Can sesame compounds act like weak estrogen in breast cancer cells?
Estrogenic activities of sesame lignans and their metabolites on human breast cancer cells.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists tested compounds from sesame seeds (like sesamin and sesamol) on breast cancer cells in a dish to see if they act like the hormone estrogen. They found that most of these compounds can weakly mimic estrogen, but only at much higher amounts than natural estrogen.
Surprising Findings
Enterodiol (ED) did not activate estrogen receptors at all, unlike its relative enterolactone and other sesame compounds.
Previous studies had suggested enterodiol has estrogenic activity, but this study found it inactive in the ERE luciferase assay.
Practical Takeaways
Do not change your diet based on this study alone; the effects were seen in lab cells, not in humans.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists tested compounds from sesame seeds (like sesamin and sesamol) on breast cancer cells in a dish to see if they act like the hormone estrogen. They found that most of these compounds can weakly mimic estrogen, but only at much higher amounts than natural estrogen.
Surprising Findings
Enterodiol (ED) did not activate estrogen receptors at all, unlike its relative enterolactone and other sesame compounds.
Previous studies had suggested enterodiol has estrogenic activity, but this study found it inactive in the ERE luciferase assay.
Practical Takeaways
Do not change your diet based on this study alone; the effects were seen in lab cells, not in humans.
Publication
Journal
Journal of agricultural and food chemistry
Year
2011
Authors
P. Pianjing, A. Thiantanawat, Nuchanart Rangkadilok, Piyajit Watcharasit, C. Mahidol, J. Satayavivad
Related Content
Claims (3)
Sesamol, a substance found in sesame, can act like a weak estrogen in breast cancer cells, but it's much weaker than the real estrogen hormone.
Certain compounds from sesame seeds can act like estrogen in breast cancer cells grown in a dish. This effect is stopped by a drug that blocks estrogen receptors, showing these compounds work through those receptors.
Sesame seeds contain compounds that can act like estrogen or block estrogen, depending on how much estrogen is already in the body. When estrogen levels are low, these compounds add to it; when estrogen levels are high, they reduce its effects.