Sesame and blood fats across ten trials in people
What it found
Eating sesame lowered one type of blood fat called triglycerides in people.
It made no clear difference to total, LDL or HDL cholesterol.
What they found
Studies in people
Triglycerides went down
People who consumed sesame had lower triglyceride levels compared with control groups. The drop was larger when sesame oil was used instead of whole or ground seeds.
Total cholesterol unchanged
Sesame did not change total cholesterol levels in the blood. This held true whether people took it as oil or as seeds.
LDL cholesterol unchanged
Levels of LDL cholesterol stayed about the same after eating sesame. Neither the form of sesame nor the length of the trial changed this result.
HDL cholesterol unchanged
Sesame made no meaningful difference to HDL cholesterol levels in any of the trials.
Body weight mostly stable
Three trials reported weight loss after eating sesame, while one reported weight gain. The rest saw no significant changes in body weight.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that eating sesame can lower blood triglyceride levels in people.
- They say there is not enough evidence to show that sesame lowers cholesterol.
- They call for more research to find out if higher amounts or longer use might affect cholesterol and heart risk.
How it was done
High blood fats raise the risk of heart disease and stroke. Sesame contains vitamin E, fibre and plant compounds thought to lower these fats, but past studies in people gave mixed results.
The authors gathered ten controlled trials involving 908 adults who ate sesame seeds, powder or oil for 4 to 10 weeks. They combined the results to see how sesame changed different types of blood fats.
What it can’t tell you
- These trials lasted between 4 and 10 weeks, so they cannot show what happens over years of eating sesame.
- The trials used very different amounts and forms of sesame, making it hard to know exactly how much a shopper would need.
- Because most trials did not track everything else participants ate, other diet changes might have influenced the results.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Griffith University, Australia
The paper
- Title
- Sesame fractions and lipid profiles: a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials
- Type
- Systematic review and meta-analysisThe authors follow a set, published method to find every relevant study, then combine the numbers from them into one result.
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Khalesi S, Paukste E, Nikbakht E, Khosravi-Boroujeni H (2016). Sesame fractions and lipid profiles: a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials. The British journal of nutrition. doi:10.1017/S0007114515005012Free full textPubMed 26758593DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error