Go Ad-Free
logoThe People's Perspective on Medicine

Questions about Using Sesame Seed Remedy for Sore Joints

Q. I’m interested in the sesame seed treatment you wrote about for sore, stiff knees. Why list the quantity in grams? I don’t know how to convert grams to ounces or pounds. How do we grind the seeds and how should we consume them?

A. You and many others were intrigued by the research published in the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases (Oct., 2013). In this study, some people with joint pain were assigned to take acetaminophen (2 grams/day) and glucosamine (500 mg/day) while the others got 40 grams of ground sesame seeds in addition to the medications. There are 28 grams in an ounce, approximately, so this dose is more than one ounce but less than two.

40 grams come to approximately 4 tablespoons of sesame seeds that could be added to your evening meal as is or ground up in a blender or coffee grinder, stirred into a liquid and consumed that way. Some readers have purchased tahini in the grocery and are taking their sesame seed in that form. 40 grams of tahini (sesame seed paste) take up 1 1/2 tablespoons.

We have seen only one study on sesame for joint pain and would like to see a confirmatory study. In the meantime, we are interested in your experience. If you try this remedy, please tell us how well it works –or not– in the comments below.

Rate this article
star-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-empty
4.7- 3 ratings
About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
Tired of the ads on our website?

Now you can browse our website completely ad-free for just $5 / month. Stay up to date on breaking health news and support our work without the distraction of advertisements.

Browse our website ad-free
Join over 150,000 Subscribers at The People's Pharmacy

We're empowering you to make wise decisions about your own health, by providing you with essential health information about both medical and alternative treatment options.