One of the healthiest oils loaded with essential nutrients, sesame oil is an important ingredient in Ayurvedic medicines. Over 90 per cent of Ayurvedic treatments use sesame oil as the base product. The oil has nourishing, calming and warming nature, which makes it ideal for massage.
Ayurveda values sesame oil for its medicinal properties. It is good for the skin and penetrates deep into the skin to provide nourishment and helps relieve stress. It is also good for the hair.
From an Ayurvedic perspective, sesame seed is sweet, pungent, astringent, and bitter. Sesame oil is also used as an ingredient in many herbal jams like Kalyanagulam, Ayurvedic medicine for skin, liver and digestive conditions. The oil aggravates Pitta and balances Vata. The heating nature of sesame is also good for Kapha, but in cases of excess Kapha, it proves heavy.
Ayurveda suggests using sesame seeds in multiple ways to reap its health benefits. You can either eat the seeds or can use its oil to massage. Both ways it is beneficial.
Sesame oil can penetrate all seven layers of the skin and can show amazing results. Ayurveda recommends massage with sesame oil for the following reasons:
Bolsters your ability to handle stress
Promotes physical strength
Nourishes muscles and bones
Supports comfortable joint movement
Promotes sound sleep patterns
Supports the intellect and nervous system
Nourishes skin and hair
Benefits of sesame oil
Sesame oil supports numerous healthy systems in the body such as the nervous system, bones and muscles, skin and hair, the digestive tract including the colon, and the male and female reproductive system.
Sesame oil is good for head massage. Regular use will keep the headache at bay. It also helps in baldness, greying of hair, and hair fall. The oil leads to sound sleep. Massaging the scalp and soles of the feet with sesame oil before bedtime promotes healthy sleep patterns.
Sesame seeds are loaded with vitamins and minerals. They are rich in copper, zinc, magnesium, iron and calcium. Though sesame seeds contain more nutrient than the oil, as nutrients get lost during processing, still they retain many medicinal properties. As sesame oil is loaded with zinc and copper, it helps in the production of red blood cells, blood circulation and metabolism. Copper has anti-inflammatory properties, and helps reduce arthritis pain, swelling of joints and strengthens the bones. Ayurveda recommends sesame oil to treat weak bones. About 30 grams of sesame seeds contain 22 per cent of the recommended dietary intake (RDI) of calcium.
Ayurveda values sesame oil because of its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Sesame oil contains a chemical compound called lignans, which has unique chemical and physiological properties. A powerful antioxidant, sesame oil also contains the powerful antioxidant—Vitamin E. Due to these properties, it is commonly used in beauty treatments for the skin because it is an excellent moisturizer, promotes regeneration of healthy skin, and has anti-aging properties. It is also a natural SPF.
Sesame oil contains two unique chemicals called sesamol and sesamin. They are very powerful antioxidants. Sesame oil lowers blood pressure, decreases lipid peroxidation, and increases antioxidant status in hypertensive patients.
Sesame oil contains an amino acid called tyrosine, which is helpful in serotonin activity. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that impacts our mood. An imbalance of it leads to depression and stress.
The ancient Ayurvedic technique of oil pulling promotes oral health and removes plaque. Take a tablespoon of oil on an empty stomach and swished around in the mouth for 20 minutes and then spat out. It will remove toxins from the body. The oil mixes with your saliva to make a yellowish mixture in your mouth. After spitting out, rinse your mouth with warm water.
