Your twenties are the decade when you get your first grey hair and the advice starts pouring in. Eat a spoonful of kala every day,” says an aunt. There’s a video saying black sesame paste can turn grey hair back to black. Is any of this working?

Let’s break it down. And we researched what the research says about sesame and greying. CMS Industries is an agro-commodity exporter based in Kachchh, Gujarat. They have black sesame seeds listed in their oil seeds. This article is for informational purposes and is not medical advice.

Quick Answer: Do Black Sesame Seeds for Grey Hair Really Work?

They have not been proven to do it. Here’s the bottom line:

• There are no human trials to prove that eating black sesame prevents or reverses grey hair.

• Black sesame contains copper, one of the minerals involved in making hair pigment. But it does not contain vitamin B12, one of the most discussed deficiencies in early greying.

• Hair that has already turned grey will not change colour. Any benefit would be limited to new hair.

• More important than any one food are genetics, age, smoking, stress and medical conditions.

Now let’s see why hair goes grey in the first place.

Why Hair Turns Grey

Hair colour is caused by melanin, a pigment produced by cells called melanocytes in the hair follicle. There are only so many melanocyte stem cells in each follicle. When the stem cells are depleted or malfunction, the new hair grows without pigment, which is grey or white. Your genes determine how many of these cells you begin with and how quickly they are depleted. Hair that has grown out of the follicle does not change colour, so a food or an oil cannot darken a strand of hair already grey.

When Is Greying Premature?

Greying starts at different ages for different groups. Average onset, as per reviews, is mid-thirties for Caucasians, late-thirties for Asians and mid-forties for Africans. Greying is considered premature if it occurs before the age of 20 in Caucasians, before 25 in Asians, and before 30 in Africans. So if you are an Indian and you started turning grey before the age of 25, doctors would call it premature.

What Contributes to Early Greying

Premature greying reviews are about several contributors:

• Heredity. Your family history plays a big role in how early you go grey.
• Oxidative stress. Unstable molecules called free radicals damage the pigment cells. UV light, pollution, and not sleeping enough can contribute.
• Cigarettes. Smoking. Some studies have established a definite link between smoking and premature greying.
• Nutrient deficits. Low levels of vitamin B12, copper, iron and vitamin D have all been associated with early greying. Low B12 was found in people with premature greying in one case-control study in an Indian population.
• Medical problems. Thyroid problems, pituitary problems, vitiligo and other autoimmune conditions can cause early greying.
• Stress. In a small study in eLife in 2021, some individual hairs lost colour during stressful periods and regained it when the volunteer’s stress levels decreased. The study was small, and it doesn’t mean that stress relief will darken a full head of grey hair.

Where Black Sesame Fits In

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, black sesame has long been used as a dark hair food. The modern case is simple. Black sesame is rich in copper, which aids in melanin production. The argument sounds reasonable, but the evidence ends there.

What Black Sesame Does and Does Not Contain

USDA lists whole dried sesame seeds per 100 g. We scaled the values to one tablespoon, approximately 9 grams. The USDA entry is for sesame in general, not just black sesame, so take the numbers with a grain of salt.

 

Nutrient linked to greying	In sesame?	Per tablespoon (about 9 g)
Copper	Yes.	about 0.4 mg, roughly 40% of the daily value
Iron	Yes.	about 1.3 mg
Zinc	Yes.	about 0.7 mg
Vitamin B12	No	0 mcg
Vitamin D	No	0 mcg

The table tells a real story. Sesame can help you meet your copper and iron needs. It does not have either, so it cannot fix a B12 or vitamin D deficiency. If your greys are from low B12, black sesame won’t fix that.

Why Unhulled Seeds Matter

The black colour is in the seed coat. Also, much of the copper. Whole seeds contain about 4.1 mg of copper per 100 grams, whereas hulled kernels have 1.4 mg, according to the USDA. If you want the copper, pick unhulled black seeds.

What Experts and Studies Say

Consultant dermatologist Dr Magnus Lynch says the concept of black sesame probably came from Traditional Chinese Medicine. He says the seeds are packed with healthy minerals, nutrients and antioxidants, but there is no scientific evidence that they stop hair going grey. He says genetics and ageing are the strongest influences, and smoking is currently thought to have a greater effect on early greying. Dr Aamna Adel, a dermatologist, agrees that the nutrients in black sesame can help with melanin production but says it won’t reverse grey hair.

Research more generally agrees. A new literature review says there is no effective method shown yet to reverse premature greying. A Singapore health service adds that rigorous evidence for nutrient supplements for greying is lacking and that grey-prevention lotions and shampoos have not been validated in the scientific literature. For more context, see black sesame for hair growth.

A Word of Caution About Marketing

You may see headlines about a supplement and a scalp serum that reversed grey hair. One such study, presented at an American Academy of Dermatology meeting, involved 173 adults. The supplement contained black sesame extract but also PABA, copper, and Fo-Ti, and the study was funded by the brand. No one knows how much the black sesame contributed. Don’t take these kinds of results as evidence for a food. Think of them as product marketing.

How to Use Black Sesame Seeds for Grey Hair Support: Seven Practical Steps

If you still want to try black sesame, keep your expectations realistic and do the following.

• First, find the cause. If you started greying early or it happened quickly, ask your doctor about blood tests for vitamin B12, iron stores (ferritin), vitamin D, and thyroid function. Correcting an established deficiency is more important than any seed.
• Eat a small portion daily. In Indian cooking, it’s common to use one teaspoon to one tablespoon of roasted seeds. Sprinkle them over the dal, sabzi, or curd, or mix them into rotis.
• Use black seeds without hulls. This way, your food keeps the coat and most of the copper as well.
• Have a laddoo or a paste in moderation. Traditional ones are til laddoo and black sesame paste. Jaggery contains sugar, so keep portions small, especially if you are managing diabetes.
• Ask about B12. Vitamin B12 is mainly found in animal foods, so vegetarians and vegans are often advised to check their levels. Sesame won’t supply it, so listen to your doc about food or supplements.
• Eliminate the controllable causes. Quit smoking. Manage your stress. Sleep well. Protect your hair from the harsh sun. Smoking is the most clearly linked to early greying.
• Keep it real. Any change would be slow at the roots, as new hair grows from the follicle. Every month, take a picture of your parting in the same light, and don’t expect already-grey lengths to darken.

Note on oil: we could not find any human study showing sesame oil on the scalp changes hair colour. The single animal study we found, in mice, looked at regrowth, not colour. If you do try a warm sesame oil massage, test a small patch of skin first, and skip it if you have a sesame allergy.

Myths About Grey Hair

• Myth: Eating food will turn grey hair dark. There is no evidence for this, and hair that has already grown cannot change colour.
• Myth: A supplement stops greying. Singapore’s health service says evidence for supplements is not rigorous.
• Myth: Premature greying is always a sign of disease. A hair specialist says greying early is quite common and usually doesn’t come with an underlying issue. Still, any greying that qualifies as that premature definition is worth a complete check.

Who Should Be Careful with Sesame?

Sesame Allergy

Sesame is a common allergen in food. It was added as the ninth major food allergen under the FASTER Act in the US, and labelling rules came into force in January 2023. Symptoms include welts, hives, itching, coughing, difficulty breathing, diarrhoea and vomiting. If you experience swelling, wheezing or trouble breathing after eating sesame, stop eating sesame and seek emergency medical help.

Blood Pressure and Diabetes Medicines

Sesame can help lower blood sugar and blood pressure, and RxList warns that the interaction with these medicines is moderate. Much of the evidence is for supplements and oil, and some of that risk is theoretical. But let your doctor know if you take these medicines and intend to eat sesame every day.

Kidney Stones

Another consumer health resource lists sesame seeds as a food that is moderately high in oxalates. The NIDDK advises people who have had calcium oxalate stones to limit some foods high in oxalate. If you’ve had stones, talk to your doctor first.

When to See a Doctor About Grey Hair

If you see any of these, schedule an appointment:

• You went grey before you were 25 (or before the cut-off age for your background).
• The grey is spreading rapidly.
• If you have grey hair and white patches on your skin, it could be a sign of vitiligo.
• You feel overly tired or have other symptoms with the greying.
• And your hair is greying. And falling out.

Your doctor may check your levels of vitamin B12, iron, vitamin D, and thyroid. The best chance of help is to correct a proven deficiency.

How to Buy Good Black Sesame

CMS Industries says it cleans its black sesame with Sortex and machine cleaning technology and packs the seeds in 15, 25, 40, and 50 kg sizes in PP, BOPP, or jute bags. These are sold in bulk packs for buyers like food makers, so home cooks will usually buy smaller packets from a retailer. The same checks can be done at any scale:

• Look at the seed. Select dry, even seeds, free of stones, husk bits, or dust.

• Snif f. Fresh seeds have a nutty smell—not musty or sharp.

• Select unhulled seeds. The colour and most of the copper remain in the dark coat.

• See the allergen label on packaged foods.

• Roast gently before eating. The nutty flavour is roasted away.

Final Word

Let’s get it done. Black sesame is a healthy seed with copper, iron and zinc. It is easy to add to Indian food. It does not stop or reverse grey hair and does not include vitamin B12. Greying is guided by your genes, your age, your smoking and stress habits, and sometimes a treatable deficiency.

Next steps: if your greying is early, check your B12, iron, vitamin D, and thyroid levels. Eat a small serving of roasted black sesame as part of a well-rounded diet, quit smoking if you smoke, and track your hair with monthly photos.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can black sesame seeds turn grey hair black?

No. Hair cannot change colour once it has grown. Nor is there any evidence from human trials that eating black sesame darkens new hair. The seeds contain copper, which helps to make pigment. But that is no proof of a result.

How much black sesame should I eat for grey hair?

We did not find any official dosage for grey hair. A common amount of roasted seeds in Indian cooking is from a teaspoon to a tablespoon. If you are on blood pressure or diabetes medicines, check with your doctor first.

Which vitamin deficiency causes grey hair?

Vitamin B12 gets the most discussion. Copper, iron, and vitamin D deficiency have also been associated with early greying. A blood test can tell you which one it is for you. Sesame has no B12 or vitamin D.

Is premature greying reversible?

Usually no, though a small study found some stress-related greying to reverse in individual hairs when stress eased. Ask your doctor. Correcting a proven deficiency can help. There is no proven treatment to reverse premature greying in general.

At what age is grey hair premature in Indians?

Doctors use an age cut-off for each group. In Asians, premature greying is greying before the age of 25. If this is you, talk to your doctor about testing for vitamin B12, iron, and thyroid problems.