Is Sesame (til) safe during pregnancy?

Nuts & seeds Also called Nuvvulu (Telugu); Acchellu (Kannada); Kada tal (Gujarati); Tal (Gujarati); Safed tal (Gujarati).

Part of the pregnancy diet

ICMR-NIN includes oilseeds such as sesame in its sample pregnancy diet; FSANZ lists tahini (sesame paste) dips as higher-risk for vulnerable people.[1,2]

What official sources say

ICMR-NIN: Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024

  • Its sample pregnancy diet includes 20 g of nuts (almonds, walnuts, peanuts and others) and oilseeds such as sesame. (p. 17)[1]

FSANZ: Food safety for vulnerable people

  • Higher-risk foods: Hummus and tahini, including dips containing tahini (advice for vulnerable people, including pregnant women)[2]
  • Safer alternatives: Pasteurised dips, spreads without tahini (advice for vulnerable people, including pregnant women)[2]

The belief: Til (sesame) causes miscarriage

No official source advises avoiding sesame. ICMR-NIN's sample pregnancy diet includes oilseeds such as sesame. FSANZ lists hummus and tahini (sesame paste), including tahini dips, as higher-risk foods for vulnerable people - a food-safety listing, not a statement that sesame causes miscarriage.[1,2]

Related general rules

ICMR-NIN: Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024

  • Milk, curd, sesame seeds, ragi and green leafy vegetables such as amaranth are good sources of calcium. (p. 42) (general-population advice, not specific to pregnancy)[1]

FSANZ: Pregnancy and healthy eating

  • Nuts and seeds contain calcium, phytoestrogens and omega-3 fatty acids.[3]

Nutrition per 100 g (USDA)

Energy573 kcal
Protein17.73 g
Fibre11.8 g
Sugars0.3 g
Iron14.55 mg
Calcium975 mg
Folate (DFE)97 µg
Folate, total97 µg
Vitamin A (RAE)0 µg
Vitamin C0 mg
Vitamin D0 µg
Vitamin B120 µg
Choline25.6 mg
DHA (omega-3)0 g
EPA (omega-3)0 g
Caffeine0 mg
Sodium11 mg

USDA FoodData Central: Seeds, sesame seeds, whole, dried (FDC ID 170150), per 100 g. Public domain. Values describe that USDA record; composition varies with variety and preparation.

Sources

  1. ICMR-NIN: Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024 · nin.res.in. Printed pages 17, 42. Paraphrased and cited by printed page; the text is not reproduced.
  2. FSANZ: Food safety for vulnerable people · foodstandards.gov.au. © Food Standards Australia New Zealand, licensed under CC BY 4.0; quoted. No endorsement implied.
  3. FSANZ: Pregnancy and healthy eating · foodstandards.gov.au. © Food Standards Australia New Zealand, licensed under CC BY 4.0; quoted. No endorsement implied.

Sources checked 26 September 2026.

Quotes are checked word for word against each source page, and paraphrases against the original text. Official bodies are named as sources only: none of them reviewed or endorses this page.

Educational information, not medical advice. Your own doctor or midwife may advise differently for you — follow their advice.