Pondering on what Jesus said about the mustard seed in Matthew 17:20, he basically said that the mustard seed packs a wallop. In fact, mustard seeds are roughly 1 – 2 millimetres in diameter (the smallest of all plant seeds), but they grow into towering trees of up to 30 feet in height. Their canopy also spread roughly the same size as their height too! The chia herb by comparison is just a tiny garden plant with no more than 2 feet in height, but it also packs a wallop with nutrients.

 

Chia seeds are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, antioxidants, iron, and calcium.

 

Top 5 Health Benefits of Chia Seeds

 

Below are some of the benefits that you can get when you ingest chia seeds:

 

Dietary Fiber

 

The newly updated dietary guidelines of the United States Department of Health & Human Services for 2015 – 2020 states that:

 

  • Men below 50 years of age needs 30.8 g of fiber per day
  • Women below 50 years of age needs 25.2 g of fiber per day
  • Men over 50 needs 28 g per day
  • Women over 50 needs 22.4 g per day

 

Consuming chia seeds will more than compensate for the daily required dietary fiber for adults in any age range. Scientists found that 1 ounce of chia seeds contains 10 g of fiber which is 50% of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA).

 

Weight Loss

 

We now know for a fact that foods rich in fiber can help you with these 3 important things, and they are:

 

  1. Reduce cholesterol
  2. Reduce fat
  3. Boost energy

Imagine that!

 

The perfect energy drink (if you mix it with water) to help you lose weight and lead a healthy lifestyle is all in those tiny chia seeds. Did we forget to mention that it also has high levels of omega-3-fatty acids and alpha-linoleic acid? Omerga-3 is good for the heart while alpha-linoleic acid can help you stop eating carbohydrates for hours. If you drink chia seeds while working out, then it could be the perfect combination to speed up your weight loss ambitions.

 

Prevents Cardiovascular Disease and Lowers Cholesterol

 

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition conducted an experiment back in 1999 where they took 67 participants and gave them food that has 10 grams more fiber than what is required. The data collected yielded promising results that showed a dramatic decrease in low-density lipoproteins (LDL or “bad cholesterol”). Inflammation-related conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and obesity is directly caused by low dietary fiber consumption.

 

Eating the right amount of or maybe even consuming more of it could help regulate your immune system and control inflammation in the body.

 

Diabetes

 

People with type 2 diabetes can benefit from eating chia seeds according to this 2017 research. The research suggests that chia seeds might have the ability to convert glucose (blood glucose) into a slow-release carbohydrate or “slow carb.” What this means is that similar to whole-grain breads and pastas, oats and brown rice, the newly converted glucose will be slow to digest, which lessens the spike in blood sugar level like it normally would without the intervention of chia seeds.

 

Treating Diverticulosis

 

Diverticulitis occurs when pouches begin to protrude outward from the wall of the colon, becoming infected and inflamed. What causes diverticulitis is yet to be known; however, scientists found a correlation between low dietary fiber consumption and high risks in people developing the disease.

 

Again eating chia seeds may help treat and prevent it.

 

These are the Top 5 Health Benefits of Chia Seeds that we have found. Do you know more benefits of the chia seed that you want to share with us?

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