The health benefits offered by sesame seeds are incredibly rich sources of many essential minerals. Calcium, iron, manganese, zinc, magnesium, selenium, and copper are especially concentrated in sesame seeds.

1. Health Benefits of Sesame Seeds for Kids - http://parentinghealthybabies.com/healthbenefits-of-sesame-seeds-for-kids/
The health benefits offered by sesame seeds include high supply of energy, good source of
calcium, unsaturated fats, offers liver protection, helps in healing wounds faster and has good
antioxidants.
Sesame is one of the oldest known sources of oil in the world. It has been cultivated about 3000
years ago in the tropics and desert regions in Middle Eastern Asia and adjoining Europe. There
are many relative species to sesame but the cultivated crop of which we know as sesame is
believed to have originated in India and spread to other parts of Asia. Sesame seeds are very
small with ovate shape. The color of the seeds
can range from gold, brown, red, gray and
black. The reason being sesame was and is
still popular for is its oil content. It has the
highest oil content for any known seed. The
name sesame comes from the Greek word
sesamon which is ultimately derived from the
Arabic word simsim.
The highest producers of sesame seeds is
Burma producing about 720,000 tons of
sesame seeds annually. The second largest
producer of sesame seeds is India, followed
by China, Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda, Nigeria,
Niger and Somalia. In the Americas, it is
mainly cultivated in South American countries
such as Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica,
Venezuela, Paraguay and Uruguay, etc.
Many cultures around the world have not only utilized sesame seeds but there is a cultural
significance with the use of sesame seeds as well. For example, in India, Hindus use black
sesame seeds in some religious rites. The phrase “Open Sesame” from the story Alibaba and
Forty Thieves from One Thousand and One Nights from Arabic literature is another example of
how sesame has had a cultural influence in ancient Arabia.
Nutrition found in Sesame Seeds
The nutrition found in sesame seeds include

2. Nutritional
Component
Energy
Sugars
Fat
Water
Iron
Phosphorous
Sodium
Vitamin A
Riboflavin
Vitamin B6
Value per 100 g
630 kcal
0.4 g
61 g
3.75 g
6 mg
667 mg
47 mg
2.5 IU
0.1 mg
0.2 mg
Nutritional
Component
Carbohydrates
Dietary fiber
Protein
Calcium
Magnesium
Potassium
Zinc
Thiamin
Niacin
Folate
Value per 100 g
11 g
11 g
20 g
60 mg
345 mg
370 mg
11 mg
0.2 mg
1.3 mg
27 mcg
Can Sesame seeds be given to my baby?
There are two reasons to avoid sesame seeds for babies. One reason is that sesame seeds are so
small that it would be difficult for your infant to have them. So, it is better to give sesame seeds
to teething toddlers. Kids with full teeth can chew sesame seeds. The other reason being, sesame
seeds can cause allergies and hence, it is recommended to keep away sesame seeds from your
baby until at least 1 year of age.
Health benefits of sesame seeds
Here are some of the health benefits of sesame seeds for your kids.
Very high energy: As mentioned in the above list of nutrition, sesame seeds have very high
amount of calories for their smaller structure. For a mere 100 g they possess about 573 calories,
which is a substantially high amount.
Good source of calcium: Sesame seeds with their husks not removed provide substantially high
amounts of calcium. For 100 g of sesame seeds, the amount of calcium supplied is 60 mg.
Including sesame seeds in your child’s diet will add an additional source of calcium for bone
development.
Best source of unsaturated fats: This is perhaps the most important point to discuss. Sesame
seeds are a high source of fats, most unsaturated fats. 61% of sesame seeds is composed of the
fats. These unsaturated fats are not only good for your growing child, but also a good alternative
of unsaturated fats for adults as well.
Supply of antioxidants: Sesame seeds are also a good source of antioxidants. The awareness
about antioxidants in foods is increasing these days due to the benefits provided by them. As free
radicals are produced in metabolism, they damage the surrounding cells and tissues. The only
way to counter them is by antioxidants. Most vegetarian foods are high in antioxidants and

3. sesame seeds are one of them. They help in controlling free radical damage to an extent. (Suja, et
al, 2004).
Liver protection: Sesame seeds are also good for protecting liver. Diseases to liver such as
jaundice and hepatitis can cause liver damage. This liver damage can be controlled by taking
sesame seeds. (Munish Kumar, et al, 2011).
Can help in healing wounds faster: Another benefit of sesame seeds is their ability to heal
wounds. Studies show that sesamol, an antioxidative component in sesame seeds helps in healing
wounds faster when compared to open wounds. (Shenoy, et al, 2011).
Measures to be taken while giving sesame seeds to your child
Here are some measures that can be taken while giving sesame seeds to your child.
Selecting sesame seeds: Sesame seeds come in a lot of varieties. Most of us buying sesame
seeds get from supermarkets where only husked and milled varieties are available. Instead, try to
buy un-milled or un-husked seeds from organic stores.
Can cause allergies: Sesame seeds have a high incidence of allergic reactions. Sesame seeds are
recognized as one of the ten foods to be careful with, the others being, peanuts, almonds, Brazil
nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macademia nuts, peacans, pine nuts, pistachio nuts and walnuts, milk,
eggs and seafood including fish, crustaceans and shellfish, soy, wheat and mustard.
How to know if the child is allergic: If the parents or the family from both parents has a history
of allergic reactions for any type of food, there is a chance that your child can also be allergic.
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