The truth about tahini: Experts reveal why we should all be eating more of the Middle Eastern wonder ingredient… and not just in hummus
Tahini is mostly known as being the key to making a perfect, creamy hummus – but it also shines as a standalone ingredient.
The smooth beige paste – made by crushing toasted sesame seeds – is a staple found in pantries across the world, and it is as nutritious as it is delicious.
This is because it has the same nutritional profile as sesame seeds, which despite their tiny size are packed with fibre and are surprisingly high in protein.
Sesame seeds also contain B vitamins and many of the minerals that the body needs to perform basic functions.
Studies have also found a link between regularly eating sesame seeds and lower cholesterol.
‘Tahini is a really simple, nutrient–dense food, but it’s real power lies in its versatility – it’s just as delicious in savoury or sweet dishes,’ Registered Nutritionist Sophie Gastman tells the Daily Mail.
‘It’s a very useful cupboard staple which can add an extra boost to your diet.’
With that in mind, we delve deeper and find out how a daily serving of tahini can benefit your health – unless you have a sesame seed allergy…
Tahini is made from grinding toasted sesame seeds until it forms a smooth paste
It’s packed full of essential vitamins and healthy fats
When you consider its humble origins, it’s somewhat surprising to discover that a daily serving of tahini can up your fibre and protein uptake, and simultaneously deliver a decent dose of essential minerals and vitamins.
‘Sesame seeds are really good source of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc,’ says Ms Gastman, author of Find Your Healthy.
‘And because of how they are ground to make tahini, all of those nutrients become much easier for the body to absorb.’
Calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc are all essential minerals, meaning the body needs them for basic functions but is unable to produce them – they need to be ingested.
They are necessary for multiple processes, from maintaining bone health to controlling blood pressure levels.
Calcium helps keep bones and teeth strong and supports muscles and nerves; magnesium helps with energy, muscle and nerve function, sleep, blood pressure and blood sugar.
Copper, which we only need in trace amounts, helps make red blood cells and supports immunity, connective sinewy tissue and nerves.
Iron carries oxygen around the body and helps prevent tiredness and weakness; and zinc supports the immune system, and is needed for wound healing, skin health, fertility, taste and smell, and cell repair.
Tahini is also high in B vitamins, particularly thiamin (B1), which supports nerve function and helps the body turn carbohydrates into energy, and niacin (B3), which helps maintain healthy skin, digestion and nervous system function.
Sesame seeds are harvested from the sesamum indicum plant
It also contains folate (B9), which is needed for DNA production and red blood cell formation, and smaller amounts of riboflavin (B2), which supports energy production and fat metabolism. You’ll also find Vitamin B6, which plays a role in protein metabolism and immunity.
Can tahini help lower cholesterol?
It’s imperative to remember that tahini is as dense in calories and fat as it is in vitamins.
A serving of one 15g tablespoon of tahini contains around 90 calories, with the daily recommended two spoonfuls – or a maximum of 40g – coming in at just under 200 calories.
A tablespoon of tahini also contains around 8g of fat, most of which comes from healthier polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Only a smaller amount, about 1g, is saturated fat.
Tahini contains phytosterols, natural compounds which can stop cholesterol being absorbed during digestion. That means less cholesterol gets into your bloodstream, and more of it passes out of your body naturally.
It also contains lignans, natural plant compounds found in sesame seeds that act like antioxidants and may also influence how the body handles cholesterol.
Together, these compounds may help support a healthier cholesterol profile by reducing how much cholesterol is absorbed in the gut and by replacing less healthy fats in the diet.
Some small clinical trials suggest that eating around 40g of tahini or sesame seeds daily may lower LDL ‘bad’ cholesterol by roughly nine to ten per cent over four to eight weeks, although the evidence is still mixed.
‘Most of the potential health benefits that we have seen in the research comes from regular intake rather than occasional use,’ says Ms Gastman, adding that people should aim to have a tablespoon of tahini or sesame seeds every day.
What’s the best way to add it to my diet?
We have been eating sesame seeds for centuries – fun fact, it is the oldest oilseed crop known to humanity – and during that time we’ve found countless ways to prepare and eat them.
There are two types of tahini, light and dark, depending on whether the seeds were hulled before they were blended.
‘Light tahini is made from the hulled sesame seeds, so it’s a bit milder and smoother and the darker ones tend to be a bit a more earthy and bitter as they’ve used the entire kernel including the husk,’ says Ms Gastman, adding that the nutritional differences are minor.
‘Because the black sesame seeds are unhulled they will contain slightly higher levels of certain antioxidants – because of that darker pigment in the husk – and slightly more calcium.’
She suggests blending tahini with lemon juice, garlic, and a bit of water to make a really quick dressing, which can be drizzled on everything from roasted vegetables to salads and grain bowls.
‘If you make it a bit thicker, you can have it instead of hummus,’ she says. ‘Whip it up and serve with crudités.
‘Or you can stir it into your yogurt at breakfast, or mix with chilli oil and a little rice wine vinegar to make a delicious sauce for noodles.
‘Tahini is not a miracle food, but if adding a drizzle to a meal helps you have something a bit more flavourful and satisfying, I think that’s a great win.’
