Antinutritional Factors in Sesame Seeds

People have been eating sesamun indicum--sesame seeds--for centuries. Some records indicate that cooks used the seeds as a condiment as early as 1600 B.C. Sesame seeds are a good source of manganese, copper and dietary fiber and add a nutty taste and slight crunch to many dishes. Cooks often use them in traditional Asian and Middle Eastern cooking and baking. You can buy sesame seeds year-round.

Phytate

• Phytate is a plant's storage mechanism for phosphorus, and sesame seeds contain one of the highest levels found naturally in foods. Phytate is classified as an anti-nutritional factor due to its chelating abilities, which means that it binds easily to certain compounds, most often minerals. By binding to the minerals, the phytate forms chemical complexes which make the minerals inaccessible to the human body. The phytate in sesame seeds often binds essential dietary minerals such as calcium, iron and zinc.

Oxalate

• Sesame seeds contain about 1% to 2% oxalate, which is found largely in the hull portion of the seeds. Oxalate is also a chelating agent. However, the substances with which oxalate forms complexes are much more specific than those with which phytate forms complexes. The oxalate binds only to calcium ions, and this calcium chelation can often give sesame seeds a bitter taste.

Dietary Fiber

• Sesame seeds contain several different members of the fiber family that have beneficial human health implications, such as controlling cholesterol and blood sugar, and promoting bowel health. However, excess dietary fiber can also bind with other nutrients, limiting their availability inside the human body, which has the potential to create nutrient deficiencies.