Chia Seeds Nutrition Benefits

What are Chia Seeds?

Chia seeds are small black, white and grey edible seeds that come from a mint plant called “Salvia Hispanica”. They are round or oval about 2mm wide. They are native to Mexico and are grown in South and Central America as well. These seeds have been around for a long time and there is evidence to show that the ancient Aztecs grew these as well.

What I love about these seeds is that when you put them in water, they absorb the water and grow in size. A soft jelly-like layer forms around the seeds making them soft on the outside and crunchy on the inside.

Why was I interested in Chia Seeds?

My interest in Chia seeds first arose because of their nutritional benefits when it comes to Omega-3 fatty acids.

As a vegetarian, I do not eat fish. This means that I miss out on the important Omega-3 fats that can be obtained from eating fish. Omega 3 fatty acids are very important for brain health. Infact, 60% of our brains are made of fat and half of that fat is of the Omega 3 kind. Without adequate Omega 3 fats, I may have experienced poor brain health and mental decline.

Secondly, Omega 3 fats are also great for good eye health and good skin.

Do Chia Seeds have any other nutrients?

Yes, Chia seeds are actually a superfood. They pack a lot of nutrients per serving compared to other foods.

According to Everydayhealth, one tablespoon of Chia seeds have roughly the following nutrients:

• 2gm Protein
• 2mg Phosphorus (11% of recommended daily intake)
• 7mg Calcium (8% of recommended daily intake)
• 8mg Potassium (1% of recommended daily intake)
• 5 IU Vitamin A (0.001% of recommended daily intake)
• 2mg Vitamin C (1% of recommended daily intake)
• 1mg Vitamin E (1% of recommended daily intake)
• 5g Fat (1 g saturated, 7 g polyunsaturated, 1 g monounsaturated, and 0 g trans)
• 6g Carbs
• 5g Fiber

Based on my research, Chia seeds have these many Omega 3 Fats:

• 2.5gm Omega 3 Fat (80% of recommended daily intake)

Chia seeds are an excellent source of Omega 3 Fats for vegetarians.

There, however, is a problem with plant based Omega 3 fats from Chia seeds as compared to animal based omega 3 fats.

In plant based Omega 3 food sources, the omega 3 fats are in an ALA form. These need to be converted to EPA and DHA to be effective. As humans, we are not good at converting these omega 3 fats into EPA and DHA which support our cells. Whereas when you consume fish, the omega 3 fats are already in an EPA and DHA form which can be easily absorbed by the body.

What are the nutritional benefits of Chia Seeds?

Chia seeds are a superfood

As per the nutrients above, Chia seeds are a superfood packed with many nutrients, especially Omega 3 Fats, Calcium and Phosphorus.

Calorie for calorie, chia seeds are packed with many nutrients that are great for your health.

they have a high fiber content

Packed with 5g of fiber per tablespoon, Chia seeds are good for fiber.

The high fiber content can give you a feeling of being fuller, especially if you soak them in water beforehand. They absorb a lot of water. It is thought that Chia seeds can help with weight loss because of this. However, there is no scientific evidence of this.

Fiber is also good for the gut and good digestive health by slowing down the digestion process.

they are packed with antioxidants

Chia seeds are a potential source of antioxidants and have chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, myricetin, quercetin, and kaempferol. These are believed to be beneficial for heart health, ageing and cancer.

Free radicals cause ailments such as ageing and cancer and antioxidants are thought to fight such free radicals.

they have a high protein content

Protein is good especially if you’re looking to lose weight or get fit. Chia seeds have high quality protein that would be beneficial.

Protein is also very important for good hair health. If you are not getting your recommended daily intake of protein, you will lose hair.

chia seeds are good for bone & teeth health

Given that Chia seeds supply 11% of your recommended Phosphorus intake and 8% of your recommended Calcium intake, these are very beneficial for healthy and strong bones. Phosphorus also helps to build strong healthy teeth.

How do I eat Chia Seeds?

You can easily add chia seeds to your diet. Add them to your cereal, oatmeal, yoghurts, smoothies, milkshakes or even salads.

Never eat these seeds on their own. You should always add them to something else that you are eating. Alternatively, you can soak them in water and then consume them. Eating them on their own may cause digestive issues.

I will share various recipes where you could add chia seeds so please keep visiting my blog.

Am I allergic to Chia Seeds?

The only way to know is by first trying a few. It is uncommon to have an allergic reaction to chia seeds. Incase you do, you may have symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea and itching of the lips or tongue according to healthline.

How do I store my Chia Seeds?

I store my Chia seeds in a cool dry place. My chia seeds have lasted between 2-3 years and never gone bad. As long as you do not get water into them, they will last for a long time. I believe the antioxidants in Chia seeds are beneficial to the chia seeds themselves 😀

Chia Seeds Nutritional Benefits

I hope you enjoyed reading my article on Chia seeds. It contains information from a lot of sources mainly from my reading and research online about Chia seeds, listening to podcasts etc. Please feel free to comment incase you have any more information to add, subtract or any questions 🙂