The truth about tahini: experts explain why this Middle Eastern staple deserves a bigger place in your diet

Tahini is widely known as a key ingredient in creamy hummus, but nutrition experts say its benefits go far beyond dips.

This smooth paste, made from ground roasted sesame seeds, is a pantry essential around the world. Despite its simple composition, it is highly nutritious, offering fiber, protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals in a compact form.

Sesame seeds naturally contain B vitamins and important minerals that support many body functions. Research has also linked regular sesame consumption with lower cholesterol levels.

According to nutritionist Sophie Gastman, tahini stands out not only for its nutritional value but also for its versatility: it can be used in both savory and sweet dishes and is an easy way to enhance everyday meals.

Nutritional benefits

Tahini provides a range of essential nutrients including calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and copper. These minerals support bone strength, energy production, immune function, and oxygen transport in the body. Because sesame seeds are ground into a paste, many of these nutrients may be more easily absorbed.

It is also rich in B vitamins such as thiamin, niacin, folate, riboflavin, and vitamin B6, which play key roles in energy metabolism, brain function, and cell health.

Heart and cholesterol effects

Tahini is calorie-dense, but most of its fats are healthy unsaturated fats. It also contains plant compounds like phytosterols and lignans, which may help reduce cholesterol absorption in the gut.

Some small studies suggest that daily consumption of sesame products may lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, although research results are still mixed.

Experts generally recommend moderate daily intake—around one tablespoon—to potentially gain benefits.

How to use tahini

Tahini comes in light and dark varieties, depending on whether the sesame seeds are hulled. Light tahini has a milder taste, while darker versions are more intense and slightly higher in certain antioxidants and minerals.

It can be used in many ways beyond hummus: as a salad dressing mixed with lemon juice and garlic, as a topping for vegetables, stirred into yogurt, or blended into sauces for noodles. Experts emphasize that while it is not a “miracle food,” it is a simple way to make meals more nutritious and flavorful.

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