Calcium in Til (Sesame): Hulled vs Unhulled
Last reviewed: · What changed: Answers to common questions added.
Unhulled til carries roughly 900 to 1,000 mg of calcium per 100 g, while hulled til has under 150 mg. Almost all the calcium is in the seed coat, so the hulled white sesame sold in most shops is a fraction as useful as the figure you read online.
- Unhulled (with skin): roughly 900–1,000 mg calcium per 100 g.
- Hulled (white, skin removed): under 150 mg — a tenfold difference.
- Black til is usually unhulled, which is why it tests higher.
- A tablespoon of unhulled til gives roughly 90–130 mg.
- Oxalate reduces how much of that calcium you actually absorb.
The distinction almost nobody makes
| Form | approximate calcium per 100 g | per tablespoon (about 9 g) |
|---|---|---|
| Unhulled til, with seed coat | about 900–1,000 mg | about 90–130 mg |
| Black til (usually unhulled) | about 950–1,000 mg | about 90–130 mg |
| Hulled white til | under 150 mg | about 10–15 mg |
| Tahini from hulled seed | low | low |
| Milk, 100 ml, for reference | about 120 mg | — |
The hulling step removes the seed coat, and the seed coat is where almost all the calcium sits. That single processing difference changes the calcium content by roughly tenfold, and almost no recipe, article or packet mentions it.
This is why sesame gets described as a calcium powerhouse and why people who eat it regularly often see no benefit: the white til in most Indian kitchens is hulled. sesame seeds and calcium covers sesame's other benefits; this page is specifically about the calcium.
What to actually buy
- Black til — almost always sold unhulled, and the simplest way to be sure.
- Unhulled white til — available but less common; looks duller and more beige than the bright white kind.
- Avoid for calcium — the bright white, uniform, polished seeds, which are hulled.
- Til laddoo and chikki — traditionally made with unhulled til, which is a point in their favour.
- Gajak and rewri — usually unhulled too, though heavy on jaggery.
- Tahini — usually made from hulled seed, so low in calcium.
A practical visual test: unhulled seeds are duller, slightly uneven in colour, and taste more bitter and earthy. Hulled seeds are bright, uniform and milder. If it looks pristine, it has been hulled.
The oxalate caveat, stated honestly
Having made the case for unhulled til, here is the complication that most enthusiastic articles leave out.
Sesame contains oxalate, and oxalate binds calcium in the gut, reducing how much is absorbed. So the absorbable fraction of sesame calcium is lower than the headline number suggests — dairy calcium is absorbed considerably more efficiently.
That does not make til useless. It makes it a useful contributor rather than a replacement for dairy, and it means the gap between til and milk is smaller than the per-100-g figures imply. calcium without dairy covers the full range of non-dairy sources and their absorption.
Roasting and soaking reduce oxalate somewhat, and fermentation more so. Roasted til, as used in laddoo and chikki, is therefore a slightly better form than raw for this purpose.
Anyone with a history of calcium oxalate kidney stones should treat high-oxalate foods with more caution and take individual advice rather than loading up on sesame.
Fitting it into an Indian diet
The useful thing about til is that the traditional uses already get the form right.
- Til laddoo and chikki — winter staples, made with unhulled seed and roasted. Jaggery is the caveat.
- Til chutney — a daily option without the sugar.
- Sprinkled over sabzi, salad or curd — roast lightly first for flavour and oxalate.
- Ground into til powder and stirred into atta or dal.
- Sesame oil — contains essentially no calcium; the mineral stays with the seed.
- A tablespoon daily is a realistic habit; a handful is not.
The oil point catches people out. Pressing extracts the fat and leaves the minerals behind, so cooking in til oil contributes nothing to calcium intake.
Makar Sankranti and Lohri both centre on til for seasonal reasons, and eating it through winter is a sound habit for more than tradition. nutrition for bone health covers what else bone health depends on — calcium alone is not the whole story, and vitamin D is usually the bigger gap in India.
Keeping calcium in proportion
Til is a genuinely good non-dairy calcium source in its unhulled form, and it is not going to meet an adult requirement on its own.
ICMR-NIN sets adult calcium requirements in the region of 800–1,000 mg a day, rising for older adults and during pregnancy and lactation. A tablespoon of unhulled til supplies perhaps 90–130 mg before accounting for absorption.
- Dairy — milk, curd, paneer remain the most efficiently absorbed sources.
- Ragi — among the best non-dairy grains for calcium.
- Unhulled til, almonds, green leafy vegetables — useful contributors.
- Vitamin D — without it, calcium absorption falls regardless of intake.
- Resistance exercise — bone responds to load, not only to diet.
protein in ragi and calcium without dairy cover the non-dairy route, and protein powder for seniors is relevant for anyone buying with older parents in mind, where both calcium and protein matter and the protein is usually the bigger shortfall.
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Frequently asked questions
How much calcium is in til?
Roughly 900–1,000 mg per 100 g for unhulled til with the seed coat intact, but under 150 mg for hulled white til. The difference is about tenfold and almost never mentioned.
Is black til better than white for calcium?
Usually yes, because black til is almost always sold unhulled while white til is commonly hulled. It is the hulling rather than the colour that matters.
How much til should I eat a day?
A tablespoon of unhulled til, roughly 9 g, supplies about 90–130 mg of calcium before absorption losses. That is a realistic daily habit and a useful contributor rather than a complete source.
Does sesame oil contain calcium?
Essentially none. Pressing extracts the fat and leaves the minerals in the seed residue, so cooking in til oil does not contribute to calcium intake.
How much calcium is in 100 g of til (sesame seeds)?
Unhulled til (with seed coat) has about 900–1,000 mg of calcium per 100 g. Values vary with variety and preparation.
How much calcium is in 100 g of black til (usually unhulled)?
Black til (usually unhulled) has about 950–1,000 mg of calcium per 100 g, according to the table on this page.
How much calcium is in a tablespoon (~9 g) of unhulled til (with seed coat)?
About 90–130 mg of calcium, according to the table on this page.
Til me kitna calcium hota hai?
Unhulled til (with seed coat) has about 900–1,000 mg of calcium per 100 g, according to the table on this page.
Sources
- ICMR-NIN, Indian Food Composition Tables and Dietary Guidelines for Indians. nin.res.in
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. ods.od.nih.gov
- World Health Organization, Healthy diet fact sheet. who.int