Sesame oil is not bad for cholesterol. In fact, clinical evidence points in the opposite direction: using sesame oil as your primary cooking fat can lower total cholesterol, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and triglycerides. The American Heart Association lists sesame oil among healthy cooking oil choices, and its fat profile and unique plant compounds give it genuine cardiovascular benefits.
What Sesame Oil Does to Cholesterol
In a clinical trial published in the International Journal of Preventive Medicine, patients with high cholesterol replaced their usual cooking oils with about 4 tablespoons (roughly 60 grams) of sesame oil daily for one month. Their total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides all dropped significantly. HDL (“good”) cholesterol trended upward as well, and the participants also saw modest reductions in weight and waist circumference.
These results held up when sesame oil was compared head-to-head with olive oil, long considered the gold standard for heart-healthy fats. Both oils produced meaningful improvements in lipid profiles, suggesting sesame oil belongs in the same category as olive oil when it comes to cholesterol management.
Why the Fat Profile Matters
Sesame oil gets more than 80% of its fat from two unsaturated fatty acids: oleic acid (a monounsaturated fat) and linoleic acid (a polyunsaturated fat). Saturated fat, the type most strongly linked to rising LDL cholesterol, makes up only about 13 to 18% of sesame oil. For comparison, butter is roughly 63% saturated fat, and coconut oil exceeds 80%.
That balance of fats is the single biggest reason sesame oil helps rather than hurts your cholesterol. When you swap a high-saturated-fat cooking oil for one dominated by unsaturated fats, LDL cholesterol tends to fall. The monounsaturated portion (around 40 to 45% of sesame oil) is the same type of fat that gives olive oil its reputation, while the polyunsaturated portion (also around 40 to 44%) further supports healthy blood lipid levels.
Plant Compounds That Go Beyond Fat
Sesame oil contains compounds you won’t find in most other cooking oils. The most studied are lignans, particularly one called sesamin. A comprehensive review in the European Journal of Pharmacology found that sesamin works through multiple pathways: it inhibits cholesterol production in the liver, reduces cholesterol absorption in the gut, and helps immune cells called macrophages manage cholesterol more effectively. That last point matters because macrophages overloaded with cholesterol are a key driver of plaque buildup in arteries.
Sesame oil also contains phytosterols, plant-based molecules that are structurally similar to cholesterol. In your digestive tract, phytosterols compete with dietary cholesterol for absorption. They essentially shoulder cholesterol out of the way, so more of it passes through your body instead of entering your bloodstream. Research from Oregon State University’s Linus Pauling Institute shows that even moderate phytosterol intake (around 460 milligrams per day) can reduce cholesterol absorption by about 10%, while higher amounts cut absorption by roughly 25%.
Sesamin also appears to protect blood vessels directly. It reduces the production of harmful oxygen molecules in vessel walls, which helps maintain healthy blood flow and may slow the formation of arterial plaques over time.
Cooking With Sesame Oil
Refined sesame oil has a smoke point of about 232°C (450°F), making it suitable for stir-frying, sautéing, and most everyday cooking. Unrefined (toasted) sesame oil has a lower smoke point of around 177°C (350°F) and a much stronger, nuttier flavor. It works best as a finishing oil, drizzled over dishes after cooking.
Heating any oil past its smoke point breaks down its beneficial compounds and creates off-flavors, so matching the right type of sesame oil to your cooking method matters. Use refined for high-heat cooking and save toasted sesame oil for dressings, soups, and cold dishes where its flavor shines.
How Much to Use
The clinical trial showing cholesterol improvements used about 4 tablespoons daily, which is a substantial amount of oil and calories (roughly 480 calories from fat alone). You don’t necessarily need that much to benefit. The key principle is replacement, not addition. Swapping sesame oil in for butter, lard, or other saturated-fat-heavy oils shifts your overall fat intake toward unsaturated fats without increasing your total calorie load.
Even using sesame oil for one or two meals a day as your primary cooking fat changes the ratio of fats in your diet. If you’re currently cooking with coconut oil or butter, the switch alone reduces the saturated fat hitting your bloodstream at each meal. Pair that with the cholesterol-blocking phytosterols and lignans unique to sesame oil, and the cumulative effect on your lipid profile can be meaningful over weeks and months.
How It Compares to Other Oils
Sesame oil sits comfortably alongside olive oil, canola oil, and avocado oil as a heart-healthy option. Each has a slightly different flavor and fat profile, but all share the defining trait of being high in unsaturated fats and low in saturated fats. Where sesame oil distinguishes itself is in its lignan content, which no other common cooking oil matches.
The oils that genuinely raise cholesterol concerns are those high in saturated fat: coconut oil, palm oil, and animal-based fats like butter and lard. If you’re worried about cholesterol, those are the ones to limit. Sesame oil is on the other side of that divide.