Health Effects of Chia Seeds
Chia seeds were used to sprout on top of little clay statues call Chia pets – after watering, the seeds would sprout, looking like hair! A bit of a fun novelty. Now Chia seeds have become know as a super food for the heath effects! They have a very high nutritional content and can be a really good food to help maximise your nutritional intake.
The Aztec are attributed to being the first to grow and harvest chia seeds and it was considered to be one of the major food crops of that civilisation and was even used as currency to pay taxes and other day-to-day expenses. Chia seeds eventually lost popularity with the arrival of the Spanish. Salvia Hispanica is a member of the mint family and the seeds range in colour from brown, black grey and white. Other herbs belonging to this group include sage, peppermint, basil and rosemary. The medicinal effects of Chia seeds have been used by the Southwest Native Americans for endurance, but its uses also include easing constipation, improving joint mobility and increasing energy. In homoeopathic medicine, many plants from the mint family are used for a wide range of conditions.
The seeds can be used as a flour / meal (pinole) to make cakes and biscuits and porridge. They can also be soaked in water or juice – the drink is called Chia Fresca in Mexico. There is also the oil extracted from the seeds which makes a lovely dressing for salads.
There are high levels of protein in the seeds, healthy fats, fibre and various vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and in this regard they are a little like flax seeds but the advantage is that they don’t need to be crushed and they don’t go rancid as easily. Like many seeds, chia have the quality of lasting a long time – up to 2 years without refrigeration! This is partly due to the antioxidant levels. The seeds contain 40% of oil and a large percentage of this is the healthy omega 3 (ALA). This oils is an essential fatty acid – that means we are not able to produce it in the body and must have it through our diet. The antioxidant effects and the fatty acids make the seeds an excellent immune simulator. Check out my article Immune System Booster Vitamins.
Health Advantages of ALA
Lowers triglycerides and encourages healthy cholesterol levels
It is a hypotensive which helps in heart disease
Anti-inflammatory action
Protects the liver
Helps control sugar levels in the blood
Protection from conditions like arthritis, autoimmune disease and even cancer.
Nutritional Information
Chiatrition Chia seeds are superior to other plant and marine sources of Omega 3 – the essential fatty acid, it is low in sodium, high in protein, lipids, fibre and antioxidants, fewer carbs than most other grains, it is valued as an ideal energy source for athletic endurance, and now called “Superfoods”.
Omega 3 – Chia seed has 8 times more omega 3 than salmon, more importantly, chia doesn’t contain cholesterol and toxic heavy metal components as fish and other marine or animal products.
Calcium – Chia seed contains 5 times more calcium than milk.
Protein – Chia seed possesses 23 percent protein, this is higher than other traditional cereals such as wheat(13.7 %), corn(9.4 %), rice(6.5 %), oats(16.9 percent) and barley(12.5 %).
Fibre – Comparing the fibre content of chia, it has 1.6, 2.3, 2.6, 8.3 and 9.8 times more fibre per 100 grams of an edible portion than barley, wheat, oats, corn and rice, respectively.
Iron – Comparing iron content of chia seed with other traditional iron-rich sources products, chia seed has 6, 1.8, and 2.4 times more iron per 100 grams of edible portion than spinach, lentils, and beef liver.
Antioxidants and vitamins and minerals
Chia contains high portion of antioxidants, and that makes it a very stable source of omega 3, and enables us to store chia seed and flour for extended periods of time without becoming rancid. Chia seed is also a good source of B vitamins.
These so-called ‘Super Foods’ do play a role in moving towards better health so my suggestion is that if you haven’t already, go and try some chia seeds – they are easy to find and look up the net for more ways to use them. I just add them to my nuts and seeds and have them as a snack throughout the day. This way I’m getting some protein as well as good quality fats without too much carbohydrate. Let me know what you think!
Table of Nutrients Found In Chia Seeds (average per 10 gms)
Energy 192Kj 1920Kj
Protein 2.0g
Fat, total 3.4g
Saturated 0.4g
Monounsaturated 0.3g
Omega 5 3.4mg
Omega 7 3.5mg 35.0mg
Omega 9 201.1mg
Polyunsaturated 2.6g
Omega 3 1.9g
Omega 6 0.7g
Carbohydrates 3.7g
Sugars 0.0g 0.0g
Fibre 3.6g
Calcium 50mg
Potassium 50mg
Magnesium 29mg
Iron 0.6mg
Phosphorous 60mg
References
Image Chia seeds: ally j, Pixabay
chiaseed-3986385_1280 https://pixabay.com/users/allybally4b-11136103/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=3986385
Table of nutrients: HistoryAndOrigin.htmlhttp://www.chiaseeds.net.au/pages.php?pageid=7
http://www.ahdintl.com/_oldsite-archive/ChiaSeeds-