What is Chia Seeds?
You probably already heard and see these tiny seeds everywhere, from your supermarket to café and restaurants. Chia seeds seem to show ups in many different foods and drinks. It is applied to yogurt, pudding even to your juice. Maybe some of you have tried it, without even knowing what the hype is all about.
People were talking about it as the new superfood. The question is, is Chia Seeds worth all the hype? To answer your questions, here are some facts about Chia Seeds that you need to know.
Chia seeds are grown from the plant in South America and has been going back since the Aztecs. To be exact chia seeds come from Salvia hispanica plant, one of the mint family that is native to Mexico and Guatemala.
What makes Chia Seeds So Special?
Despite the small size, they contain important nutrients and are an excellent source of omega 3 fatty acids, antioxidants and fiber. Based on the Henry Ford Health System, there is an exceptional amount of nutritional value that comes from eating Chia Seeds, even in a very small amount.
One tablespoon of the seeds contains 60 calories and provides 6% calcium and 4% iron of recommended daily value. Not only that, but this seeds also contain 5 grams fiber and 3 grams protein. That’s could be considered huge for tiny seeds like chia, right? Even healthline.com states Chia Seeds as one of the world’s best sources of several important nutrients, calorie for calorie. They are also gluten-free!
Why Eating Chia Seeds Is Great for Your Health
As mentioned before, with all the nutrition contained in chia seeds, it offers many benefits for you such as omega 3 that is good for your heart, as it helps to raise HDL cholesterol, which is good to protect against heart attack and stroke.
One of the most reasons people consume Chia Seeds is for weight loss. As fiber dense food, eating chia seeds will keep you feeling full longer. The protein that is contained in Chia Seeds is about 14% and can lower appetite and has been shown to reduce obsessive thoughts about food by 60% as stated at healthline.com. However, if you plan to lose some weight, don’t depend on the chia seeds alone, you need to have an overall healthy diet and exercise plan.
Other benefits of fiber are that fiber slows the movement of food through the bowels and can prevent constipation, helping bacteria to absorb nutrients and also help in regulating blood sugars level, which would be good for people with type 2 diabetes.
The antioxidants in chia fight the production of free radicals,
And not only that, eating Chia seeds promote better bone health as calcium contained in a 25g portion of Chia is higher than 100ml of milk.
How to Eat Chia Seeds?
Chia seeds can be eaten raw or cooked and can be added or sprinkled on almost anything. And the plus point is unlike flax seeds, chia doesn’t need to be ground for maximal benefit, so… no extra preparation needed!
List of Healthy Food Items To Include in Fridge for Daily Diet
However, there are several ways to eat chia seeds:
- Make a pudding out of it. By mixing one cup of liquid like milk or fruit juice.
- Add them to jams or jellies
- Sprinkle on salad
- Add them to drinks, juice, smoothies, yogurt or oatmeal
- Add them to soups, salad or pasta
- Add them to baked goods mix such as pancake, muffin
Compared to other seeds like pumpkin or hemp seeds, Chia seeds can be considered to have a neutral taste. If you want to add more flavor, feel free to add flavored milk, fruit juice, spices or even honey.
If you choose to soak it, the seeds turned into gel because the seeds absorb the liquid. Their unique ability to “gel” makes them a good vegan friendly replacement for eggs or gelatin. Another bonus point for Chia!
If you choose to dry roast it, it can bring crunch to your food such as salads or cereal. You are probably wondering does it make any difference on how you eat it. The answer is no, it doesn’t matter how you choose to eat them, they will still have the same benefit for your body.
To store it, just keep it in a cool and dry place and your chia will have a long shelf life.
Conclusion
In conclusion, eating chia seeds is good for your health because is contain many nutritional values. Not only it has various health benefits, but chia seeds are so easy to prepare!
So, is Chia Seeds worth the hype? You choose.
To have chia seeds delivered to your home, visit HoneyCity.
Note:
Common dosage recommendation is 1.5 tablespoons or approximately 20 grams, for twice a day. However, chia seeds can absorb up to 27 times their weight in water, so don’t forget your recommended daily intakes of water, 8 glass a day. It’s important to stay hydrated.
If you take any blood pressure or blood thinners medications, chia seeds may interact with it, so people with it are not recommended to consume it.
Author Profile:
Co-founder and Head of Marketing for HoneyCity. Henry’s passion is building e-commerce businesses that create value for the society. Through his interactions with people around him, he realizes that there is a lack in understanding of how to improve health through food and that idea gave birth to HoneyCity. In his free time, he enjoys watching a movie or reading a book.