Find Nutritional Benefits in Tahini

Tuesday, June 09, 2009 by: Sheryl Walters
Tags: tahini, health news, Natural News

(NewsTarget) As far as health foods go there aren't many that are as versatile or that pack the same nutritional punch as tahini. Tahini is a thick paste made from ground up sesame seeds and is used predominantly in Middle Eastern dishes such as hummus. Because the seeds are ground in to a paste tahini is very easy to digest, and many of its nutrients find their way in to the blood stream within about half an hour of consumption.

Tahini's versatility has made it very popular all throughout the Middle East. In Turkey they mix tahini with pekmez, a jam like substance made from grapes, figs or mulberries. They usually prepare this mixture for breakfast, and it is especially popular during the winter time. In Iraq tahini is mixed with a date syrup and spread over bread as a sweet treat. But here in the west tahini is becoming ever more popular in pre packed sandwiches and as a substitute for peanut butter. But the best thing about tahini is its extremely high nutritional content.

Tahini contains B Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5 and B15. B Vitamins play an essential part in the running of the body. They promote healthy cell growth and division, including that of red blood cells, which will help prevent Anemia. They also support and increase the rate of metabolism, enhance immune and nervous system function as well as helping to maintain healthy skin and muscle tone. Recent studies have also shown that Vitamin B can help protect against one of the most deadly forms of cancer, pancreatic cancer, but only when consumed in food. It is because of this that you will now find tahini for sale in most health shops.

We all know that calcium is an essential mineral for forming and maintaining healthy bones. But recent studies have shown that there is more to calcium than meets the eye. "Our key finding is that higher total calcium intake is associated with a decreased risk of digestive system cancers," said Dr. Yikyung Park, a cancer epidemiologist at the National Cancer Institute. In fact the findings showed that high calcium intake was associated with a reduced overall cancer risk especially amongst women. The problem is that the majority of our calcium intake comes from cow's milk, which our body finds difficult to digest. This in turn can cause many problems ranging from intestinal irritation, intestinal bleeding, anemia, and allergic reactions, to more serious conditions like leukemia, lymphoma and cancer. This is where tahini can come in as just 35grms of tahini can contain almost 35% of your recommended daily calcium intake. In fact many people believe that tahini has a higher concentration of calcium than any other food.

So add a little tahini to your sandwiches to give your mouth a little extra flavor and your body that extra vitamin kick that will keep you happy and healthy.

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About the author

Sheryl is a kinesiologist, nutritionist and holistic practitioner.
Her website www.younglivingguide.com provides the latest research on preventing disease, looking naturally gorgeous, and feeling emotionally and physically fabulous. You can also find some of the most powerful super foods on the planet including raw chocolate, purple corn, and many others.