Study: Sesame Seeds More Effective than Drugs in Treating Osteoarthritis
A recent human clinical study demonstrated sesame seeds were as good, or better than normal treatments using NSAID only (non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs) such as Tylenol or Ibuprofen in treating osteoarthritis.
The humans involved in the study all suffered from osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. This type of arthritis is the result of degenerated tissue in the joints that prevent bone against bone in any joint. Then where the joints join there is friction, damage, inflammation, limited movement, and pain.
This degenerative disease is more common among seniors. The usual treatments with NSAIDs, whether over the counter (OTC) or prescription, create side effects that can worsen overall health. So, it’s only natural that we should focus on natural herbal or food cures.
How the Study was Conducted
It was titled Effects of sesame seed supplementation on clinical signs and symptoms in patients with knee osteoarthritis published by the International Journal of Rheumatic Disease. It claimed to be the first human study of the effects of sesame seeds on osteoarthritis (OA).
Researchers at Iran’s Tabriz University of Medicine gathered 50 knee OA patients and separated them into two groups of 25. The control group was treated with conventional NSAID medicines only, while the other was treated with both conventional treatment and sesame seed powders.
The conventional group was given a 500 mg dose of Tylenol twice daily along with 500 mg of glucosamine once daily. The sesame group was given both this treatment plus 40 grams of sesame powder daily.
After two months of treating the two test groups, 22 patients in the group treated with sesame and 23 patients in the control group had satisfactorily completed the study.
Comparing before and after pain levels of all the study’s subjects showed a more significant decrease in pain among the group that added sesame to their treatment compared to the group treated conventionally only.
The average pain rating from both groups initially was 9.5. After treatments, the conventional only group’s pain rating was 7.
However, the sesame-added group realized an average rating of 3.5 after treatments, a very significant difference.
The researchers also observed increased mobility among those treated with sesame seeds using KOOS (Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score) surveys, which included pain assessments, and TUG (Timed Up and Go) testing as well. TUG testing is an actual physical test, not just a survey relying on the patients’ answers.
These improvements were obvious after two months with the human subjects with knee osteoarthritis, leading the researchers to conclude: “The present study showed a positive effect of sesame in improving clinical signs and symptoms in patients with knee OA [osteoarthritis] and indicated the fact that sesame might be a viable adjunctive therapy in treating OA.”
A Do It Yourself Approach for Improving Osteoarthritis
Sometimes doctors recommend ibuprofen as their choice NSAID, which can be just as dangerous as Tylenol’s acetaminophen, though differently. Acetaminophen can destroy the liver literally to death, while ibuprofen increases stroke potential 300 percent.
Non-prescription acetaminophen products account for more ER visits and deaths than other OTC painkillers, especially when used to address adverse effects from vaccinations.
Other anti-inflammatory painkillers, such as Cox-2 inhibitors like Viox, which was pulled off the market after thousands had died from heart failure, do increase the potential for heart attacks.
If possible, ditch the NSAIDs and Cox-2 inhibitor drugs. They should be eliminated completely from long term efforts to reduce osteoarthritis pain and increase ease of mobility. The longer they’re used, the more likely the odds their adverse effects will seriously affect you.
But the other “conventional” treatment that the study researchers used, glucosamine, is actually a safe natural supplement that has been used with some efficacy for treating osteoarthritis.
Glucosamine sulfate, which contains sulfur, is a safe supplement to use with sesame to enhance overall efficacy for osteoarthritic conditions. Its cartilage tissue rebuilding property leads to improved mobility with less inflammation. Glucosamine has the “side effect” of improving the gut microbiome balance as well.
The researchers in this study had only used 500 mg once daily. But most other holistic health practitioners recommend 1500 mg divided into three doses daily or, less ideally, all at once. It makes sense to add inexpensive glucosamine sulfate to a sesame seed healing protocol.
Tips for Consuming Sesame
Did you know that sesame consumption also lowers blood pressure? That’s a nice “side effect” with using sesame for osteoarthritis.
The researchers used sesame powder to enhance bio-availability with 40 grams daily. That’s a lot, around four tablespoons. Of course, it can be divided into four or fewer tablespoons daily and mixed with foods or liquids.
To make your own powder, use organic raw sesame seeds that haven’t been irradiated to “pasteurize” them by “nuking” nuts and seeds to kill bacteria while destroying the very nutrients needed for healing.
The preferred method of grinding hulled sesame seeds into powder is by mortar and pestle. If that’s too much to deal with, short burst spins in a small electric coffee grinder works.
“Sustained grinding in a spinning electric apparatus can alter the electrical energy of what’s ground, potentially compromising healing. When the grinding wheel rotates against a resistance with insufficient access of air, positive electricity is produced and induces negative electricity on the surrounding wall. The exchange of positive and negative ions kills the oxidizing enzymes and renders the juice deficient.” – Dr. Max Gerson, MD.
Another tasty way to consume sesame is with tahini, aka sesame butter. Make sure it’s organic as well. It should be made from raw hulled sesame seeds. Some tahini products are made with roasted sesame seeds to enhance flavor. But the emphasis should be on healing, not taste, for osteoarthritis.
Tahini can be used as a dip for raw celery or other edibles and added more heavily to hummus recipes than recommended.
Some people like to sprinkle sesame seed onto foods for flavor and health. Both adding tahini and topping foods with sesame seeds are pleasurable ways to ensure the OA treatment level for sesame consumption is adequate.
Some types of mild exercise should be added. Tai-Chi, Chi-Gong, and easy yoga postures are useful, non-impact forms of exercising to help healing. Avoid going beyond low pain levels.
Keep in mind the natural way is the slow sure way without complications. The short-cut rehabs that involve surgery and/or knee implants often take time to recover from while using opioid painkillers and don’t always turn out well.
Since not everyone has access to or time for class instructions with the exercises mentioned above, the demonstration video below offers some easy mild exercise tips for rehabilitating the knees, other joints, and feet.
yogaesoteric
June 19, 2019
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