Eggplant dip: rich spread, thin evidence

The strongest numbers near eggplant dip come from its sesame, and only from people with diabetes taking sesame as a supplement. A meta-analysis of 13 trials in 731 people with diabetes, lasting 6 to 12 weeks, found sesame supplementation lowered fasting glucose by 28.48 mg/dl and LDL cholesterol by 29.72 mg/dl, at doses the abstract does not state. These numbers are about supplements, not about the dip. We have no card on taking sesame supplements together with medicines that lower blood glucose, so anyone on such medicines should not add a sesame supplement on the strength of these results without asking whoever prescribes them. A second meta-analysis of 10 trials in type 2 diabetes reported triglycerides 37.61 mg/dl and LDL cholesterol 28.72 mg/dl lower with no change in body weight, but its printed confidence intervals have lost their minus signs and cannot be read cleanly. Neither tested tahini in a dip. The dip itself is a rich spread. USDA survey data list it at 183 calories and 15 g fat per 3.5 oz (100 g), about 27 calories and 31 mg sodium in a 15 g tablespoon, from one record whose recipe, tahini share included, is not given. We found no study of eggplant dip as a dish.

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• USDA survey data list eggplant dip at 183 calories and 15 g fat per 3.5 oz (100 g), so one 15 g tablespoon carries about 27 calories and 31 mg sodium. — FNDDS food code 75412030 Eggplant dip, WWEIA Dips, gravies, other sauces (n = 1 record) Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: 183 calories, fat 14.98 g, sodium 209 mg, fiber 3.9 g, protein 4.8 g; per tablespoon (15 g): 27.4 calories, fat 2.2 g, sodium 31.4 mg; per container (70 g): 128.1 calories, fat 10.5 g

What your body absorbs

• In a crossover trial of 16 postmenopausal women, 25 g a day of unground sesame for 4 weeks was absorbed, raising serum n-6 fatty acids and gamma-tocopherol, but did not change plasma lipids. — 16 postmenopausal women, food bars with 25 g unground seed, 4 weeks each (n = 16) Evidence B source
  Serum n-6 fatty acids up (p<0.05), gamma-tocopherol up (p<0.0001), urinary lignans up; plasma lipids unchanged

What cooking and storage change

• By the USDA retention table for vegetables, baking keeps about 85% of folate and vitamin C, while frying keeps 70% of folate, and minerals stay at 100% either way. — USDA factors for the group Vegetables and Vegetable Products; eggplant is not named individually Evidence E source
  Baked (3771): folate 85%, vitamin C 85%, thiamin 90%, potassium 100%; fried (3780): folate 70%, vitamin C 85%, thiamin 85%, potassium 100%

What it does to your health

• In a 12-week randomized placebo-controlled trial in 100 stressed adults with high-normal or grade 1 blood pressure, 1.2 g a day of eggplant powder lowered clinic blood pressure versus placebo. — 100 stressed participants with normal-high BP or grade 1 hypertension, 12 weeks (n = 100) Evidence B source
  Lower diastolic BP at week 8 and systolic and diastolic BP at week 12 vs placebo; abstract gives no mmHg difference

Safety, limits and interactions

• A 2026 systematic review puts IgE-mediated sesame allergy at about 0.1 to 0.2% of the population, a risk carried by eggplant dips made with tahini. — general population Evidence C source
  Prevalence about 0.1-0.2%
• Pooling global surveys, aflatoxin B1 was found in 28.93% of sesame seed samples, the raw material of tahini, at a mean of 28.302 micrograms per kg. — sesame seed samples, studies 2005-2025 Evidence C source
  AFB1 prevalence 28.93%, concentration 28.302 mcg/kg; MOE below 10,000 in nearly all countries

What people believe that the data does not support

• In a 5-week placebo-controlled trial in 38 adults with high cholesterol, eggplant infusion did not lower cholesterol more than placebo, which does not support the belief that eggplant treats high cholesterol. — 38 hypercholesterolemic volunteers, 19 per group, five weeks (n = 38) Evidence B source
  No difference vs control in total cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides or apolipoproteins
• Since 1 January 2023, US packaged foods must label sesame as an allergen, so a store-bought eggplant dip with tahini has to declare it. — packaged foods and dietary supplements sold in the United States Evidence E source
  Mandatory sesame allergen declaration from 1 January 2023 (FASTER Act)

Who this works differently for

• A meta-analysis of 10 randomized trials in type 2 diabetes found sesame lowered triglycerides by 37.61 mg/dl and LDL cholesterol by 28.72 mg/dl, with no change in body weight. — patients with type 2 diabetes, 10 RCTs (n = 10 RCTs) Evidence A source
  TG WMD -37.61 mg/dl; TC WMD -32.69 mg/dl; LDL-C WMD -28.72 mg/dl; no effect on HDL-C, BW, BMI
• Pooling 13 trials with 731 people with diabetes over 6 to 12 weeks, sesame supplementation lowered fasting glucose by 28.48 mg/dl and LDL cholesterol by 29.72 mg/dl. — Thirteen studies, 731 participants with diabetes, 6 to 12 weeks (n = 731) Evidence A source
  Fasting glucose WMD -28.48; HbA1c WMD -0.98; LDL-C WMD -29.72; TG WMD -33.46

What is still unknown

• Among 177,148 UK Biobank participants followed for 3.4 years, a high liking for eggplant was linked to 21% lower all-cause mortality, though liking is not the same as intake. — 177,148 UK Biobank participants, mean follow-up 3.4 years (n = 177148) Evidence C source
  HR 0.79 (0.72, 0.87) for high vs low preference

The bottom line

The eggplant half has less behind it. In a 12 week randomized placebo-controlled trial in 100 stressed adults with high-normal or grade 1 blood pressure, 1.2 g a day of eggplant powder in capsules lowered clinic systolic and diastolic pressure against placebo by week 12. The abstract gives no size in mmHg. The old belief that eggplant lowers cholesterol was tested in 38 adults with high cholesterol. An eggplant infusion for five weeks did no better than placebo. A UK Biobank analysis of 177,148 people linked a strong liking for eggplant with 21% lower all-cause mortality over 3.4 years (HR 0.79, 95% CI 0.72 to 0.87). It measured taste preference. Nobody recorded how much eggplant anyone ate, so it says little about the dip. Sesame eaten whole does get absorbed. In a crossover trial of 16 postmenopausal women, 25 g a day of unground sesame seed in food bars for 4 weeks raised serum n-6 fatty acids and gamma-tocopherol and left plasma lipids unchanged. Tahini is ground seed, and how much of it a given dip holds is unknown. For the eggplant, the USDA retention table for vegetables as a group keeps 85% of folate and vitamin C when baked, 70% of folate when fried, and all the potassium either way. Eggplant is not named in that table. Caution: sesame causes IgE-mediated allergy in about 0.1 to 0.2% of people, according to a 2026 systematic review, and a dip made with tahini carries that sesame. Since 1 January 2023, packaged foods in the US must declare sesame on the label, a rule that does not reach a restaurant dip. A meta-analysis of contamination surveys found aflatoxin B1 in 28.93% of raw sesame seed samples, at a mean of 28.302 micrograms per kg, measured in seed and not in finished tahini. We have no card on pregnancy, children or drug interactions for this dish. In the US, supplements do not go through FDA approval the way medicines do, so anyone who takes medication, is pregnant or has a chronic illness should talk to a doctor before taking a sesame supplement.

Sources

1. egdp-r1-01 · USDA FNDDS, dataset
   Eggplant dip (FNDDS 75412030, FDC 2710049, WWEIA Dips, gravies, other sauces): 1 tablespoon = 15 g; 1 individual container = 70 g; per 100 g: Energy 183 kcal; Total lipid (fat) 14.98 g; Sodium, Na 209 mg; Fiber, total dietary 3.9 g; Protein 4.8 g; per 1 tablespoon: 27.4 kcal, fat 2.2 g, sodium 31.4 mg
   USDA FNDDS (FoodData Central survey 2024-10-31), food code 75412030 (FDC 2710049) · checked 2026-10-02
2. egdp-r1-05 · RCT
   Total serum n-3 fatty acids increased with flaxseed (p<0.05) and FSB (p=0.064) while serum n-6 fatty acids increased with sesame seed (p<0.05). Urinary lignans increased similarly with all treatments (p<0.05). Plasma lipids and several antioxidant markers were unaffected by all treatments, except serum gamma-tocopherol (GT), which increased with both sesame seed (p<0.0001) and FSB (p<0.01).
   Mol Nutr Food Res, 2009 · checked 2026-10-02
3. egdp-r1-02 · reference dataset
   USDA-RETN-R6:3771 VEG,OTHER,BAKED — folate_total_ug 85% · vitamin_c_mg 85% · thiamin_mg 90% · potassium_mg 100% || USDA-RETN-R6:3780 VEG,OTHER,FRIED — folate_total_ug 70% · vitamin_c_mg 85% · thiamin_mg 85% · potassium_mg 100%
   USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6 (2007) · checked 2026-10-02
4. egdp-r1-03 · RCT
   Participants in the eggplant group ingested capsules containing eggplant powder (1.2 g/day; 2.3 mg of ACh/day) for 12 weeks, whereas participants in the placebo group ingested placebo capsules. ... Eggplant powder intake significantly decreased the hospital diastolic blood pressure (DBP) at week 8 overall and in the normal-high BP group, and the systolic blood pressure (SBP) and DBP at week 12 overall and in the grade 1 hypertension group, compared to those of the placebo group.
   Nutrients, 2019 · checked 2026-10-02
5. egdp-r1-08 · systematic review
   However, despite its widespread culinary and industrial applications, sesame has emerged as a growing allergenic concern, eliciting IgE-mediated reactions in approximately 0.1-0.2 % of the population.
   Food Chem, 2026 · checked 2026-10-02
6. egdp-r1-09 · meta-analysis
   The pooled prevalence order was AFB1 (28.93%) > AFB2 (18.09%) > AFG2 (10.80%) > AFG1 (9.95%), while concentration order was AFG1 (32.290 µg/kg) > AFB1 (28.302 µg/kg) > AFB2 (3.183 µg/kg) > AFG2 (0.131 µg/kg).
   Mycotoxin Res, 2026 · checked 2026-10-02
7. egdp-r1-04 · RCT
   It has been believed that infusion of a powdered preparation of the fruit may reduce serum cholesterol. ... No differences were observed compared to control.
   Braz J Med Biol Res, 2000 · checked 2026-10-02
8. egdp-r1-10 · FDA regulation
   As of January 1, 2023, sesame must be labeled as an allergen on packaged foods and dietary supplements.
   FDA, FASTER Act: Sesame is the Ninth Major Food Allergen, 2024 · checked 2026-10-02
9. egdp-r1-06 · meta-analysis of RCTs
   Our meta-analysis suggested a significant association between sesame supplementation and reduction in TG (weighted mean difference (WMD): -37.61 mg/dl, 95 % CI: -61.48, 13.73), TC (WMD: -32.69 mg/dl, 95 % CI: -47.26, 18.12), and LDL-C (WMD: -28.72 mg/dl, 95 % CI: -44.68, 12.76). However, our meta-analysis indicated that the supplementary intake of sesame had no significant effect on HDL-C, BW, and BMI in patients with T2DM.
   Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis, 2024 · checked 2026-10-02
10. egdp-r1-07 · meta-analysis
    RESULTS: Thirteen studies, including 731 participants with intervention durations ranging from 6 to 12 weeks, were analyzed. Sesame supplementation significantly reduced fasting glucose (WMD = -28.48; 95 % CI: 37.66, -19.30; P < 0.001), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) (WMD = -0.98; 95 % CI: 1.95, -0.02; P = 0.045), postprandial blood glucose (WMD = -15.90; 95 % CI: 21.59, -10.20; P < 0.001), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (WMD = -29.72; 95 % CI: 47.88, -11.55; P = 0.001), total cholesterol (TC) (WMD = -32.76; 95 % CI: 52.69, -12.84; P = 0.001), triglycerides (TG) (WMD = -33.46; 95 % CI: 51.55, -15.37; P < 0.001), and significantly increased catalase (CAT) (WMD = 3.41; 95 % CI: 2.86, 3.96; P < 0.001), and superoxide dismutase activity (SOD) (WMD = 2.76; 95 % CI: 2.30, 3.22; P < 0.001).
    Diabetes Metab Syndr, 2025 · checked 2026-10-02
11. egdp-r1-11 · prospective cohort
    Higher preference for asparagus (hazard ratio (95% confidence interval)): 0.69 (0.62, 0.77)), aubergine (0.79 (0.72, 0.87)), black pepper (0.72 (0.64, 0.81)), broccoli (0.69 (0.61, 0.79)), butternut squash (0.75 (0.68, 0.83)), and extra virgin olive oil (0.67 (0.58, 0.78)) was linked to lower all-cause mortality, whereas higher preference for regular fizzy drinks (1.38 (1.24, 1.54)) was linked to higher mortality across all analyses.
    Sci Rep, 2026 · checked 2026-10-02