Chia seeds are touted as a powerhouse food – and rightfully so. As small as they are, chia seeds pack a lot of nutrition, providing a great source of fibre, omega-3s, plant protein, vitamins and minerals.
These little seeds are still fairly new to the mainstream health community, but they actually have a long history of use by humans. Chia seeds, related to mint (I was surprised to learn this!), were most commonly used as food, oil and medicines as long ago as pre-Columbian time (1).
They can be consumed whole or ground, but much like flax seeds, will provide more of certain nutrients if consumed in their ground form.
In this journal entry I’ll be reviewing some of the benefits of chia seeds, how to get the most out of them and delicious ways to include them in your diet.
Nutrition Benefits of Chia Seeds:
Omega-3s:
Chia seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids in the form of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and are an easy and excellent way to get omega-3s from your diet. ALA is an important omega-3 fat and precursor for your body to make two other very important omega-3 fats, DHA and EPA.
But, much like flax seeds, in order to increase absorption of omega-3s, they should be consumed in their ground form.
I’ll explain why..
A study looking at the effectiveness of ground vs. whole chia seeds found that eating two tablespoons of ground chia seeds led to a significant increase in blood omega-3 levels, ALA and EPA. The same amount of whole chia seeds led to no change in omega- 3 levels (2).
Take home: If you’re consuming chia seeds for their omega-3 benefits, it’s best to grind them up or purchase them in ground form to get the most out of them.
Weight loss?
There are many claims out there that chia seeds help assist with weight loss – is there any truth to this? Lets look at what the science says.
A study looking at the effectiveness of ground chia seed for weight loss found that those participants consuming about two tablespoons of ground chia seeds per day versus a fibre-matched control lost significant more weight. They also found that C-reactive protein, a marker for inflammation, was reduced in the participants consuming the ground chia seeds, suggesting an anti-inflammatory effect (3).
Take home: In this study, participants eating ground chia seeds lost significantly more weight than those consuming the fibre-matched control. However, the effect was slight and more research on this topic is needed. For now, the evidence isn’t available to determine that chia is a weight loss panacea.
Fibre:
Chia seeds are a great source of fibre. Two tablespoons provides you with an impressive 8-10 grams helping you meet your daily target of 25 g for women and 38 g for men. Fibre helps to lower cholesterol, stabilize blood sugar, regulate appetite, and feeds our friendly gut bacteria.
Take home: Chia seeds are fibre superstars and are an easy way to bump up the fibre in your diet.
Protein:
Your body uses protein to provide building blocks for growth and for repairing cells like those in your muscles, skin, and nails. It’s also used to make enzymes and hormones, which carry out key body functions (4).
Chia seeds provide 3.5 grams of plant protein per two tablespoons.
Take home: Chia seeds, in combination with other plant protein-rich foods, can help meet your protein needs.
Bone Health:
Chia seeds are a good source of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium, which are essential nutrients for healthy bones. Two tablespoons provides you with 136 mg of calcium, 204 mg of phosphorus and about 160 mg of magnesium..
Take home: Chia seeds, in combination with other calcium-rich foods, can help protect your bones.
How to Include Chia Seeds in Your Diet
As you can see, chia seeds are nutritional powerhouses and something you may want to include in your diet. They can be consumed in their whole or ground form and are a highly versatile ingredient.
These are some of my favourite ways to enjoy chia seeds:
- Chia pudding (see below for recipe)
- Add to your smoothie, oatmeal, plant-based yogurt
- Enjoy in your overnight oats
Simple Chia Pudding Recipe:
Serves: 1
Ingredients
- ¼ cup ground or whole chia seeds
- 1 cup plant-based milk (almond, oat, soy, etc.)
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- ½ banana, sliced (optional)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Dash of cinnamon
Instructions
- Mix chia, vanilla extract, cinnamon and plant-based milk in a Mason jar and let sit overnight in the fridge.
- Top with berries and/or sliced banana in the morning. Enjoy!
References:
1) Mohd Ali N, Yeap SK, Ho WY, Beh BK, Tan SW, Tan SG. The promising future of chia, Salvia hispanica L. J Biomed Biotechnol. 2012;2012:171956.
2) Nieman, D. C., Gillitt, N., Jin, F., Henson, D. A., Kennerly, K., Shanely, R. A., Ore, B., Su, M., & Schwartz, S. (2012). Chia seed supplementation and disease risk factors in overweight women: a metabolomics investigation. Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.), 18(7), 700–708. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2011.0443
3) Vuksan V, Jenkins AL, Brissette C, et al. Salba-chia (Salvia hispanica L.) in the treatment of overweight and obese patients with type 2 diabetes: a double-blind randomized controlled trial. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2017;27(2):138–46.
4) Dietitians of Canada. Quick Nutrition Check for Protein. In: Practice-based Evidence in Nutrition® [PEN]. 2019 July 09 [cited 2021 April 11]. Available from: https://www.pennutrition.com/KnowledgePathway.aspx?kpid=2541&trid=12547&trcatid=467 Access only by subscription. Click Sign Up on PEN login page
