Are chia seeds good for you? Get the answer in this article.
Chia seeds are one family with mints and have been harvested by Aztecs.
Therefore, most of them are from Mexico and also the U.S. Southwest.
Chia seeds have gained popularity over these years.
Many entrepreneurs use the seeds as added into their healthy cereals, diet drinks, low-calorie puddings, and other healthy – themed products.
The ads about chia seeds are also exploding with some promising health benefits, starting as cute tops for your smoothies, infused water, and more.
You will meet some more benefits on how to put them as one of your top listed healthy products into your shopping cart.
The seeds have so many nutrients and are the best vegan substitute for animal-based omega 3 fatty acids which are mostly gained from salmon and are great for brain health.
Beyond that, chia seeds don’t taste as much, in fact, you won’t notice them in your food. But it has a bump and crunchy texture in it.
Chia seeds Health Benefits
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Tasteless and easy to be put in your diet
Chia seeds only have texture and don’t have any taste. Hence it is pretty easy to put it in your diet without tasting additional ingredients in it. It can be eaten raw, soaked in your morning juice, topping for your porridge, even baked bread, or simply pour the chia seeds in water to create chia infused water.
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It is dense with nutrients but low in calories
Chia seeds were known since ancient history and were included in the dietary stable. It is popularized by Mayans and Aztecs. Although they are tiny black seeds, it is packed with powerful nutrients in it that include high fiber, high protein, manganese, healthy fats, calcium, phosphorus, and a decent amount of vitamins, potassium, and vitamins.
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Vegan but high in protein
Chia seeds are vegan but contain high protein. This is big news that some people are afraid to choose a vegan lifestyle as they are afraid they might not get enough protein. one serving contains 14% of protein and this protein is considered a high protein compared to most plants.
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Reducing chronic inflammation
Inflammation is a normal body response to some injury or infection. But it may take more time as the body need to fight the bacteria and infectious agents that harm the wound. By consuming it regularly, it will be additional agents that can help your body to fix the inflammation faster.
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Rich nutrients for bone
As a vegan, we don’t need to worry as we don’t get claimed high protein and calcium gained from animal and dairy products. In fact, we have chia seeds that are high in protein and high calcium to promote bone health.
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Loaded with antioxidants
The antioxidants contained in chia seeds will protect the sensitive fats in the seeds. To support this, the experts had agreed that the high amount of antioxidants can bring health effects to the body.
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High in omega 3 fatty acids
It contains more omega 3s than salmon. But the omega 3 fatty acids in chia seeds may mostly Alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA) which may not give benefits as you expected.
Unlike the omega 3 fatty acids from the animal that can be digested instantly by the body, the ALA in the seeds needs to be turned into an active form named eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and also docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) before it can be digested by your body. Furthermore, some studies have shown that chia is able to increase the ALA and EPA levels but not with DHA levels.
This may raise the problem. Because of this condition, chia seeds are a low source of omega 3 fatty acids although it may have a higher gram of omega 3 fatty acids compared with salmon.
If you are concerning to get enough DHA and omega 3 fatty acids, it is recommended to get it from vegan supplements that contain plant-sourced DHA.
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Lower your risk of heart disease
These tiny black seeds contain high fiber, omega 3 fatty acids, and protein. Those combinations are the perfect combo to reduce the risk to get heart disease.
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The carbs in chia seeds are mostly fiber
Carbohydrates contain fiber, sugar, and starch. But, the carbs in one ounce of chia seeds are mostly contained fiber so your body can easily digest it. The fiber will neither raises the blood nor need the insulin to be disposed of Hence, although it belongs to carbs, this offers more health effects than other carbs that mostly contain starch and sugar.
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Lowering your blood sugar levels
The seeds of the chia are packed with dense nutrients which help to improve your body to control blood sugar levels by improving its insulin sensitivity and stabilizing it.
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High protein and fiber in it can lose your weights
Although it’s completely vegan, it has high protein. The high fiber and protein contained in the seeds can help you to lose weight. Furthermore, it is a soluble fiber that can be easily absorbed in the body. Some studies prove that breakfast with chia seeds can lower your appetite of craving, so you will decrease your food intake.
Chia seeds nutrition values
Here is the list of the estimation nutrition value of chia seeds in one serving (28gr):
- Fiber: 11gr
- Fats: 9gr
- Protein: 4gr
- calcium: 18%
- Phosphorus: 27% of RDI
- Magnesium: 30% of RDI
- Manganese: 30% of RDI
- Other nutrients including Zinc, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, and potassium
The Calories, Toxic, and Cholesterol in chia seeds
This tiny plant product has only a few calories per serving but dense in nutrients.
Hence, it is great to use it in our diet. Furthermore, it has a unique way to absorb liquid and have gelatinous consistency once you let them float into the water.
But so far, there is not report which is stated that chia seeds can bring toxic to your body.
You may also wonder if its contain cholesterol or not, it doesn’t contain cholesterol to decrease the bad HDL cholesterol.
Chia Seeds can make people Allergic
It is uncommon to happen but some people do have an allergic reaction after eating it. The symptoms include: diarrhea, itchy in lips and tongue, and vomiting
Who is it good for?
It is good for everyone as long it is consumed on moderations. The nutrients containing in the seeds can help you to gain health benefits
Conclusion
Chia seeds are packed with nutrient value that can be found in the vegan option.
What’s more interesting, it has a big amount of nutrients but only having a small calorie in 1 serving.
There is a variety of chia seed uses such as using it as the top of your smoothie breakfast, or simply use it as the main ingredient for natural vegan pudding.
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The Health Benefits of Chamomile Tea
