Sesame seed oil was tested on rats to see if it could help lower high cholesterol levels. The researchers first analyzed the oil from sesame seeds and then fed it to rats with high cholesterol for 60 days. They found that the rats who ate the sesame seed oil had better antioxidant levels and lower levels of bad cholesterol (LDL-C), total cholesterol, and triglycerides. They also had higher levels of good cholesterol (HDL-C). This suggests that sesame seed oil could be protective against high cholesterol in rats.