Abyhanga with sesame oil – what the science says
Sesame oil is considered the Queen of oils in Ayurveda. Known for its many benefits for different systems in the body, it has been highly valued for thousands of years in India, China and other parts of Asia.
Now that we’ve entered the cool Vata season, it becomes clear why sesame oil is so special. Vata is the energy of mobility, managing all bodily movements (air moving through our respiratory system; food moving through and breaking down in our digestive system; electrical impulses jumping through our nervous system) as well as the movement of our thoughts. As Autumn time is heavily influenced by Vata, these qualities can become exaggerated in us. An excess of Vata can cause a state of depletion in the body. Physically, this can look like dryness (skin, hair, nails, colon), coldness, pain and nerve dysfunction. Mentally, this can lead to a flurry of thoughts and anxieties.
Ayurveda uses the concept of duality to explain that just as like increases like, opposites help balance the imbalanced. Sesame oil is just the remedy for easing Vata when used for Abyhanga (self-massage) regularly. It is heavy, heating, absorbs well, and rich in vitamins and minerals (vitamins A, B, E and K, iron, calcium), making it a nourishing oil. And modern research confirms this!
Calms the nervous system
Numerous studies show that sesame oil improves nerve function. We know that Vata is responsible for nerve conduction and so, when out of balance, this can lead to an increase in symptoms including pain, disjointed movements, spasms, and forgetfulness.
Its high antioxidant levels make it both anti-inflammatory and neuro-protective (Udomruk et al., 2018). Through their free radical scavenging activity, antioxidants found in sesame oil have shown to reverse neuro-inflammation in mice showing symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease (Mohamed et al., 2021), and protect oxygen-deprived brain cells from dying (Chien-Wei Hou et al., 2004).
As well as protecting our neurons, compounds from sesame also promote the growth of neurons and enhance synaptic connections which is necessary for transmission of information from one neuron to another (Udomruk et al. 2020). This is important for information processing, speech, and just about all physiological movements.
Sesame oil also acts on the autonomic nervous system to increase blood flow to skeletal muscle (Egawa et al., 2020). Increased blood flow to muscles reduces muscle fatigue. This is useful for Vata imbalance showing up as muscle cramps.
Relieves pain
Achey joints? Sesame reduces inflammatory markers that are often raised in patients with osteoarthritis (Haghighian et al., 2015) and reduces arthritic pain effectively when compared with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (Askari et al., 2019). In patients with upper and lower limb trauma, topical application of sesame oil reduced the sensation of pain and the need for analgesics (Bigdeli Shamloo et al., 2015). It has also been shown to improve nerve pain and recovery (Hsu et al., 2016).
Improves blood flow
Vata is also key in controlling our circulatory system and those with Vata imbalance tend to have poor circulation with cold peripheries. But, sesame oil improves endothelial (the lining of our vessels) function (Karatzi et al., 2013). The endothelium is vital for regulating blood flow (controls dilation and constriction of vessels) as well as being involved in the immune response and blood clotting.
Nourishes the skin
Excess Vata can lead to rough, dry and cracked skin. Having a high oleic acid (omega-9) content, makes sesame oil useful for these dry and itchy skin conditions. Its antibacterial properties used together with massage strokes also make it great for removing toxins from the skin, bringing a glow back to dull Vata-type skin imbalance.
Reduces stress
In times before, massage was part and parcel of regular self-care for all the reasons given above. Today, massage is generally seen as a luxury treatment but in an overstimulated world, we need it more now if just for its stress-reducing side-effect. Studies show that massage not only reduces stress as reported subjectively by people (Basler, 2011), but it measurably reduces levels of cortisol (stress hormones) while increasing levels of dopamine and serotonin (Field et al, 2004).
When not to perform a sesame oil Abyhanga
While I’ve just listed the benefits of sesame oil in massage, there will be circumstances where it’s not advised to use it. Even though sesame oil is a heavy oil, it is sharp in nature which makes it good for penetrating the skin, reaching the fat and muscle tissues below, and having a cleansing action. For this reason, it’s not advisable to use sesame oil for massage in the following cases:
- Pitta imbalance
- Pregnancy
- Toxin build-up (Ama)
We have only touched on the benefits of sesame oil in the context of massage, but it is such a versatile oil used in cooking, dental hygiene, nasya, blood glucose regulation and more.
For those with increased Vata, a regular sesame oil Abyhanga is one of the most grounding and calming things you can do for yourself. Ensure you are using a good quality, cold-pressed sesame seed oil. My favourites are:
Essential Ayurveda Cured Organic Sesame Oil
Mystic Moments Organic Sesame Carrier Oil
References:
Askari et al. (2019) The efficacy of topical sesame oil in patients with knee osteroarthritis:a randomised double-blinded active-controlled non-inferiority clinical trial. Complementary Therapies in medicine, 47
Aslam et al. (2019) White sesame oil mitigates blood glucose level, reduces oxidative stress and improves biomarkers of hepatic and renal functioni n participants with type 2 diabetes. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 38(3)
Basler (2011) Pilot study investigating the effects of Ayurvedic Abhyanga massage on subjective stress experience. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 17(5)
Bigdeli Shamloo et al. (2015) The effects of topical sesame on pain severity and amount of received non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs in patients with upper and lower extremities trauma. Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, 5(3)
Chien-Wei Hou et al. (2004) Protective effects of sesamin and sesamolin on murine BV-2 microglia cell line under hypoxia. Neuroscience Letters, 367(1)
Egawa et al. (2020) Sesame lignans increase sympathetic nerve activity and blood fow in rat skeletal muscle. Physiological research, 69(2)
Field et al., (2004) Cortisol decreases and serotonin and dopamine increase following massage therapy. International Journal of Neuroscience, 115(10)
Girme and Suryavanshi (2022) Role of sesame oil abhyanga in daily routine as a preventative measure in vatavydhi. International Journal of Ayurveda and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, 16
Haidari et al. (2016) Effects of sesame butter versus sesame oil on metabolic and oxidative stress markers in streptozotocin-indiced diabetic rats. Iranian Journal of Medical Sciences
Hsu et al. (206) Sesame oil improves functional recovery by attenuating nerve oxidative stress in a mouse model of acute peripheral nerve injury: role of Nrf-2. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 38
Highighian et al. (2015) Effects of sesame seed supplementation on inflammatory factors and oxidative stress biomarkers in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Acta Medica Iranica, 53(4)
Karatzi et al. (2013) Sesame oil consumption exerts a beneficial effect on endothelial function in hypertensive men. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 20(2)
Mohamed et al. (2021) Sesame oil mitigates memory impairment, oxidative stress and neurodegeneration in a rat model of Alzheimer's Disease. A pivotal role of NF-kB/p38MAPK/BDNF/PPAR-y pathways. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 267
Mokh et al. (2019) Sesame oil mitigates initiation stage of diethynitrosamine hepatocarcinogenesis in rats. Slovenian Veterinary Research, 56(22)
Udomruk et al (2020) Sesamin promotes neurite outgrowth under insufficient nerve growth factor condition in PC12 cells through ERK1/2 pathway and SIRT1 modulation. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2020
Udomruk et al. (2018) Sesamin suppresses LPS-induced microglial activation via regulation of TLR4 expression. Journal of Functional Foods, 49