Sesame Seeds vs. Spirulina
Nutrition comparison of Sesame Seeds and Spirulina
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
sesame seeds
versus
spirulina
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in sesame seeds and spirulina:
- Both sesame seeds and spirulina are high in calcium, calories, dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
- Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid, however, sesame seed contains more Vitamin B6.
- Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin C than sesame seed.
- Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin E than sesame seed.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Sesame Seeds (Seeds, sesame seeds, whole, roasted and toasted) and Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both sesame seeds and spirulina are high in calories. Sesame seed has 95% more calories than spirulina - sesame seed has 565 calories per 100 grams and spirulina has 290 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, sesame seeds is much lighter in protein, lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to spirulina per calorie. Sesame seeds has a macronutrient ratio of 11:17:72 and for spirulina, 59:25:17 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Sesame Seeds | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 11% | 59% |
| Carbohydrates | 17% | 25% |
| Fat | 72% | 17% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Sesame seeds and spirulina contain similar amounts of carbs - sesame seed has 25.7g of total carbs per 100 grams and spirulina has 23.9g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both sesame seeds and spirulina are high in dietary fiber. Sesame seed has 289% more dietary fiber than spirulina - sesame seed has 14g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and spirulina has 3.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Sesame seed has less sugar than spirulina - spirulina has 3.1g of sugar per 100 grams and sesame seed does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both sesame seeds and spirulina are high in protein. Spirulina has 239% more protein than sesame seed - sesame seed has 17g of protein per 100 grams and spirulina has 57.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Sesame seed is high in saturated fat and spirulina has 61% less saturated fat than sesame seed - sesame seed has 6.7g of saturated fat per 100 grams and spirulina has 2.7g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin C than sesame seed - spirulina has 10.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and sesame seed does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Spirulina has more Vitamin A than sesame seed - spirulina has 29ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and sesame seed does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin E than sesame seed - spirulina has 5mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and sesame seed does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Spirulina has more Vitamin K than sesame seed - spirulina has 25.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and sesame seed does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid, however, sesame seed contains more Vitamin B6. Both sesame seeds and spirulina contain significant amounts of folate.
| Sesame Seeds | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.803 MG | 2.38 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.251 MG | 3.67 MG |
| Niacin | 4.581 MG | 12.82 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.051 MG | 3.48 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.802 MG | 0.364 MG |
| Folate | 98 UG | 94 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both sesame seeds and spirulina are high in calcium. Sesame seed has 724% more calcium than spirulina - sesame seed has 989mg of calcium per 100 grams and spirulina has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Both sesame seeds and spirulina are high in iron. Spirulina has 93% more iron than sesame seed - sesame seed has 14.8mg of iron per 100 grams and spirulina has 28.5mg of iron.
potassium
Both sesame seeds and spirulina are high in potassium. Spirulina has 187% more potassium than sesame seed - sesame seed has 475mg of potassium per 100 grams and spirulina has 1363mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spirulina has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than sesame seed per 100 grams.
| Sesame Seeds | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.363 G | 0.823 G |
| Total | 0.363 G | 0.823 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, sesame seed has more linoleic acid than spirulina per 100 grams.
| Sesame Seeds | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 20.654 G | 1.254 G |
| Total | 20.654 G | 1.254 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Sesame Seeds (Seeds, sesame seeds, whole, roasted and toasted) and Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) .
Sesame Seeds g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Spirulina g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does sesame seeds or spirulina contain more calories in 100 grams?Both sesame seeds and spirulina are high in calories. Sesame seed has 100% more calories than spirulina - sesame seed has 565 calories in 100g and spirulina has 290 calories.
Is sesame seeds or spirulina better for protein?
Both sesame seeds and spirulina are high in protein. Spirulina has 240% more protein than sesame seed - sesame seed has 17g of protein per 100 grams and spirulina has 57.5g of protein.
Does sesame seeds or spirulina contain more calcium?
Both sesame seeds and spirulina are high in calcium. Sesame seed has 720% more calcium than spirulina - sesame seed has 989mg of calcium in 100 grams and spirulina has 120mg of calcium.
Does sesame seeds or spirulina contain more iron?
Both sesame seeds and spirulina are high in iron. Spirulina has 90% more iron than sesame seed - sesame seed has 14.8mg of iron in 100 grams and spirulina has 28.5mg of iron.
Does sesame seeds or spirulina contain more potassium?
Both sesame seeds and spirulina are high in potassium. Spirulina has 190% more potassium than sesame seed - sesame seed has 475mg of potassium in 100 grams and spirulina has 1363mg of potassium.