genetics and aging, and no food or supplement has been proven to alter this process.

Potential Risks: Allergies and More

While black sesame is generally safe for most people, it’s worth noting that sesame allergies are on the rise, affecting 0.1–0.9% of the global population. Symptoms can range from mild to severe, with anaphylaxis requiring immediate medical attention.

Should You Jump on the Black Sesame Bandwagon?

If you enjoy the taste and texture of black sesame, there’s no harm in incorporating it into your diet. Whether sprinkled on sushi, blended into smoothies, or used in baked goods, black sesame can be a delicious and nutritious addition to your meals. However, it’s not a magic bullet for health, and its benefits are best realized as part of a balanced diet.

The Bottom Line

Black sesame is a nutrient-rich ingredient with potential health benefits, but it’s not a cure-all. While it may not be the new matcha, it’s certainly a versatile and tasty option to explore. As with any trend, approach it with a healthy dose of skepticism and focus on overall dietary diversity for optimal health.

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gray hair, sesame seed hair pigmentation is influenced by genetics and aging and no food or supplement has been proven to alter this process, sesame seed potential risks allergies and more, sesame seed while black sesame is generally safe for most people it’s worth noting that sesame allergies are on the rise affecting 0 1 0 9 of the global population, sesame seed symptoms can range from mild to severe with anaphylaxis requiring immediate medical attention, sesame seed should you jump on the black sesame bandwagon, sesame seed if you enjoy the taste and texture of black sesame there’s no harm in incorporating it into your diet, sesame seed whether sprinkled on sushi blended into smoothies or used in baked goods black sesame can be a delicious and nutritious addition to your meals, sesame seed however it’s not a magic bullet for health and its benefits are best realized as part of a balanced diet, sesame seed the bottom line, sesame seed black sesame is a nutrient-rich ingredient with potential health benefits but it’s not a cure-all, sesame seed while it may not be the new matcha it’s certainly a versatile and tasty option to explore, sesame seed as with any trend approach it with a healthy dose of skepticism and focus on overall dietary diversity for optimal health, sesame seed related a daily sprinkle of cumin seeds can help lower cholesterol study finds, sesame seed and as for black sesame to reverse gray hair don’t count on it, sesame seed ensuring you have a wide and varied diet is the best way to ensure you get all the nutrients you need for optimal physical and mental health, sesame seed evangeline mantzioris program director of nutrition and food sciences accredited practising dietitian adelaide university, sesame seed this article is republished from the conversation under a creative commons license read the original article, sesame seed black sesame the new matcha experts weigh in on the viral superfood trend, sesame seed in the ever-evolving world of viral food trends black sesame has emerged as the latest plant-based sensation to captivate social media, sesame seed with its striking dark hue and rich nutty flavor this ancient ingredient is being hailed as a potential health powerhouse, sesame seed but is black sesame truly the new matcha or is it just another fleeting trend let’s dive into the science and separate fact from fiction, sesame seed what is black sesame what’s in it, sesame seed sesame seeds grow in white yellow and black varieties they’ve been used for centuries in traditional asian cuisine, sesame seed today they’re used in both savoury and sweet dishes and are a good source of protein due to sesame’s high fat content about 50–64 see table below it is also valued for its oil, sesame seed but there are differences between black and white sesame in some key nutrients, sesame seed black sesame has higher levels of fat protein and carbohydrate but is also higher in energy kilojoules vitamin and mineral levels are also generally higher in black sesame, sesame seed sesame seeds are clearly highly nutritious products but the amounts of nutrients in the table are for 100 grams which is about two-thirds of a metric cup most of us would find it hard to eat this every day, sesame seed typically sesame seeds are eaten as a garnish for stir-fries curries and bread in some cultures they are used more widely as a major ingredient in discretionary foods that also contain sugar and fat such as halva biscuits tahini paste and sesame seed bars, sesame seed sesame seeds also contain anti-nutrients these are natural compounds such as oxalic acid and phytic acid these bind to minerals iron calcium and zinc and reduce how much the body can absorb and use, sesame seed for most of us eating foods in normal quantities that contain oxalate and phytic acid is not a concern but if you have a known deficiency increasing your intake of sesame seeds is not a good idea if this applies to you it is worth discussing with an accredited practising dietitian, sesame seed what about antioxidants, sesame seed free radicals are formed naturally as byproducts of all our usual bodily processes such as breathing and moving as well as from uv ultraviolet light exposure smoking air pollutants and industrial chemicals these can damage our proteins cell membranes and dna, sesame seed sesame seeds contain antioxidants chemicals that mop up these free radicals so they cannot cause damage, sesame seed one study found higher levels of phenols a type of antioxidant in black sesame seeds compared to white ones, sesame seed black sesame also contains higher levels of lignans an important group of phenols than white sesame, sesame seed cell and animal studies have looked at sesamin the main type of lignan these demonstrate its antioxidant properties as well as cholesterol-lowering blood pressure-reducing and anti-tumour effects, sesame seed but higher antioxidant levels don’t always automatically translate into proven health benefits, sesame seed is black sesame healthy, sesame seed bmi blood pressure and cholesterol, sesame seed a systematic review which included the results of six studies with a total of 465 participants looked into the health benefits of sesame this included any type of sesame as either a seed oil or capsule, sesame seed the authors reported a statistically significant decrease in bmi body-mass index blood pressure and cholesterol sesame doses were 0 06–35 g/day over four to eight weeks, sesame seed but not all these studies compared it to a placebo were double-blinded when neither participants nor researchers know who is receiving a particular treatment or placebo and in some of the included studies medications were still being used, sesame seed because of this the authors said the evidence was of low quality and so they could not make any health recommendations, sesame seed only one study in the review looked at black sesame seed specifically this looked at the effect of taking 2 52g a day as capsules compared with a placebo for four weeks it showed a drop in systolic blood pressure the top number in your blood pressure reading from about 129 mmhg a measure of blood pressure to about 121 mmhg in people with prehypertension blood pressure slightly higher than normal, sesame seed gray hair, sesame seed i could find no scientific studies that have looked at black sesame seeds and hair colour, sesame seed similarly there is no current evidence that any specific food or supplement can reverse gray hair, sesame seed any risks, sesame seed yes about 0 1–0 9 of the population around the world has a sesame allergy a rate that appears to be rising, sesame seed like all food allergies the symptoms can be mild to severe an anaphylactic response requires emergency medical treatment, sesame seed so what should i do, sesame seed the rise of black sesame does present a new ingredient you can enjoy in your cooking if it doesn’t appeal regular sesame seeds are also an option, sesame seed given the small amounts we typically eat it won’t make an overall difference to your health if you prefer black or white sesame seeds, sesame seed and as for black sesame to reverse gray hair don’t count on it, sesame seed ensuring you have a wide and varied diet is the best way to ensure you get all the nutrients you need for optimal physical and mental health

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