The Mysteries of Sesame Seeds as a Constipation Remedy
A lot of Chinese remedies would recommend black sesame seeds as a constipation remedy. Consider a question from a sixty something male: " Habitual constipation. Bowel movements every three to four days. Stools the size of goat pellets. Always dizzy, unable to sleep. Sometimes nauseous. What kind of problem is this? How to treat it?" The prescription for him is a combination of twelve types of herbs. One of which is black sesame seeds. The patient is instructed to take at least twenty doses to see improvement in his bowel movements. There are quite a few scientific tests conducted mainly in the Chinese world to prove that sesame is good for constipation. For example, the Angelica drink made of honey and sesame effectively prevents constipation better in a group of elderly patients with fracture in the lower extremities. Sesame oil is also found to be safe and effective in treating partial adhesive small bowel obstruction. A more careful person would question the difference between cooked and raw sesame seeds. It is believed toasting destroys the nutrients and therefore it is more beneficial to take sesame seeds raw. For instance, macrobiotic way of relieving constipation is to take raw sesame oil with freshly grated ginger and tamari. Apparently, heat does not affect much of sesame's protein and essential amino acids. I could not find answers to the effect of heat on the oils though. What I could gather is there are at least two mysterious compounds in the sesame oil namely: sesamin and sesamolin. Sesamin and sesamolin are unique because they are found only in sesame oil and not in other oils. Sesamin and sesamolin are only a small part of sesame oil both about 0.5 %. Their nutritional significance is unclear though sesamol is believed to be partially responsible for the resistance of sesame oil to oxidation. Another uniqueness of sesame is its phytic acid level which is among the highest in nature. In the gut, phytic acid forms insoluble salts with minerals such as calcium ( hey I need lots of calcium ), iron and zinc. Theoretically, then this could reduce the body's chances to absorb these minerals. But in reality, I wouldn't worry about sesame reducing my calcium absorption. I have to be totally nuts to eat that much sesame to the point of blocking my mineral absorption. Besides, Mother Nature has thoughtfully designed sesame in such a tiny size. Just enough to give us constipated souls another flavour while gently discouraging overdose. Because, too much sesame could cause lead poisoning. To reach the danger level it's more than 200g per day. For now, we have not solve the question of whether raw or cooked sesame is better for constipation. Yet, there is another question that needs an answer: white or black sesame? I really have no idea why Chinese prefer black to white. But I would say black is a better choice for $ reasons. White sesame is more expensive due to the fact that bakers and confectioners think they look nicer on their fancy breads. So for the humble job of greasing our clogged guts, the not so fancy looking black seeds would do. LOL I was quite surprised to learn that the demand for sesame is frequently more than the production. That means sesame is a precious food and preparing for this article has helped me to appreciate my mochis more than ever.
References 1. 腦神經衰弱 By Yinghua Xie, Guixiong Yang 2. Handbook of herbs and spices, Volume 2 By K. V. Peter
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