Health Benefits of Chia Seeds

ØChia Seeds Deliver a Massive Amount of Nutrients With Very Few
Calories

Chia seeds are tiny white seeds from the plant Salvia hispanica, which is related to the mint.

Chia seeds were an important food for the Aztecs and Mayans back in the day.

They prized them for their ability to provide sustainable energy. In fact, "chia" is the ancient Mayan word for "strength."

Despite their ancient history as a dietary staple, chia seeds became recognized as a modern-day superfood only recently.

In the past few years, they have exploded in popularity and are now consumed by health conscious people all over the world.

Don't be fooled by the size — these tiny seeds pack a powerful nutritional punch.

A one-ounce (28 grams) serving of chia seeds contains:

• Fiber: 11 grams.
• Protein: 4 grams.
• Fat: 9 grams (5 of which are omega-3s).
• Calcium: 18% of the RDI.
• Manganese: 30% of the RDI.
• Magnesium: 30% of the RDI.
• Phosphorus: 27% of the RDI.
• They also contain a decent amount of zinc, vitamin B3 (niacin), potassium, vitamin B1 (thiamine) and vitamin B2.

This is particularly impressive considering that this is just a single ounce, equalling 28 grams or about two tablespoons. This small amount supplies only 137 calories and one gram of digestible carbohydrate.

Interestingly, if you subtract the fiber — most of which doesn’t end up as usable calories for your body — chia seeds only contain 101 calories per ounce (28 grams).

Ø   Loaded With Antioxidants

Another area in which chia seeds shine is their high antioxidant content (1).

These antioxidants protect the sensitive fats in the seeds from going rancid.

Though the benefits of antioxidant supplements are debated, researchers agree that getting antioxidants from foods can have positive health effects.

Ø   All the Carbs in Them Are Fiber

One ounce (28 grams) of chia seeds has 12 grams of carbs. However, 11 of those grams are fiber, which your body doesn’t digest.

Fiber neither raises blood sugar nor requires insulin to be disposed of. Though it belongs to the carbohydrate family, its health effects are drastically different from those of digestible carbs like starch and sugar.

The digestible carb content is only one gram per ounce (28 grams), which is very low. This makes chia a low-carb friendly food.

Because of its high soluble fiber content, chia seeds can absorb up to 10–12 times their weight in water, becoming gel-like and expanding in your stomach (2).

Theoretically, this should increase fullness, slow absorption of your food and help you automatically eat fewer calories.

Chia seeds are 40% fiber by weight, making them one of the best sources of fiber in the world.

Ø   Chia Seeds Are High Source Protein

Chia seeds contain a high source of protein.

By weight, they’re about 14% protein, which is very high compared to most plants.

Protein has various health benefits and is by far the most weight loss friendly dietary nutrient.

A high protein intake lowers appetite and has been shown to reduce obsessive thoughts about food by 60% and the desire for night time snacking by 50% (3).

Chia seeds really are an excellent protein source — especially for people who eat little or no animal products.

Ø   The High Fiber and Protein Content May Help You Lose Weight

Many health experts believe that chia seeds can aid weight loss.

Its soluble fiber absorbs large amounts of water and expands in your stomach, which should increase fullness and slow the absorption of food.

Also, the protein in chia seeds could help reduce appetite and food intake.

In fact, one study found that eating chia seeds for breakfast increased satiety and reduced food intake in the short-term (4).

However, studies examining the effectiveness of chia seeds for weight loss have provided rather disappointing results.

In another 10-week study in 62 women, chia seeds had no effect on body weight but did increase the amount of omega-3 fat in the blood (5).

In contrast, a 6-month study in obese people with type 2 diabetes on a reduced-calorie diet found that eating chia seeds daily caused significantly greater weight loss than a placebo (6).

Though adding chia seeds to your diet is unlikely to cause weight loss on its own, many experts believe they can be a useful addition to a weight loss diet.

A weight loss diet is about more than just single foods. The entire diet counts, as well as other lifestyle behaviors like sleep and exercise.

Ø   Chia Seeds Are High in Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Like flaxseeds, chia seeds are very high in omega-3 fatty acids.

In fact, chia seeds contain more omega-3s than salmon, gram for gram.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that the omega-3s in them are mostly ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), which is not as beneficial as you may think.

ALA needs to be converted into the active forms eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) before your body can use it.

Unfortunately, humans are inefficient at converting ALA into these active forms.

Therefore, plant omega-3s tend to be vastly inferior to animal sources like fish oil (7).

Because they don't supply any DHA, which is the most important omega-3 fat, most experts consider chia seeds a lower-quality omega-3 source.

Because they don't supply any DHA, which is the most important omega-3 fat, most experts consider chia seeds a lower-quality omega-3 source.

Ø   They’re High in Many Important Bone Nutrients

Chia seeds are high in several nutrients that are important for bone health.

This includes calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and protein.

The calcium content is particularly impressive — 18% of the RDI in a single ounce (28 grams).

Gram for gram, this is higher than most dairy products. As a result, chia seeds may be considered an excellent source of calcium for people who don't eat dairy.

However, chia seeds also contain phytic acid, which reduces calcium absorption to some extent.

Ø   Chia Seeds May Reduce Blood Sugar Levels

High fasting blood sugar levels are a typical symptom of untreated type 2 diabetes.

Consistently high fasting blood sugar levels are associated with an increased risk of several chronic diseases, including heart disease (8).

But temporary spikes in blood sugar levels after meals may also have adverse health effects when they’re excessively high on a regular basis (9).

Ø   They May Reduce Chronic Inflammation

Inflammation is your body’s normal response to infection or injury. Red and swollen skin is a typical example.

Although inflammation helps your body heal and fight off bacteria, viruses and other infectious agents, it can sometimes cause harm.

This mainly applies to chronic inflammation, which is associated with an increased risk of heart disease and cancer.

Chronic inflammation often doesn’t have any visible signs, but can be assessed by measuring inflammatory markers in your blood.

Various unhealthy lifestyle habits increase your risk of chronic inflammation, including smoking, lack of exercise or a poor diet.

On the other hand, certain healthy foods may reduce the blood levels of inflammatory markers.

One 3-month study in 20 people with diabetes showed that eating 37 grams of chia seeds daily reduced the inflammatory marker hs-CRP by 40%. In contrast, those who got wheat bran didn’t experience a significant benefit (10).

Ø   Chia Seeds Are Easy to Incorporate Into Your Diet

Chia seeds are incredibly easy to incorporate into your diet.

The seeds themselves taste rather bland, so you can add them to pretty much anything.

They also don't need to be ground like flax seeds, which makes them much easier to prepare.

They can be eaten raw, soaked in juice, added to porridge, pudding, smoothies or added to baked goods.

You can also sprinkle them on top of cereal, yogurt, vegetables or rice dishes.

Because of their ability to absorb both water and fat, they can be used to thicken sauces and as egg substitutes in recipes.

They can also be mixed with water and turned into a gel.

Adding chia seeds to recipes will dramatically boost their nutritional value.

If you want to buy chia seeds, there is an excellent selection Online with thousands of customer reviews.

They do also seem to be well tolerated, but if you're not used to eating a lot of fiber, then there is a possibility of digestive side effects if you eat too much at a time.

A common dosage recommendation is 20 grams (about 1.5 tablespoons) of chia seeds, twice per day.