Herb & supplement monograph

Sesame Drug Interactions, Uses, Effectiveness, Safety & More

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS ·Updated July 2026

What is this page for?

First and foremost: how Sesame interacts with medications. The heart of this page is the interaction list — every drug Sesame is known to interact with, and how serious each one is.

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Sesame is, what people use it for and how strong the evidence is, its safety and side effects, and answers to the questions we’re asked most — written and reviewed by the clinical staff at HelloPharmacist. It’s educational information from our licensed clinical databases, not medical advice, and we don’t sell or endorse products. Our editorial policy

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On this page

Sesame Drug Interactions: The Bottom Line

From the HelloPharmacist Editorial Team · Updated July 2026

Based on the available evidence, the overall risk of a clinically significant Sesame drug interaction appears low for most people. None of the listed interactions are rated major, and the best-documented effects involve modest changes in blood pressure and blood sugar rather than serious harm.

Interactions deserving the most attention

The strongest human evidence involves blood pressure medications. Studies show sesame oil can lower blood pressure on its own and may add to the effect of drugs like atenolol, nifedipine, and hydrochlorothiazide, so blood pressure could drop more than expected. Sesame oil may also lower blood sugar, which could add to the effect of diabetes medications and raise the chance of low blood sugar. One animal study suggests sesame seed might work against tamoxifen, and while this has not been seen in people, we think caution is reasonable given what that drug is used for.

What the rest of the list means

The long list of interacting medications mostly reflects theory, not proven problems. Lab research suggests sesame may affect an enzyme and a transporter the body uses to process many drugs, so hundreds of medications get flagged automatically. None of these predicted effects have actually been reported in people.

Check your medications against Sesame

Based on HelloPharmacist’s Sesame interaction data and reviewed under our editorial standards.

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Sesame

529 medications have a known interaction with Sesame, graded by severity. Select any drug for the full evidence-based detail.

Don’t want to scroll the list? Just ask.

Tell us the medications you take and we’ll check each one against Sesame using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our Sesame interaction data for education only — always confirm with your pharmacist. How we use AI

2,830 drugs

Read The List Like a Pharmacist

What Severity, Likelihood & Evidence Mean

Severity — How Serious It Can Be

Major. Clinically significant; generally best avoided, or used only under direct professional supervision.
Moderate. May need monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one.
Minor. Generally not clinically significant, but still worth noting and mentioning to your pharmacist.
No known interaction. Checked against our sources with nothing documented — not the same as proven safety.

Likelihood — How Well It’s Documented

Likely. Well-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction
Probable. Interaction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
Possible. Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists
Unlikely. Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.

Where This Data Comes From

Interaction records are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database (TRC Healthcare), the same reference used by pharmacists and hospitals.
Each drug listed above links to the full report for that exact Sesame combination — clinical detail, likelihood, evidence level, and citations.
Content is reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

The big picture

The kinds of drugs Sesame affects

Every type of medication (drug category) Sesame is known to interact with. Open any category for the detail — or search your exact drug in the checker above.

All 5 drug categories Sesame interacts with

Antidiabetes DrugsAntihypertensive DrugsCytochrome P450 2c9 (cyp2c9) SubstratesTamoxifen (nolvadex)P-glycoprotein Substrates

Antidiabetes Drugs

Taking sesame oil with antidiabetes drugs might increase the risk of hypoglycemia.
Clinical studies show that sesame oil can decrease plasma glucose and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels. Some clinical research in patients taking glibenclamide shows that using sesame oil or a blend of sesame oil and rice bran oil in place of other oil for cooking reduces plasma glucose more than glibenclamide alone. Monitor blood glucose levels closely. Dose adjustments might be necessary.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Antihypertensive Drugs

Taking sesame oil with antihypertensive drugs might increase the risk of hypotension.
Clinical research shows that replacing other cooking oil with sesame oil can lower systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in patients with or without hypertension. There is also some evidence that sesame oil has additive effects in patients also taking atenolol, nifedipine, and/or hydrochlorothiazide. In patients using nifedipine, using a blend of sesame oil and rice bran oil for cooking reduces both SBP and DBP more than nifedipine alone.

Likelihood Probable Evidence D

Cytochrome P450 2C9 (Cyp2C9) Substrates

Theoretically, sesame might increase the levels and clinical effects of CYP2C9 substrates.
In vitro, sesame inhibits CYP2C9. However, this interaction has not been reported in humans.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Tamoxifen (Nolvadex)

Theoretically, sesame might interfere with tamoxifen.
In animal research, sesame seed reduces the tumor-inhibitory effect of tamoxifen by reducing apoptosis and increasing proliferation. This interaction has not been reported in humans.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

P-Glycoprotein Substrates

Theoretically, sesame might alter the transport of P-glycoprotein substrates.
In vitro research suggests that sesamin, a constituent of sesame, can inhibit the multi-drug transporter protein, P-glycoprotein. However, this interaction has not been reported in humans.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Monograph

Sesame: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Reviewed July 2026 ·

The bottom line

Sesame is a nutritious seed and oil widely used in cooking and traditional medicine, and it provides healthy fats, fiber, and antioxidant compounds called lignans. Some early research suggests sesame may modestly help with cholesterol and blood pressure, but the evidence is limited. Sesame is also a common, sometimes serious, food allergen, so people with seed allergies should be careful.

Scientific name: Sesamum indicum
Family: Pedaliaceae
Part used: Seeds and seed oil
Common forms: Whole seeds, sesame oil (cooking and topical), tahini, capsules/softgels, sesame extract (sesamin/lignans)

People commonly use it for

Heart and cholesterol health
Blood pressure support
Source of healthy fats and minerals
Skin and hair care (topical oil)
Antioxidant support
Cooking and nutrition

Popular and traditional uses — not proof it works. See “Uses & effectiveness” below for the evidence.

Safety at a glance

OverallUse caution

Food amounts are generally safe for most people, but sesame is a major allergen and concentrated supplements are less studied.

PregnancyInsufficient reliable information

There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of sesame when used in medicinal amounts during pregnancy and lactation.

Read the full pregnancy detail

BreastfeedingInsufficient reliable information

There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of sesame when used in medicinal amounts during pregnancy and lactation.

Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center). Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Jump to a section

Overview

Sesame comes from the plant Sesamum indicum, one of the oldest oilseed crops in the world. It is grown widely in Africa and Asia and used across the globe for its tasty, nutritious seeds and oil.

People use sesame mostly as a food. The seeds top breads and pastries, are ground into tahini, and are pressed to make sesame oil for cooking. The oil is also used on the skin and hair in some traditional practices. In supplement form, sesame is sometimes sold as capsules or extracts that concentrate compounds called lignans (such as sesamin and sesamolin).

How it works

Sesame contains unsaturated fats (including linoleic and oleic acids), fiber, and plant compounds called lignans, mainly sesamin and sesamolin. It also contains antioxidant substances like sesamol and vitamin E compounds (tocopherols).

In laboratory and animal studies, these compounds appear to act as antioxidants and may affect cholesterol handling and blood vessel function. Researchers think this could help explain the possible effects on cholesterol and blood pressure. Keep in mind these mechanisms are mostly based on lab and animal research, and they do not guarantee the same effects in people.

Effectiveness

Does Sesame work?

Here’s what the research actually shows for each use — graded by Natural Medicines and reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD.

Evidence overview · 33 uses evaluated

1 Possibly effective 1 Leans ineffective 31 Insufficient evidence

How to read these evidence grades

Natural Medicines’ 7-point scale. We show each rating’s label word-for-word.

1EffectiveStrong, consistent evidence it works.

2Likely EffectiveGood evidence, though not yet conclusive.

3Possibly EffectiveSome evidence suggests a benefit.

4Possibly IneffectiveSome evidence it may not help.

5Likely IneffectiveFairly strong evidence it doesn’t help.

6IneffectiveStrong evidence it doesn’t work.

7Insufficient Reliable Evidence to RateToo little research to say either way.

Possibly Effective Hypertension