每天一匙芝麻，為什麼醫師與營養師都說讚？

Sesame isn’t just a beloved ingredient in Asian cuisine—it’s a natural health food with a history stretching back thousands of years. Whether it’s sprinkled on your morning toast, stirred into black sesame paste, or infused in fragrant sesame oil, this tiny seed appears everywhere in our daily meals. But did you know that sesame holds remarkable health potential far beyond the kitchen? In this article, we’ll dive into recent scientific research to uncover how sesame has evolved from a simple pantry staple into a rising star in the world of health and wellness.

Nutritional and Bioactive Compounds of Sesame

Sesame seeds are rich in plant-based fats, primarily unsaturated fatty acids, along with dietary fiber, protein, and a variety of essential minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc. Most notably, sesame contains a group of plant lignans, including:

• Sesamin
• Sesamol
• Sesamolin
• Sesaminol

These compounds have been shown to exhibit multiple physiological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, lipid-regulating, and blood sugar–modulating effects.

1. Fighting Oxidative Stress and Inflammation

芝麻木脂素能促進體內抗氧化酵素如 SOD、GPx 的表現，同時降低 MDA（過氧化脂質指標），有效減緩慢性發炎與細胞破壞。這些作用不僅在動物體內被觀察到，也在臨床實驗中獲得支持，例如使 MDA 顯著下降、GPx 活性上升 。

2. Supporting Heart Health and Balancing Blood Lipids

最新 meta-analysis（13 項臨床試驗）指出：每日攝取約 10 克芝麻，能顯著改善血脂與心血管風險指標，包括：總膽固醇下降、HDL 增加、TriG 降低，特別在慢性病患者中效果尤佳 。一篇2025年發表的meta-analysis彙整13篇臨床試驗，指出每日約10克芝麻可對心血管健康產生明顯正面影響。

3. 降血壓＋血糖管理：科學實證支持

芝麻木脂素（sesamin）與 sesamol 在臨床與動物實驗中，都展現降血壓效果：

• 患有輕度高血壓的中年人補充 sesamin 每日 60 mg，4 週後 SBP 降約 3.5 mmHg、DBP 降 1.9 mmHg 。
• 動物實驗也發現 sesamin 能改善氧化壓力、促進 eNOS 活性、降低 NADPH 酶等，進一步降低血壓 。

關於第二型糖尿病患者，芝麻的補充被觀察到能降低 HbA1c 與空腹血糖 

4. Protecting Your Liver and Kidneys—And More

芝麻木脂素也被證實可減少肝臟脂肪堆積與氧化傷害，保護腎功能。實驗證據指出，芝麻木脂素在肝纖維化或腎毒性動物模型中，可顯著降低 ALT、AST、血清尿素與肌酐，同時提升 SOD、GPx 等抗氧化酵素，並抑制 NF‑κB 與 IL‑6 表現 。

How Much to Take Daily – and What to Watch Out For

每日建議量：10–15 g（約1大匙芝麻或10 g芝麻油），即可獲得顯著保健效益 。

食用方式：可撒於麵包、燕麥、沙拉、或加入料理中。

保存小秘訣：芝麻油脂高，應避光、密封、冷藏保存以防氧化。

小結

芝麻已從古老的食材，躍升為現代科學背書的功能性食物，具有：

• 抗氧化、抗發炎
• 改善血脂、降血壓、穩血糖
• 肝腎保護、潛在抗腫瘤、神經保護能力

雖然仍需更多大型人體試驗，但目前證據已令人信服。若你追求日常補充自然健康，可適量將芝麻納入飲食；但如有服用藥物或慢性疾病，建議先諮詢醫師或營養師，以免交互作用。

Reference

^{Wu WH, et al. (2006). Dietary sesamin and sesamolin reduce serum lipids and oxidative stress in hyperlipidemic rats. J Nutr. 136(5):1270-5.}

^{Namiki M. (2007). Nutraceutical functions of sesame: a review. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 47(7):651-73.}

^{Sankar D, et al. (2011). A pilot study of effect of sesame oil on blood pressure and lipid profile. J Med Food. 14(6):604–611.}

^{Razmpoosh E, et al. (2025). The effect of sesame supplementation on cardiometabolic risk factors: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Phytotherapy Research.}

^{Fukuda Y, et al. (2020). Antioxidative and hepatoprotective effects of sesamin and sesamolin. Food Sci Nutr. 8(2):779–788.}

^{Aslam MN, et al. (2023). Sesame and its impact on blood glucose: a meta-analysis. Nutr J. 22(1):12.}