I knew chia had incredible health benefits and I have been regularly adding chia to smoothies and salads over the years but I was never quite sure what they were until researching for this piece. Wow! what an amazing cocktail of health benefits that this tiny seed can give you! I will definitely be adding more of these into my diet -B xx

Chia is an ancient grain which has been rapidly making its comeback! Apparently, it was a staple food source for the ancient Mayan and Aztec civilisations who often ate it during battle to help with staying full for long periods and to increase their stamina and strength. Chia is said to significantly help with reducing ageing and creating healthy skin (1). It also helps with digestive and heart health along with building healthier bones and muscles (1).

What is not to love?

Here are SIX WAYS that this tiny seed can pack a punch in our bodies!

1. HIGH IN VITAMINS + MINERALS:
Calcium is necessary to create strong bones and teeth. Chia is very high in calcium with just TWO tablespoons of chia providing almost 20% of our RDI (3). Chia also gives us 35% of our RDI for phosphorus, 24% for magnesium, and around 50% for manganese. Chia also contains vitamin A, zinc and boron. All of these vitamins and minerals are incredibly important to help us build strong bones and teeth!

2. GOOD PROTEIN SOURCE:
Chia is absolutely brilliant for athletes. Why? It is absolutely protein packed and our bodies cannot store protein. Protein is crucial for healthy lean muscle development. Because chia absorbs water and expands in the stomach after being consumed it can also help us to feel fuller for longer (1). Chia also helps to boost our metabolism, burn belly fat and keep ourselves hydrated in the process. Win-win-win! Definitely, something to add to your next protein shake.

3. FIBRE RICH:
Chia is packed full of fibre. According to the ADA (American Dietetic Association) just one serving of approx. 15g of chia can provide the daily recommended allowance of fibre (1). Fibre is crucial in helping your body to balance out insulin levels (1). It is also helpful in your digestive system to help feed all of the good bacteria in your intestines. Keeping a good balance of good bacteria in our digestive tracts is essential for our immune health also.

4. PLENTY OF ANTIOXIDANTS:
Chia are full of antioxidants! In fact, it is the natural antioxidants which mean that chia can keep without needing to be refrigerated for up to two years! (2). Recently research in Mexico discovered that Chia contains antioxidant activity that can stop up to 70% of all free radical damage in our bodies (1). It is the free radical damage that can contribute to premature ageing and diseases like cancer. Chia does this by increasing the natural repair systems of our skin and also helps to prevent any further damage (1).

5. FULL OF HEALTHY PLANT FATS:
Chia is very high in Omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids are really important for our bodies because a lot of us get far too many of the Omega 6 fatty acids and our bodies are horribly imbalanced! Our ideal ratio of omega 3 vs. omega 6 fatty acids should be 1:1. Having a higher intake of omega 6 fatty acids can contribute to disease. Consuming chia is a good way to try and balance out your essential fatty acid intake. An omega 3 acid that chia is particularly high in is ALA (alpha lineic acid)(1). A recent study has shown that consuming ALA limited the cancer growth in women with breast and cervical cancer and it also caused death in cancer cells without harming healthy cells like traditional methods of cancer therapy do (1, Journal of Molecular Biology). ALA is essential for our bodies because we can’t make it – we can only obtain it through our diet (2).

6. CONTAINS PHYTOCHEMICALS:
Phytochemicals are chemical compounds that are naturally occurring and are only found in plant foods (4). Phytochemicals are known for their antioxidant rich, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties (3). Chia contains several phytochemicals among them being quercetin, myricetin, and kaempferol (3). There is still a lot to be studied about phytochemicals and how they can help our bodies. Phytochemicals can only be obtained in their raw form, once the plant has been cooked it damages the phytochemical properties of the plant (4).

Another interesting finding is that chia is also thought to help heal and reverse diabetes (1). At Everyday Young we are finding more and more that consumption of animal products is implicated in disease and increases the risk of all diseases in your body whereas consuming more plants helps to reverse, heal and protect your body from disease.

HOW SHOULD WE EAT CHIA?
Well because they are so tiny you can add them to almost anything without altering the taste! Sprinkle them on top of your breakfast, salads and dessert. You can add them to any baked good, like health bars or bread.

You can also add liquid like water, almond or coconut milk to them and then leave it in the fridge overnight to make a tasty pudding!

Another thing that you can do with chia is to sprout them! Sprouting them really concentrates all of the nutrient properties and makes them more available for our bodies to digest. Sprouting chia is also a really great activity to do with kids! The sprouts can then be added raw to salads and sandwiches ♥

Links:

1 – Chia seed benefits from Dr Axe
2 – 11 health benefits of chia from Authority Nutrition
3 – Benefits of chia seeds from Dr Mercola
4 – Phytochemicals from Wikipedia