BULK CHIA SEED WHITE AND BLACK / Organic Chia Seeds

Health Benefits of Chia Seeds

1. Chia Seeds Deliver a Massive Amount of Nutrients With Very Few Calories

Chia seeds are tiny black seeds from the plant Salvia Hispanica, which is related to the mint.

This plant grows natively in South America.

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, only recently did chia seeds become recognized as a modern day superfood.

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

2. Chia Seeds Are Loaded With Antioxidants

Chia Seeds in Glass Bowl

 Another area where chia seeds shine is in their high amount of antioxidants.

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

Although antioxidant supplements are not very effective, getting antioxidants from foods can have positive effects on health.

 Most importantly, antioxidants fight the production of free radicals, which can damage molecules in cells and contribute to ageing and diseases like cancer .

  3. Almost All The Carbs in Them Are Fiber

 Looking at the nutrition profile of chia seeds, you see that an ounce has 12 grams of “carbohydrate.”

 However… 11 of those grams are fiber, which isn’t digested by the body.

 Fiber doesn’t raise blood sugar, doesn’t require insulin to be disposed of and therefore shouldn’t count as a carb.

 The true carb content is only 1 gram per ounce, which is very low. This makes chia a low-carb friendly food.

 Because of all the fiber, chia seeds can absorb up to 10-12 times their weight in water, becoming gel-like and expanding in your stomach .

4. Chia Seeds Are High in Quality Protein

 Chia seeds contain a decent amount of protein.

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

 They also contain a good balance of essential amino acids, so our bodies should be able to make use of the protein in them.

 Protein has all sorts of benefits for health. It is also the most weight loss friendly nutrient in the diet, by far.

6. Chia Seeds Are High in Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Like flax seeds, chia seeds are very high in Omega-3 fatty acids.

 The Word Chia Spelled With Chia Seeds

 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 (AlphaLinolenic Acid), which is not as beneficial as you may think.

 ALA needs to converted into the “active” forms, EPA and DHA, before it can be used by the body.

 Unfortunately, humans are inefficient at converting ALA into the active forms. Therefore, plant Omega-3s tend to be vastly inferior to animal sources like fish.

 Studies have shown that chia seeds (especially if they are milled) can increase blood levels of ALA and EPA, but not DHA… which is a problem.

 Because they don’t supply any DHA (the most important Omega-3 fat), I think chia seeds are overrated as an Omega-3 source.

 In order to get the DHA your body and brain desperately need… either eat fatty fish regularly, take fish oil, or take a DHA supplement if you are vegan or vegetarian.