Chia seeds – great for your health but are there side effects?

If you visit health food shops or read up on healthy lifestyles , you would probably have heard of chia seeds which have been called the new ‘superfood’ we should all apparently be eating. After hearing so much about them, I bought some myself from a health food store, but also did a bit of extra research to find out what they’re all about.

What are chia seeds?

Chia seeds come from the chia herb, and are either black or white depending on the crop. They were first used by humans around 3500BC by the Aztecs and Mayans. Chia continued to be produced in the Americas through the years, however only in some areas.

More recently in the 1990s, a North American non profit organisation and a group of South American farmers began an initiative to increase and diversify commercial production. Growing trials of Chia were successful, and hence began the resurgence of chia.

So what’s so good about chia seeds?

According to the Permaculture Research Institute of Australia, The calcium content of chia seed is 5 times that of milk, and the seeds contain one of the highest known sources of Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) which is great for our immune system, and metabolism resulting in fat burn, and also our memory and mental abilities.

Chia seeds are also a good fibre source, and this helps to cleanse and soothe the colon. The seeds are able to act as a sort of sponge, absorbing toxins, whilst also lubricating the colon.

So why not have chia seeds everyday?

While the benefits of chia sounds great, be careful about having them everyday. A lot has been written about the benefits of chia but not too much about potential side effects as they have only recently become popular and they are not regulated like conventional medicine 

What I have found in my research is that chia seeds can lower the blood pressure, and if you already have low blood pressure this could be dangerous.

Secondly, while the fact that chia seeds might lower blood pressure may sound attractive to people with high blood pressure, I have read that people who are suffering with heart problems should avoid them as the seeds as they have an addictive effects on its users.

This also makes me wonder if there could be an addictive qualities for other people, for instance in regulating digestive and bowel functions. In addition, people who take blood thinners like warfarin should not have chia seeds as it increases the risk for bleeding.

My experience with chia seeds

I decided to try chia seeds for my general health and because I don’t have a lot of dairy products, I thought additional calcium would be good for me.

Initially I was having the chia seeds everyday on my muesli in the morning, and my stomach did not deal well with this, so at the moment I have put them back in the cupboard and I will just have them from time to time to build up my calcium levels.