Amazing Health benefits of chia seeds everyone must know!

Amazing benefits of chia seeds everyone must know

Chia seeds are the edible seeds of a flowering plant from the Mint family (Tulasi). These seeds are commercially grown in many countries including India, Mexico, Peru, Australia, and the United States. Chia seeds are widely recognized because of their rich nutrition and their medicinal applications. 

These are small black color seeds that are incredibly rich in nutrients including minerals, fiber, Omega 3 fatty acids, and antioxidants promoting blood sugar management, strong bone, and a healthy heart. Chia seeds are commonly used in diets for their versatility to use in many recipes.

Here in this article, let us know some of the major health benefits that Chia seeds can provide to our health if we include them in our diet.

Highly nutritious

1 ounce which is equivalent to 2 tablespoons of Chia seeds contains:

138 calories,

 4.7 G protein,

 8.7 G fat,

5 G alpha-linolenic acid,

 11.9 grams of carbs,

 9.8-gram fiber,

 14 % of calcium,

 12% of daily value (DV) iron,

 23% of DV magnesium,

 20% of DV Phosphorus,

 12% of DV zinc,

 15% of DV vitamin B1 (Thiamine),

 16% DV of vitamin B3 (Niacin).

You can get all of the essential nutrients within just 2 tbsp of Chia seeds. 

Good source of antioxidants

Apart from the essential nutrients and vitamins, Chia seeds are a powerhouse of antioxidants. The antioxidants help in neutralizing the reactive molecules also called free radicals, that damage the cell compounds if they are built up in your body. 

The free radical damage to our body can cause problems like aging cancer, heart disease, etc. So consuming Chia seeds regularly helps you fight against these problems.

Aids in weight loss

35% weight of the Chia seeds is the fiber itself. Consuming 28 grams or 2 tablespoons of Chia seeds can give 10 grams of dietary fiber. This fiber in Chia seeds helps you to stay fuller for a long time preventing you from overeating and hence helps in maintaining weight. 

In addition to fiber, Chia seeds are also a rich source of protein that helps you to build muscle mass and reduce fat. But there is no specific study that says eating Chia seeds can lower your weight. But adding Chia seeds to your diet can make it nutrition dense and may help you if you are trying to lose weight.

Lowers the risk of heart disease

The high fiber content and the rich source of Omega 3 fatty acids in Chia seeds can help you reduce the risk of heart disease in the long run. The fiber content present in the Chia seeds can help you lower the total and (LDL) bad cholesterol present in your blood. 

Studies have shown that people who have consumed Chia seeds supplements regularly have noticed the reduced blood pressure in their body who are with hypertension or high blood pressure. Hence the fiber and Omega 3 fatty acids in Chia seeds help in reducing the bad cholesterol and controlling hypertension thereby reducing the risk of getting heart disease.

Controls blood sugar levels

High blood sugar levels are commonly experienced by people suffering from diabetes. But having high fasting blood sugar levels regularly is associated with the risk of several complications including heart disease.

The fiber content and other beneficial compounds present in the Chia seeds help in regulating blood sugar levels by improving insulin sensitivity. Insulin is a hormone that is released by the pancreas to control the blood sugar in the body.

Many studies conducted on animals reveal that Chia seeds help in reducing blood sugar levels. But human research is still going on.

Contents important nutrients beneficial for bones

The high amount of calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium present in Chia seeds helps in promoting bone health.

Many studies suggest that consuming enough of these nutrients is important to maintain mineral density in the bones to keep them healthy and strong. As Chia seeds are rich in these nutrients, consuming these as a part of your diet can help you maintain bone density.

Versatility to incorporate into your diet

Chia seeds are easy and versatile to incorporate into your diet. Chia seeds do not have any particular taste to them. So they can be incorporated into any food in your diet. These do not have any cooking process associated with them making them so easy to consume. They can be eaten raw or soaked in water or juice added to oatmeal smoothies, etc.

You can also sprinkle them on top of the yogurt, rice dishes, curries, etc. Chia seeds can also be used while cooking as they absorb water and thicken the item. 

Although there are numerous benefits associated with eating Chia seeds in your daily diet, you must be conscious of the amount of it. As these are rich in fiber, you may experience digestive problems like bloating and constipation if you consume more than the optimum amount. The recommended dosage of Chia seeds is to consume 2 tbsp of it a day.

Reduces inflammation

Free radicals can cause inflammation in your body. Chronic inflammation can result in undesirable health conditions like heart disease and cancer. The caffeic acid present in the Chia seed is an antioxidant that helps your fight against the inflammation in your body thereby keeping you away from heart diseases and cancer. So making Chia seeds a part of your diet is recommended to reduce the inflammation.

Final note

Chia seeds are a powerhouse of many nutrients like Omega 3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and fiber making it one of the desirable foods to consume to get major benefits with just two tablespoons of it. Many studies have also shown that Chia seeds can help aid in weight loss, reducing the risk of heart disease, inflammation, etc. 

So it is recommended to incorporate Chia seeds into your diet to get the most benefit out of it. Their versatility can make them a great addition to smoothies, oatmeal yogurt, salads, etc.

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