Is Tahini a Healthy Choice? Nutrition, Benefits, Downsides

Last updated: July 17, 2024 by Michael Joseph, MSc

Tahini is a popular spread made from sesame seeds.

It is particularly popular in the Middle East and has gained global popularity in recent years.

But is it a healthy, nutritious option?

This article provides a guide to tahini, detailing its characteristics, nutritional profile, benefits, and potential downsides.

What Is Tahini?

First of all, let’s look into precisely what tahini is and how it’s made.

Tahini is a popular food product made from ground roasted sesame seeds. The resulting paste is a popular staple in many countries across the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean region (1).

Tahini can be made using either hulled or unhulled sesame seeds.

Tahini made from unhulled seeds offers more nutritional value as it includes the whole sesame seed, including its outer hull – a rich source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. However, this incorporation of the whole seed results in a more earthy flavor.

On the other hand, tahini made from hulled sesame seeds is milder in taste with nutty notes and a rich and flavorful taste. Typically, people tend to prefer tahini made with hulled seeds.

Tahini provides a significant amount of unsaturated fats and contains numerous vitamins and minerals.

It is used as a condiment; it works well in dips, dressings, and sauces, and as a spread.

Key Point: Tahini is a popular and flavorful paste-like condiment made from sesame seeds.

Is Tahini a Nutrient-Rich Choice?

Unlike seed ‘vegetable’ oils that lack vitamins and minerals, tahini is relatively nutrient-rich.

This is because, unlike oils, tahini includes most of the seed rather than just its extracted oil.

Since seeds offer significant vitamin and mineral content, this makes tahini a good source of numerous nutrients.

The Nutritional Profile of Tahini

The tables below present the nutritional values of tahini per ounce (28.35-gram) serving.

All nutritional data has been sourced from the USDA’s FoodData Central database (1).

Percent daily values (% DV) have been calculated using the FDA’s recommended daily values, which are based on a 2000-calorie diet (2).

Nutrient	Amount	% Daily Value
Calories	169 kcal
Carbohydrates	6.01 g	2.2%
Fiber	2.64 g	9.4%
Sugars	0.14 g
Fat	15.3 g	19.6%
Saturated	2.14 g	10.7%
Monounsaturated	5.76 g
Polyunsaturated	6.69 g
Omega-3	0.12 g
Omega-6	6.55 g
Protein	4.82 g	9.6%
Cholesterol	0 mg	0%

^{Table 1: Nutrition facts for tahini per ounce (28.35g) serving}

Vitamins

Vitamin	Amount	% Daily Value
Choline	7.31 mg	1.3%
Folate, DFE	27.8 mcg	7%
Vitamin A, RAE	0.85 mcg	0.1%
Vitamin B1 (thiamin)	0.35 mg	29.2%
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)	0.13 mg	10.0%
Vitamin B3 (niacin)	1.54 mg	9.6%
Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)	0.20 mg	4.0%
Vitamin B6	0.04 mg	2.4%
Vitamin B12	0 mcg	0%
Vitamin C	0 mg	0%
Vitamin D	0 mcg	0%
Vitamin E	0.07 mg	0.5%
Vitamin K	0 mcg	0%

^{Table 2: Vitamin composition of tahini per ounce (28.35g) serving}

Minerals

Mineral	Amount	% Daily Value
Calcium	121 mg	9.3%
Copper	0.46 mg	51.1%
Iron	2.54 mg	14.1%
Magnesium	26.9 mg	6.4%
Manganese	0.41 mg	18%
Phosphorus	208 mg	16.6%
Potassium	117 mg	2.5%
Selenium	9.75 mcg	17.7%
Sodium	32.6 mg	1.4%
Zinc	1.31 mg	11.9%

^{Table 3: Mineral composition of tahini per ounce (28.35g) serving}

Benefits of Tahini

In this section, we’ll examine some of the nutritional benefits and potential benefits of consuming tahini.

May Have Benefits For Heart Health

A study published in the Journal of Human Hypertension in 2022 investigated the impact of tahini consumption on blood pressure and endothelial function.

The clinical trial assessed the baseline blood pressure and endothelial function of twenty healthy young men before they consumed 50 grams of tahini. Measurements were taken again four hours later to assess changes in blood pressure, endothelial function, and several other parameters.

The study reported a “statistically significant decrease in diastolic blood pressure and pulse rate” post-tahini intake. There was also a notable increase in flow-mediated dilation (FMD), indicating improved endothelial function (3).

FMD measures how arteries dilate (widen) in response to increased blood flow, which is an important indicator of endothelial health.

The endothelium is the inner lining of blood vessels; healthy endothelial function should show that the artery dilates with increased blood flow (4).

Loss of FMD and high blood pressure are both associated with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease (5, 6, 7).

Key Point: Research shows tahini consumption improves diastolic blood pressure and flow-mediated dilation, suggesting potential benefits for cardiovascular health.

Excellent Source of B Vitamins

A clear benefit of tahini is its high content of B vitamins.

In this regard, just one ounce (28.35 grams) provides at least 10% of the daily value for vitamins B1, B2, and B3 (1, 2).

Among their other functions, each of these vitamins plays an important role in energy production (8).

Positive Impacts on Blood Sugar Levels

Research indicates that tahini may help regulate blood glucose levels.

A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis of eight controlled clinical trials examined the impact of sesame products like tahini on blood glucose levels. The findings demonstrated that sesame products led to a significant decrease in fasting blood glucose over periods ranging from 45 days to 9 weeks (9).

The study concluded that “sesame may be considered a beneficial agent for human glucose metabolism.”

Key Point: A systematic review suggests that regular tahini intake may contribute to lower fasting blood glucose levels.

Rich In Minerals

As detailed in the nutritional values section, tahini boasts a broad-ranging mineral profile.

Specifically, a one-ounce (28.35-gram) serving provides more than 10% of the daily value for copper, iron, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, and zinc (1, 2).

Furthermore, some of these minerals are present in significantly higher amounts. For example, the copper content is equal to 51% of the daily value.

Moderate Protein and Fiber Content

Unlike sesame oil, which is a pure fat source, tahini delivers fiber and protein along with its rich flavor.

An ounce (28.35 grams) of tahini offers 2.6 grams of fiber and 4.8 grams of protein (1).

While these are modest amounts, they are a valuable addition to a well-formulated diet rich in other fiber and protein sources.

A Good Source of Unsaturated Fatty Acids

Tahini is also a rich source of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

According to USDA data, tahini’s total fat content comprises (1):

Saturated fat: 14.6% (7.53g per 100g)
Monounsaturated fat: 39.5% (20.3g per 100g)
Polyunsaturated fat: 45.9% (23.6g per 100g)

The ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fats in the diet has a significant influence on LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. Polyunsaturated fats lower LDL-C, while saturated fats tend to raise it (10, 11).

In other words, replacing a saturated fat source such as butter or sour cream with tahini would be expected to lower LDL-C levels.

Additionally, higher proportions of monounsaturated fats in the diet can lower LDL-C (12, 13).

Elevated LDL-C levels are a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and are linked to the development of atherosclerosis (the buildup of plaque in arteries) (14).

Key Point: Tahini’s high content of unsaturated fatty acids may contribute to lowering LDL-C levels, thereby reducing cardiovascular disease risk.

Downsides of Tahini

Tahini is generally regarded as a healthy choice due to its range of beneficial nutrients.

However, there are some context-dependent downsides worth considering.

Allergies

Since tahini is made from sesame seeds, it is understandably unsuitable for anyone with a sesame allergy.

Sesame allergies are unfortunately relatively common, affecting at least 0.2% of people in the United States (15, 16, 17).

Research also shows that allergy rates may be significantly higher in other nations (17).

As with all allergies, severe allergies, including anaphylaxis, are possible (18, 19).

Anyone suspecting an allergy to sesame should consult a healthcare professional.

Key Point: Sesame allergies affect at least 0.2% of the population, making tahini unsuitable for those individuals.

Tahini Has Been Linked With Outbreaks of Foodborne Illness

Another consideration is that tahini has been linked to outbreaks of foodborne illness, particularly Salmonella infections.

While most people consume tahini without issue, it has caused foodborne illnesses in the past.

For example, there have been several outbreaks of Salmonella in tahini and tahini-based food products (20, 21, 22).

According to research published in the Microorganisms journal in 2022, tahini has been responsible for 1662 Salmonella cases, including 88 hospitalizations and 1 death (20).

To reduce the risk, it is crucial to store commercial tahini properly and correctly follow storage instructions.

Additionally, research provides insight on some sensible precautions when preparing homemade tahini:

Inadequate roasting of contaminated sesame seeds would mean any Salmonella present would be in the tahini (20).
Poor hygiene and cross-contamination with other potential Salmonella-containing foods are other risks for introducing Salmonella into tahini (20).
Citric acid (0.1%-0.5%) can slow the growth of any Salmonella present in tahini (23).

Key Point: Many people consume tahini every day without any problems. However, there have been rare outbreaks of Salmonella from tahini consumption.

How To Use Tahini

There are many different ways in which we can use tahini.

Here are some of them:

Dip: Enjoy tahini as a dip with fish, meat, tofu, or vegetables. It can be used either alone or mixed with yogurt and herbs.
Hummus: Tahini is a key ingredient in hummus; just blend it with chickpeas, fresh lemon juice, and olive oil
Marinade: Use tahini to marinate fish, meat, tofu, or vegetables before roasting for extra flavor.
Rissotto and pasta dishes: Add a tablespoon of tahini to a rissotto or pasta dish for its flavor-enhancing effect.
Salad dressings: Tahini can help to flavor a salad dressing. Mix it with either oil, yogurt, or sour cream and combine with herbs or spices for a flavorful dressing.
Soups and stews: Add tahini to soups or stews for added flavor.

Key Point: Tahini is a versatile ingredient that we can use in various ways.