Sesame oil contains omega-6 fatty acids, polyunsaturated oils that can be substituted for cooking oils to relieve hypertension in cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Although sesame oil is effective in lowering high blood pressure, you should consult a physician before drastically altering your dietary intake to combat conditions such as hypertension.
Sesamin
Sesamin is an estrogen-like constituent of sesame oil that lowers blood pressure through the modulation of vascular tone, according to a study in the July 2006 issue of the "Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapy." To investigate the antioxidative and antihypertensive effects of sesame oil, researchers analyzed four metabolites of sesamin, using rats. The study found that the metabolites exhibited the ability to relax the endothelial lining of blood vessels. The study concluded that sesamin metabolites effectively enhanced an endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation mechanism to alleviate hypertension in the animal models.
Hypertension
An article published in the September 2006 issue of the "Journal of Medicinal Food" investigated the effects of sesame oil in hypertensive female diabetic patients using beta-blockers, a class of drugs for controlling hypertension and heart disease. The researchers recruited 22 patients between the ages of 45 and 65 years with mild to moderate hypertension. The participants were instructed to use sesame oil in place of other cooking oils for 45 days. Before and after the trail period, blood pressure and other parameters were measured. The study found sesame oil significantly decreased systolic and diastolic blood pressures. The authors concluded that sesame oil effectively lowers blood pressure and plasma glucose levels in hypertensive diabetics.
With Diabetic Medication
A study in the June 2011 issue of "Clinical Nutrition" evaluated the effectiveness of sesame oil in conjunction with diabetic medication in a combined treatment to lower blood pressure in diabetic patients. The researchers divided 60 patients into three groups: 18 were instructed to use up to 35 g of sesame oil per day for cooking; 20 were placed on diabetic medication; and 22 received both. After 60 days of treatment, blood samples and blood pressures were compared to baseline values obtained at the beginning of the trial. The study found that the combination of sesame oil and antihypertensive medication effectively lowered blood pressure and other indicators of type 2 diabetes.
Edible Oils
An article in the May 2005 issue of the "International Journal of Clinical Chemistry" determined the effects of several edible oils on blood pressure and lipid profiles in hypertensive patients prescribed calcium-channel blockers to decrease blood pressure. The researchers divided 530 patients taking medication into three groups: 356 received sesame oil; 87 were given sunflower oil; 47 used groundnut oil, and 40 received only the calcium-channel blocker as a control group. After 60 days, the study found that each of the oils significantly reduced blood pressure in conjunction with the calcium-channel blocker; however, sesame oil offered the best protection against elevated blood pressure.
References
- "International Journal of Clinical Chemistry"; Modulation of Blood Pressure, Lipid Profiles and Redox Status in Hypertensive Patients Taking Different Edible Oils; D. Sankar, et al.; May 2005
- "Journal of Medicinal Food"; A Pilot Study of Open Label Sesame Oil in Hypertensive Diabetics; D. Sankar, et al.; September 2006
- "Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapy"; Sesamin Metabolites Induce an Endothelial Nitric Oxide-Dependent Vasorelaxation through Their Antioxidative Property-Independent Mechanisms: Possible Involvement of the Metabolites in the Antihypertensive Effect of Sesamin; D. Nakano, et al.; July 2006
- "Clinical Nutrition"; Sesame Oil Exhibits Synergistic Effect with Anti-Diabetic Medication in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus; D. Sankar, et al.; June 2011
