Sprinkled on hamburger buns, bagels and cooked vegetables, sesame seeds add extra zest with their nutty flavor. Recent research has found, however, that there is much more to the humble sesame seed than just its good taste.
People have long believed sesame is good for one's health, but its beneficial effects were not scientifically proven until researchers finally began studying the seed in the 1980s. Since then, its hidden powers have gradually been revealed.
"Sesame is a great preventive medicine, because it contains substances called sesame lignans that work in the body as powerful antioxidants," says Toshihiko Osawa, a professor of agriculture at Nagoya University and a leading authority on sesame.