10 Proven Health Benefits Of Chia Seeds

Chia seeds count among the planet's healthiest diets.They are filled with nutrients that can offer significant benefits to the body and brain. Here are eleven health benefits of Chia seeds validated by human trials.

1. Chia Seeds Have A Huge Quantity Of Nutrients For Relatively Little Calories

Chia seeds are small , black seeds from the mint-related plant Salvia Hispanica. In South America this plant is native to rising. Chia seeds have been an important daytime meal for the Aztecs and Mayans. They valued them for their ability to have renewable resources "chia" is in fact the ancient Mayan word for "fortitude." Given their ancient past as a culinary staple, chia seeds have only recently been accepted as a superfood of modern day. They have grown in popularity in recent years and are now eaten around the world by health conscious individuals. Don't be deceived by the scale. These tiny seeds deliver a potent punch of protein.A 1-ounce serving of chia seeds (28 grams) contains:

• Fiber: 11 g.
• Protein: 4 g.
• Fat: 9 grams (5 are Omega-3s).
• Calcium: RDA's 18 per cent.
• Manganese: RDA's 30 per cent.
• Magnesium: RDA's 30 per cent.
• Phosphorus: RDA's 27 per cent.

A decent amount of Calcium , Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Potassium , Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) and Vitamin B2 are also found in them.This is particularly remarkable when you realise this to be only one ounce, which only supplies 137 calories and one gramme of digestible carbohydrate! Only because we're all on the same page, 1 ounce is equivalent to 28 grams, or around 2 tablespoons. Interestingly, Once you remove the fibre that does not end up as useful body calories, chia seeds produce only 101 calories per ounce.This makes them one of the best numerous essential nutrient sources in the world, calorie for calorie.Chia seeds are, to top it off, a "whole grain" crop, are typically organically grown, are non-GMO, and naturally gluten free. Chia seeds are among the most nutritious foods on the planet, considering their tiny size. They are filled with carbohydrates, calcium, Omega-3 fatty acids and micronutrients of different kinds.

2. Chia Seeds Are Filled With Antioxidants

Another field where chia seeds excel is in their high antioxidant content.These antioxidants inhibit ranciding of the responsive fats throughout the plants. Although antioxidant supplements aren't very successful, having food antioxidants may have positive health effects. Most notably, antioxidants combat free radical development which can destroy cell structures and lead to ageing and diseases such as cancer. There are some online reports that chia seeds have more antioxidants than blueberries, but I could not find a report to validate that assertion. Chia seeds are rich in antioxidants which help to protect the seeds' delicate fats. They can have different health benefits.

3. Nearly All The Carbohydrates In Them Are Fibre

Looking at the chia seed diet profile you see that an ounce has 12 grams of "carbohydrate." But 11 of those grams are protein, which the body can not absorb. Fiber should not increase blood sugar, does not require insulin to be disposed of and does thus not count as carb. Fiber should not increase blood sugar, does not require insulin to be disposed of and does thus not count as carb. The true carb content is only 1 gram per ounce, which is incredibly low. This makes chia friendly, low-carb food. Chia seeds can consume up to 10-12 times their weight in water because of all the fibre, being like gel and spreading in your stomach. In principle, this can improve the food's fullness, slow digestion and make you consume less calories naturally. Fiber also feeds the nice bacteria in the intestine, which is vital because it is utterly essential to health to have the gut bugs well fed. Chia seeds, by weight, are 40 per cent fibre. This makes them one of the world's greatest suppliers of fibre. Fiber is nearly all carbohydrates present in chia seeds. This gives them the ability to withstand the weight in water 10-12 times. Fiber has many positive health benefits, too.

4. Chia Seeds Are Rich In Protein Content

Chia seeds have good protein content. They are around 14 percent protein by weight, which is very high relative to most foods. They also have a decent mix of essential amino acids, so our bodies should be able to use the protein in them. It provides all manner of nutritional benefits to it. It's the most diet-friendly weight loss ingredient, too, by far. A high intake of protein decreases hunger and shows that excessive eating thoughts were decreased by 60% and the need for nighttime snacking by 50%. Chia seeds are truly an excellent source of protein, particularly for those who consume little to no animal products. Chia seeds are exceptionally protein-quality, far better than other plant foods. Protein is the most effective macronutrient for weight loss, which can significantly suppress appetite which cravings.

5. Chia Seeds Should Be Able To Help You Lose Weight Due To The High Fibre And Protein Content

Many health experts think chia seeds will help in weight loss.The fibre consumes vast volumes of water and stretches in the intestine, which can improve fullness and sluggish food absorption. Several experiments have been performed on glucomannan, a fibre that acts in a similar manner, suggesting it can lead to weight loss.The protein in chia seeds may then help to suppress appetite and dietary consumption. Unfortunately the findings were quite negative when the impact of chia seeds on weight loss were tested. While one study has shown that chia seeds can lower appetite, there has been no substantial impact on body fat.

50 grams of chia seeds a day for 12 weeks had little effect on body weight or health indicators in a survey of 90 overweight people. Chia seeds had little effect on body weight in another 10-week study of 62 women but boosted the volume of Omega-3s in the blood.While it's unlikely that simply adding chia seeds to your diet would affect your weight, I personally think they can be a valuable addition. A diet on weight loss is more than simply adding or subtracting one item. The whole diet counts as do other health habits such as sleep and exercise. Combined with a true diet focused on fruit and a balanced lifestyle, I can certainly see how chia seeds can aid in weight loss. Chia seeds are rich in protein and carbohydrates, all shown to support weight loss. However, no effects on weight were noted in the experiments on chia seeds.

6. Chia Seeds Are Fatty Acids Rich In Omega-3

Chia seeds are very rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, comparable to flax seeds. Chia seeds reportedly produce more Omega-3s than salmon, gramme by gramme. But it's important to note that the Omega-3s in them are mainly ALA (alpha linolenic acid), which isn't as good as you would assume. ALA has to be translated into the "working" forms, EPA and DHA, before the body can use it. Unfortunately, in making ALA into the active forms, humans are ineffective. Thus, plant Omega-3s tend to be considerably smaller than animal products such as fish.They can be eaten raw, immersed in sugar, added to porridges, puddings or added to the baked goods. Studies have shown that chia seeds (especially when milled) can increase ALA and EPA blood levels, but not DHA which is a problem. Since they don't supply any DHA (the most relevant Omega-3 fat), I think chia seeds are overrated as a source of Omega-3. If you are vegan or vegetarian, either eat fatty fish daily, take fish oil, or take a DHA supplement to get the DHA your body and brain desperately need to. The Omega-3 fatty acid ALA contains very high chia seeds. However, the processing of this into DHA, the most essential Omega-3 fatty acid, by humans is not pleasant.

7. Chia Seeds Can Boost Certain Markers Of The Blood That Could Reduce The Risk Of Heart Disease And Type 2 Diabetes

Since chia seeds are rich in carbohydrate, calcium, and omega-3s, metabolic health can be increased. This has been studied in many trials but the findings have been inconclusive. A diet of chia seeds, soy protein, oats and nopal has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, improve HDL cholesterol and decrease inflammation in two tests. Since these experiments have used other materials, none about the chia seeds themselves can be inferred. Rat tests have also shown that chia seeds are capable of decreasing triglycerides, increasing cholesterol HDL (the "good") and that inflammation, insulin tolerance and belly fat.

However, no changes were noted by a study which looked at only chia seeds. Overall chia seeds may be able to boost these risk factors, but they will actually have little significant impact unless other positive lifestyle changes occur.The findings are not definitive on cholesterol levels and other risk factors. Some experiments have an impact, some do not. This contains calcium , magnesium, phosphorus and protein.The calcium content in a single ounce is particularly remarkable at 18 percent of the RDA. Gram for gram, that's equivalent to most dairy products.Chia seeds can be considered an ideal calcium substitute for those who don't eat dairy. Chia seeds have a high calcium , magnesium, phosphorus and protein content. For bone health all these nutrients are important.

8. In Type 2 Diabetics, Chia Seeds Can Cause Big Improvements

In a study on type 2 diabetic patients, the most active use of chia seeds to date was 20 diabetic patients consuming either 37 grams of chia seeds or 37 grams of wheat bran for 12 weeks in this sample.They noticed changes in many significant health indicators when they received the chia seeds. The blood pressure decreased by 3-6 mm / Hg and a hs-CRP inflammatory factor dropped by 40%. Even a risk factor called vWF dropped by 21 per cent. Blood sugar has had a slight decline but not statistically important. Since chia seeds are rich in fibre, it seems possible that after meals they may help lower blood sugar spikes, but this needs to be verified in tests. A study of type 2 diabetics found that chia seeds can substantially reduce blood pressure and an inflammatory marker.

9. Chia seeds can boost efficiency as a sports drink

Legend has it that chia seeds were used by the Aztecs and Mayans to boost success back in daytime. There is one recent research that shows this may be successful. Six participants "carb filled" with either gatorade, or a combination of half gatorade / half chia seeds in this study. They then raced on a treadmill for an hour, followed by a 10 kilometre long, timed sprint. The two classes were no different. In other words, substituting half the gatorade with chia seeds did not affect the athletes' results, suggesting that chia seeds were of any value. Chia seeds will help athletes "carb load" for endurance activities, while increasing their nutritional intake and reducing their sugar intake, according to this report. But I would like to see some bigger research on this personally. Because most of the carbs in chia seeds are carbohydrate, it makes no sense they may be used for carb loading. One small study indicates that chia seeds will partially replace gatorade as a way for endurance athletes to fuel carb, but more needs to be done.

Bonus:

Well, this last one is not a health bonus, but still significant. Eating Chia seeds are surprisingly easy to add into your diet.The plant seeds themselves have a very dull flavour, but you can apply them to just about everything.Often, they don't need to be ground like flax seeds, which makes cooking even simpler. They can be eaten raw, immersed in sugar, added to porridges, puddings or added to the baked goods.They can also be poured on top of cereals, milk, tomatoes or rice dishes.They can be used to thicken sauces because of their ability to consume both water and fat, and can also be used as egg substitutes in recipes. They can be combined with water and made into a gel, too. Adding chia seeds to recipes will increase the nutritious value considerably. If you want to buy chia seeds, an outstanding range of thousands of consumer feedback is available on Amazon. They do appear to be well absorbed but if you're not used to eating a lot of nutrients, there's a risk of intestinal side effects if you're consuming too many of them at a time. A typical dosage prescription for chia seeds is 20 grams (about 1.5 tablespoons), twice a day.