X-Message-Number: 24540
Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2004 19:36:23 -0700 (PDT)
From: Doug Skrecky <>
Subject: sesame oil may help lower blood pressure

Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2004;13(Suppl):S107
Impact of sesame oil on nifedipine in modulating oxidative stress and
electrolytes in hypertensive patients.
  The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of sesame oil as sole
edible oil in hypertensive patients who were on medication with
nifedipine, a calcium channel blocker. A sample of 396 hypertensive
patients (aged 58 +/- 3.8 years; 215 men and 181 women) participated in
this study. Forty patients were treated only with nifedipine while three
hundred and fifty six patients were treated with nifedipine and
instructed to use sesame oil in place of other edible oils for 60 days.
The consumption of sesame oil remarkably reduced the (systolic and
diastolic blood pressure from 166 +/- 4.2 and 101 +/- 3.1 to 134.2 +/- 3.4
and 84.6 +/- 3.0 respectively) blood pressure. The dosage of the drug
also reduced, as there was a fall in blood pressure during sesame oil
consumption. Plasma levels of sodium decreased while potassium and
chloride increased significantly. Lipid peroxidation
(thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) level significantly decreased
while activities of enzymic (superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase
and catalase) and concentrations of non-enzymic antioxidants (vitamin C,
vitamin E, beta-carotene and reduced glutathione) increased in nifedipine
- sesame oil group. Nifedipine group showed a significant reduction in
blood pressure, lipid peroxidation and improvement in reduced
glutathione, however, the values are significantly lower than nifedipine
- sesame oil group. These results suggest that dietary substitution of
sesame oil, in nifedipine-taking hypertensive patients, has an additive
effect in the reduction of blood pressure and plays an

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