Unlocking the Power of Chia Seeds: Compelling Reasons to Add Them to Your Diet

 

So if you’ve ever wondered why chia seed are so good for you, then you’ve come to the right place!

You see…

Chia seeds come with so many health benefits that it’s a surprise why we don’t consume more of them.

But before I get in the 4 REAL reasons you should eat chia seeds, I will tell you a quick story with how I got into them.

I was honestly eating chia seeds before the media really began noticing them. I was following Dr. Robert o Young, the founder of the Alkalarian diet, who introduced them to me as they were so alkaline, and super energising.

I Started using them in my porridges, making chia seed puddings, and adding them to my smoothies, they were great! The texture started to become additive and I started consuming them daily because they were good for me.

But just how good were they for me?

That answer will be solved below…

1. Chia seeds Improve Exercise Performance

When a study was done on long distance runners consuming either a full serve of gatorade or a ½ serve of gatorade with chia seeds, the results were in performance were exactly the same. This concludes that chia seeds are just as effective as gatorade. This means one will be able to consume less sugar, but with more nutrients.

Take home message, split your 1 serve of gatorade for 2 serves and fill the other half with chia seeds and water for great performance.

2. Chia Seeds Deliver Massive Amounts Of Nutrients

In one serving of chia seeds (28g) you receive 42% of your RDA of Fibre, 18% of Calcium RDA, 9% protein RDA, 27% Phosphorus RDA, 7% Zinc RDA, and 30% Manganese RDA, 4915 mg Omega 3 fatty acids, 1620 mg Omega 6 fatty acids. That’s a lot of nutrients in one serving of these tiny seeds. So by adding them into your diet, you’re definitely delivering your body a burst of nutrients and a huge health kick!

3. Chia Seeds Are High In Fibre

Chia seeds are so high in fibre, which is great for people struggling to reach their fibre intake. Women require 25g of fibre per day. By simply adding an ounce into your daily diet will give you a large boost of fibre. The best part, chia seeds could also be used in a low carb diet because 90% of their carbs comes from dietary fibre. Chia meal is popular in recipes like dough and for muffins and cakes it’s a bit different simply use ½ normal flour for the best consistency.

Fibre is also great for keeping you full, and helping you be more regular, which aids in taking toxins out of your body, plus cleansing your body.

Large fibre intake also significantly enhances weight loss.

 

4. Chia seeds Reduce Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes and Cardiovascular Risk

A study was conducted and long supplementation of chia seeds significantly reduces cardiovascular risks! But it gets better, this same study also proves that the chia chia seeds maintain a good glycemic and lipid control in people with type 2 diabetes. This evidence proves that more people should be consuming whole grains as a means to prevent type 2 diabetes, lose weight over (especially when eaten over refined grains), heart disease, and other chronic conditions

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.