Chia, scientifically referred to as Salvia hispanica, a Spanish word for “chian” or “chien”, which means oily, have been proven to have health benefits such as improved blood lipid profile, hypotensive, hypoglycaemic, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and immunostimulatory effects.
Chia seeds are considered pseudocereal even though they contain various nutrients such as protein, dietary fiber, lipids, vitamins, and minerals. it is also one of the richest source of omega-3 fatty acids. The high amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids helps in improving immunity and preventing heart disease
Chia seeds contain 15 to 23% protein content, higher than the other cereals such as wheat, oats, barley, corn, rice and quinoa and due to the absence of gluten in chia seeds, it is recommended for celiac disease patients.
The seeds contain 30 to 34 g of dietary fiber per 100 g, of which 85–93% consists of insoluble dietary fiber and 7–15% of soluble dietary fiber. Therefore, it fulfills the daily requirements of the adult dietary fiber intake, i.e., 25–35 g/day. However it may be difficult to consume such amount.
Regarding vitamins Chia seeds are a rich source of vitamins such as Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, and Niacin. The seeds also contain many minerals, out of which potassium, magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus are present in the highest amounts. Chia seeds have i.e., calcium (6 times), potassium (4 times), phosphorus (11 times) more than 100 g of milk, and more nutrients, including calcium (13–354 times), potassium (1.6–9.0 times), phosphorus (2.0–12 times) than 100 g of wheat, oats, corn, and rice. Also, chia seeds have 1.8, 6.0, and 2.4 times more iron than lentils, spinach, and liver
Chia seeds’ bioactive potential is due to phenolic compounds with antioxidant properties that promote health benefits against various diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s diseases, and different types of cancer. Also, they are excellent and valuable against physiological disorders like hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and obesity.
Ideas (how to add chia to your diet)
Yogurts
Salads
Milk
Smoothies
As a crispy crumb coating for meat or fish
Baked in bread
Chia seeds, processing methods such as sprouting, soaking, fermentation, and milling help enhance nutrient bioavailability and digestibility.
Studies demonstrated the impact of processing methods on the digestion potential of chia seeds and the results conveyed that milling can be ideal for improving chia seeds’ macro and micronutrient potential. In contrast, sprouting improves protein digestibility by decreasing lipolysis in chia seeds. Milling is an effective method as it helps disrupt the intestinal structure of the seeds and leads to enhanced digestibility. Moreover, the sprouting of chia seeds is widely employed as it is a more economical and feasible method that helps to improve the nutritional profile of chia seeds, especially minerals and phenolic content.
Simple Conclusion: Add chia seeds to your diet. Milling them is a very good practice.
References:
Agarwal A, Rizwana, Tripathi AD, Kumar T, Sharma KP, Patel SKS. Nutritional and Functional New Perspectives and Potential Health Benefits of Quinoa and Chia Seeds. Antioxidants (Basel). 2023 Jul 12;12(7):1413. doi: 10.3390/antiox12071413. PMID: 37507952; PMCID: PMC10376479.
Knez Hrnčič M, Ivanovski M, Cör D, Knez Ž. Chia Seeds (Salvia hispanica L.): An Overview-Phytochemical Profile, Isolation Methods, and Application. Molecules. 2019 Dec 18;25(1):11. doi: 10.3390/molecules25010011. PMID: 31861466; PMCID: PMC6994964.