Medicinal Values of Sesame Seeds.

Page 7.
Article: Lucy Adoma Yeboah
ALL of a sudden, sesame seeds have become popular on the streets of Accra and are being displayed everywhere. Hawkers, mostly young women, are seen on the streets and in the communities carrying trays full of sesame seeds in sachet bags for sale. While some are roasted and neatly packed for sale, others are in powdered form. For those who have never purchased any and want to do that now, the minimum amount one can buy a sachet of sesame seeds is GH¢1 (¢10,000).
Sesame, which some few months ago was not common in the southern part of the country, is commonly used by those living in the three northern regions.
In case one does not know what I am referring to, sesame seeds are those little grainy seeds, bagged in sachet and are carried by hawkers along our streets. Sesame are crispy little seeds with a nutty flavour. Elsewhere, sesame seeds are mostly used in savoury dishes or desserts, and are often sprinkled on baked foods.
Ignorantly, some Ghanaians refer to them as mustard seeds, that wonderful seeds Christ mentioned whiles talking about faith in the Bible. The seeds are known as bungu in Dagbani and it is used in preparing tubani, a special meal wrapped in green leaves and eaten with seasoned powered pepper.
Various information on the subject gathered on the Internet revealed that Sesame (Sesamum indicum) is a flowering plant in the genus Sesamum. The precise natural origin of the species is unknown, although numerous wild species occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalised in tropical regions around the world and is cultivated for its edible seeds.
It is an annual plant which grows to 50 to 100 cm (2-3 feet) tall, with opposite leaves 4 to 14 cm (5.5 inches) long with an entire margin; they are broad lanceolate, to 5 cm (2 in) broad, at the base of the plant, narrowing to just 1 cm (half an inch) broad on the flowering stem. The flowers are white to purple, tubular, 3 to 5 cm (1 to 2 inch) long, with a four-lobed mouth.
The information has it that in spite the fact that the majority of the wild species of the Sesame plants are native to sub-Saharan Africa, it is also argued that the plant was first domesticated in India.
The word sesame is from Latin Sesamum, borrowed from the Greek word sámon "seed or fruit of the sesame plant".
Mythological background
According to Assyrian legend, when the gods met to create the world, they drank wine made from sesame seeds. In early Hindu legends, tales are told in which sesame seeds represent a symbol of immortality. "Open sesame", the famous phrase from the Arabian Nights, reflects the distinguishing feature of the sesame seed pod, which bursts open when it reaches maturity.
Uses and nutrition
Sesame is grown primarily for its oil-rich seeds, which come in a variety of colours, from cream-white to charcoal-black. The small sesame seed is used whole in cooking for its rich nutty flavour, although it is said that such heating damages their healthful poly-unsaturated fats, and also yields sesame oil. Sesame seeds are sometimes added to breads and the tops of hamburger buns. Sesame seeds may be baked into crackers, often in the form of sticks.
Ground and processed, the seeds can also be used in sweet confections and also for porridge (koko) in Ghana.
In Greece the seeds are used in cakes, while in Togo, the seeds are a main soup ingredient. The seeds are also used on bread and then eaten in Sicily. About one-third of the sesame crop imported by the United States from Mexico is purchased by McDonald's for their sesame seed buns.
Japanese cuisine uses sesame seeds in many ways. One is to make a meal called goma-dofu, which is made from sesame paste and starch. Whole seeds are found in many salads and baked snacks as well. Chefs in Japanese restaurants blend sesame and cottonseed oil for deep-frying. Tan and black sesame seed varieties are roasted and used for making the flavouring gomashio, a Japanese delicacy.
East Asian cuisine, like Chinese cuisine, uses sesame seeds and oil in some dishes, such as the dim sum dish, sesame seed balls and the Vietnamese special food called bánh rán.
Sesame flavour (through oil and roasted or raw seeds) is also very popular in Korean cuisine, used to season meat and vegetables.
Sesame oil was the preferred cooking oil in India until the advent of groundnut (peanut) oil.
The seeds are rich in manganese, copper, and calcium (90 mg per tablespoon for unhulled seeds, 10 mg for hulled), and contain Vitamin B1 (thiamine) and Vitamin E (tocopherol). They contain powerful antioxidants called lignans, which are also anti-carcinogenic, and, therefore, prevents cancer. They also contain phytosterols, which block cholesterol production. Sesame contains one lignan which is unique to it called sesamin.
It will interest you to know that the nutrients of sesame seeds are better absorbed if they are ground or pulverised before consumption. That might explain why some Ghanaian sellers have started to sell the powered form.
The above benefits of sesame seem to have been known from historical times. Apparently the women of ancient Babylon would eat halva, a mixture of honey and sesame seeds which is now known as Sesameal, to prolong their youth and beauty, while Roman soldiers ate sesame seeds and honey to give them strength and energy.
In general, the paler varieties of sesame seem to be more valued in the West and Middle East, while the black varieties are prized in the Far East.
Sesame oil is used for massage and health treatments of the body in the ancient Indian ayurvedic system with the types of massage called abhyanga and shirodhara.
Sesame output in 2005
Sesame is grown in many parts of the world on over 5 million acres of land. The biggest area of production is currently believed to be India, but the crop is also grown in China, Burma, Sudan and Ethiopia. US commercial production reportedly began in the 1950s. Areas in the U.S., primarily in Texas and south-western states, has ranged from 10,000 to 20,000 acres in recent years; however, the U.S. imports more sesame than it grows.
Now the little research I made revealed that the plants are abound in the northern part of the country.
Whiles some of us are currently learning to make use of the seeds, I was told that they had been in use in the three northern regions for ages to treat variety of ailments including insomnia (sleeplessness), bodily pains and poor eyesight.
In addition to using the sesame seeds for our health benefits, can we also look at producing them in large quantities, since there is a market in the U.S and other parts of the world for them.