Witnessed by: TCM · Ayurveda · Western · Unani
Sesame (Sesamum indicum), of the Pedaliaceae family. Erect annual herb with foxglove-like flowers and capsules of flat oily seeds; native range: the Indian subcontinent and tropical Africa; among the most anciently cultivated of oilseeds. Globally recognized as tila in Sanskrit, til in Hindi, hei zhi ma (黑芝麻) in Chinese, simsim (سمسم) in Arabic, and black sesame, benne, gingelly in English. The part used is seed (and the expressed fixed oil, til taila). Small flattened seeds, black or cream, richly oily and nutty, sweet on the tongue with a faint bitterness in the black kind; the oil golden, bland and clinging.
In this cross-tradition database, we analyze how this substance operates across world medicine systems — tracking its traditional tastes, temperatures, tissue affinities, post-digestive effects, and planetary correspondences across Ayurveda, Unani, and Western herbalism.
SESAME
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- Sesame
- Scientific name
- Sesamum indicum L.
- Family
- Pedaliaceae
Form
- Part used
- seed (and the expressed fixed oil, til taila)
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- TCM
- sweet
- Ayurveda
- sweet (madhura) · bitter · astringent
- Western
- sweet · oily
- Unani
- sweet
Temperature
- TCM
- neutral
- Ayurveda
- heating (ushna)
- Western
- warm
- Unani
- hot & moist (1st degree)
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- TCM
- Liver · Kidney · Large Intestine
- Western
- digestion · skin · bowels
- Unani
- brain · stomach · liver
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- TCM
- tonifies the Liver and Kidney, nourishes the blood and essence (jing), moistens the intestines and benefits the hair
- Ayurveda
- vata-hara, balya (strengthening), rasayana, keshya (hair), dantya (teeth), snehana (oleating), asthi-poshaka (bone-building)
- Western
- nutritive, demulcent, emollient, mildly laxative
- Unani
- muqawwi-e-badan (general tonic), musmin (fattening), muqawwi-e-bah (aphrodisiac), mulaiyin (softening laxative)
Cautions
- Contraindications
- sesame is a significant allergen — avoid in sensitised persons; heavy oily doses aggravate high kapha, obesity and sluggish digestion
- Toxicity
- essentially non-toxic as a food; the chief hazard is IgE-mediated allergy, which can be severe
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