Historically, sesame was cultivated more than 5000 years ago as a drought-tolerant crop and was able to grow where other crops failed. Sesame seeds were one of the first crops processed for oil as well as one of the earliest condiments. Sesame was cultivated during the Indus Valley Civilisation and was the main oil crop.  It was probably exported to Mesopotamia around 2500 BC.

Gingelly oil is also popularly known as Sesame oil. The meaning of Gingelly oil in Tamil is Nallennai. Synonym of Nallennai is El ennai. In Tamil, El refers to sesame seeds and hence the oil is also known as El ennai. The definition of Gingelly oil is 'the vegetable oil obtained from sesame seeds and popularly used in Asian countries.

1. Helps in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Copper is essential for building red blood cells, making connective tissue and keeping nerves and blood vessels healthy. Copper is also an anti-inflammatory mineral. Therefore, it is said to have positive effects on relieving arthritic pain. A cup (144 g) of sesame seeds contains about 5.9 mg copper (294% of the daily value). Calcium, magnesium, and zinc present in sesame seeds also aid in strengthening bones, joints, and blood vessels.

2. Fight of free radicals

The food we eat, the alcohol we consume, and the environments we live in generate free radicals. They, in turn, damage DNA, cells and proteins and may lead to various diseases including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s and cancer. Emerging pieces of evidence suggest that sesame oil is a powerhouse of antioxidants especially, sesamol.
So, it’s important that you should eat a diet containing sesame seeds and sesame oil.

3. Sesame oil is good for your hair

Sure, it requires a ‘little getting used to’, once you start incorporating sesame oil into your hair care routine, you will learn that it is a blessing. The highly nutritious and lubricating sesame oil is full of vitamins B and E, magnesium, calcium, and phosphorous – all essential for nourishing your scalp and hair. Massaging the oil into roots and scalp to keep your locks shiny and full. It also effectively hydrates the dry scalp, prevent hair loss, and relieve from itchiness or dandruff. Sesame oil can darken the hair and prevent premature graying as well. Use it regularly to keep your hair dark and healthy.

4. Sesame oil pulling improves oral health

Our ancestors didn’t have Oral B or Colgate to brush their teeth, so they used oil pulling for removing plaque and maintaining oral health. Swishing a tablespoon of sesame oil for up to 15 minutes is an ancient Ayurvedic practice to reduce the growth of Streptococcus mutans in the mouth. This might be due to sesame oil’s antibacterial properties.

5. Helps with bowel movements

Constipation is a common problem, affecting all of us from time to time. If the underlying reason is simple, for instance, you fall off the water and fiber content it can be treated using sesame oil. The oil extracted from the black sesame seed lubricates intestine and ease bowel movements. Don’t like drinking sesame oil? Pop a teaspoon of sesame seeds daily until you get relief.

6. Helps to fight stress and depression

Trying to cope with anxiety and stress? Include sesame oil as part of your diet. Tyrosine, in sesame oil, has direct links with serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin is a happy hormone, an imbalance of which will make you depressed and stressed.
 Sesame also contains magnesium and calcium, the stress relieving minerals. Also, it has thiamin and tryptophan which are known for their role in the production of serotonin. 
When you have enough serotonin in the circulation, you will feel more relaxed and stress remains at bay.

7. Helps in preventing diabetes

Owing to the presence of magnesium – 505 mg (126% of DV) per cup, sesame seeds, and sesame oil come handy in combating diabetes. Magnesium alongside other minerals and vitamins lowers blood glucose levels and thwarts the risk of diabetes. A pilot study conducted in hypersensitive diabetic patients indicated that edible sesame oil can lower BP, and plasma glucose levels.

8. Lowers blood pressure

There’s a reason why sesame oil was used in cooking since the ancient times. Sesame seeds help prevent hypertension thanks to the high magnesium content present in them. A study published in the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine found that sesame oil can lower blood pressure, decrease lipid peroxidation, and increase antioxidant levels in patients with high BP. The researchers also found a significant reduction in body weight and body mass index (BMI) in the subjects who were fed with edible sesame oil for 45 days.
Polyunsaturated fats and sesamin present in sesame oil also help maintain blood pressure levels.

9.  Good for your heart

A well-established body of research shows that a diet rich in unsaturated fats is good for heart health. Sesame oil comprises 82% unsaturated fatty acids. In particular, it’s rich in omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-6 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fat that is essential to your diet and plays an important role in heart disease prevention. 
 sesame oil may help prevent heart disease and even slow the development of plaque in your arteries . In fact, it may lower your cholesterol levels when used in place of oils high in saturated fats.
A 1-month study in 48 adults found those who consumed 4 tablespoons (59 ml) of sesame oil daily had greater reductions in LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides, compared with those who consumed olive oil.

10. Sesame oil can take high heat

sesame oil has a high smoke point of 410˚ and neutral flavor (Smoke point is the temperature at which fat breaks down and release free radicals and unpleasant odors). That means sesame oil is great for sautés and roasts as it doesn’t smell up your kitchen and release toxic chemicals into the air.

11. Slows down the aging of the skin

An exciting benefit sesame oil offers is that it can slow down the pace of skin aging. The antioxidants in the oil prevent cellular oxidation and promote skin rejuvenation. Sesamol in sesame oil prevents the appearances of lines, wrinkles, and pores. A systematic review published in the Journal of Medicinal Food found that consuming sesame seeds can increase skin elasticity and reduce oxidative stress, thereby reducing the onset of premature aging.Also, the vitamins and the antibacterial phytochemicals in sesame oil can heal the cuts and wounds quite fast, avoiding the formation of ugly scars or marks.

12. Sesame oil is a natural sunscreen

If your sunscreen lotion isn’t living up to the claims, switch to natural sunscreens to safeguard your skin. Sesame oil can form a protective film over your skin to eliminate the damages done by UV rays, environmental stressors, and free radicals. If you would like to join the natural sunscreen bandwagon, then start applying sesame oil on your skin. It is rich in Vitamin E which imparts antioxidant properties.

13. Helps in improving eye health

Sesame seed and oil offer both nutritive and preventative benefits to your eyes. Being a rich source of flavonoids, phenolic antioxidants, omega-6 fatty acids, dietary fiber, and vitamins, sesame oil can protect ocular cells from inflammation and vision impairments. When applied topically, it will moisturize dry under eye areas thanks to the presence of emollient fatty acids including linoleic acid, palmitic acid, oleic acid, and stearic acid.
According to traditional medicine, regularly massaging eyelids with sesame oil can reduce dark circles and crows’ feet.

14. Improves bone strengt

Maintaining copper, calcium, and zinc levels through dietary sources is critical to bone growth. For improving the growth and development of bone, you should add sesame seeds and sesame oil into your diet because they contain more calcium than a glass of milk. Sesame oil is also found to speed up healing or regrowth of bones.
Moreover, as you get older, the minerals in sesame oil help prevent osteoporosis and age-related bone changes.

15.  Sesame Oil massage

Sesame oil is the most popular massage oil in Ayurveda. Charaka Samhita in Ayurveda lists all the benefits of sesame oil as massage oil. Most of the Ayurvedic skin treatments use sesame oil as the base oil.  It has powerful antioxidants that fight skin damage by free radicals and repair the skin from the damage caused by the sun.