Hey there healthy ones!
Chia seeds definitely have gained popularity as a superfood in health and fitness circles
over the last few years.
But legend has it that In ancient times, Aztecs and Mayans used chia seeds as a source of
energy.
Chia seeds are power-packed with nutrients.
Containing little calories, each serving of chia seeds offers high volumes of protein,
fibre, manganese, phosphorus and calcium.
Apart from these, chia seeds also come with a lot of health-friendly omega-3 fatty acids
and other important micronutrients and antioxidants.
Being packed with so many healthy nutrients, eating them everyday for a month is bound
to be beneficial for your health.
And in today’s video, we will tell you what these benefits are.
From better digestion, lower cholesterol, smarter brain, faster weight loss to lower
disease risk and more, watch till the end to learn about all of them.
Stronger Bones: Since a serving of chia seeds contains a whopping 18 percent of your daily
recommended intake of Calcium, eating them is bound to have a positive effect on your
bone health.
To be clear, a serving of chia seeds contains more calcium than a serving of milk.
Trace minerals such as magnesium and boron, both of which can be found in chia seeds,
make it easier for your body to absorb Vitamin D. Vitamin D, in turn, enables your body to
make use of all that calcium.
Would you ever want to replace milk with chia seeds?
What is your favourite calcium source?
Is it cheese, yoghurt or some other dairy product?
We would love to know in the comments section below!
Better Digestion: Chia seeds are an excellent source of fiber, especially insoluble fiber,
which is an important nutrient for your digestive system.
Insoluble fiber acts like a broom for your digestive tract, cleaning it out and keeping
it healthy.
Eating enough fiber can reduce your risk for many digestive diseases, such as colorectal
cancer.
The fiber from chia seeds also serves as a needed nutrient for the beneficial bacteria
in your gut, which in turn reduces inflammation throughout your body.
Adding a couple of tablespoons of chia seeds to your routine will get you well on your
way to meeting the daily minimum fiber requirement for your body.
Balanced Blood Sugar Levels: Chia seeds can reduce insulin resistance and are also helpful
in decreasing abnormally high levels of blood sugar.
Chia seeds are rich in alpha linolenic acid and fiber, and these elements majorly help
in reversing the effects of diabetes.
Chia seeds are also known for their satiating properties - the feeling of being full for
a longer time.
This helps you control in between meal snacking, which in turn controls blood sugar levels
The gelling action of the seed, and it’s unique combination of soluble and insoluble
fiber combine to slow down your body’s conversion of starches into sugars.
This causes lesser spikes in your blood sugar levels.
If you eat chia with a meal, it will help you turn your food into constant, steady energy
rather than a series of ups and downs that wear you out.
Enhanced Oral Health: Because chia seeds are packed with calcium, phosphorus, vitamin A
and zinc, it’s no wonder that promoting oral health makes the list as one of the top
benefits of chia seeds.
Calcium is the building block of your teeth that is necessary for maintaining oral health.
Meanwhile, zinc prevents tartar by keeping plaque from mineralizing onto your teeth and
has an antibacterial effect that keeps bad breath germs away.
Vitamin A and phosphorus are also important for strong teeth and a healthy mouth, both
of which are plentiful in chia seeds.
Healthier Heart: Chia seeds are known for their ability to reduce inflammation and lower
cholesterol.
They are also effective in reducing oxidative stress because of the high amount of antioxidants
present.
Inflammation can put a strain on your blood vessels and cause heart diseases.
Chia seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids and other healthy fats that protect your heart
by lowering bad cholesterol, lowering blood pressure, and inflammation.
Since they are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, if you are a vegetarian or vegan, then chia
seeds are a great alternative for fish.
Builds muscles: Protein is one of the most important nutrients needed for building muscles
and chia seeds are the top rated plant based protein sources.
If you are a vegan, then you must include chia seeds in your diet to get your daily
dose of protein.
They also contain a healthy balance of amino acids, so that your body can make use of proteins.
If you want to put on lean muscles and burn fat, then eating chia seeds will be helpful.
Higher Energy Levels: Feeling sluggish?
Try adding chia seeds into your diet, as the Aztecs did, who allegedly fuelled themselves
for a day on just a spoonful of chia seeds.
Studies have been conducted that back up the notion that chia seeds can boost energy, too.
One study swapped out a high-sugar energy drink for half energy drink, half chia seeds,
and found that there was no significant change in performance of the participants.
This is just one study, so results are inconclusive, but in any case, reducing your sugar consumption
won’t hurt.
Lower Blood Pressure: Chia seeds have also been shown to significantly reduce blood pressure
in people who eat them regularly.
Lowered blood pressure obviously leads to all sorts of long-term health benefits, including
better heart health and decreased risk for heart attacks and strokes.
The healthy fats, such as linoleic acid, which are so high in chia seeds are also essential
for your heart health.
This is because this acid aids in the absorption of certain vitamins and minerals that your
body and heart need to stay healthy.
Smarter Brain: A study divided college students into two groups: a control group and a group
that consumed 5 grams of chia seeds daily for 21 days.
Researchers found that those who ate chia seeds performed significantly better on an
academic test than the control group.
Coincidence?
A total of 34,600 college students participated in this study, so probably not.
This brain boosting property of chia seeds may be attributed to the presence of omega-3
in it.
Omega-3 fats have been shown to improve brain function and cognition.
Boosted Exercise Performance: Chia seeds are a great alternative to those sugary pre-workout
snacks.
Having chia seeds before a workout helps to boost stable energy for a long workout or
competition.chia seeds before a workout was as energizing as a sugary drink like gatorade.
In the study, one group had a gatorade type drink while the other had chia seeds, and
both performed well– however, the chia seed group had way less sugar.
Less Wrinkles: Chia seeds have a ton of antioxidants, which can fight free radicals in your body.
Free radicals essentially break down cells over time via a process called oxidative stress.
Antioxidants can help fight this process which ultimately results in better, younger looking
skin.
In fact, one report found that the antioxidant profile of chia seeds could stop free radical
activity by 70 percent.
Improved Hydration: Going out for a run?
You might want to fuel up with chia seed drink first.
Chia seeds soak up a lot of water, so they might help athletes or endurance runners stay
hydrated.
One study found that one gram of chia flour could absorb almost 12 grams of water.
Faster Weight Loss: Adding chia seeds to your diet is an excellent way to enhance weight
loss and help shed stubborn pounds.
Chia seeds also rank among the top plant-based protein foods, which is why chia seed protein
is great to eat if you are trying to put on lean muscle, burn fat, and manage hunger.
Studies show that increasing your intake of protein can promote weight loss by curbing
cravings and cutting caloric intake.
One study showed that increasing protein intake by just 15 percent of daily calories led to
significant decreases in energy intake and appetite.
Other research shows that following a high-protein diet rich in foods like chia seeds could reduce
levels of ghrelin, the hormone responsible for stimulating hunger.
Currently, there are so many myths around weight loss, a lot of them true, a lot of
them bogus.
Here’s a video titled “8 Weight Loss Myths You Need To Know To Lose Weight” that will
clear all these myths.
Now Back to Chia Seed Health Benefits.
Lower Cholesterol Levels: The healthy fats in chia seeds have been found to help reduce
triglyceride levels while increasing the amount of good cholesterol in your blood.
The good cholesterol helps clean up your arteries for better blood flow.
Additionally, the type of fiber in chia seeds, mainly soluble fiber, can help lower bad cholesterol.
This type of cholesterol forms plaque in your arteries if it is present in high levels.
Combined, these blood lipid improvements can lower your risk for heart disease.
Lower Disease Risk: Over time, inflammation within your body can cause damage which can
make you more susceptible to chronic diseases, particularly diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
A study found that chia seeds were linked to reduced blood levels of inflammation in
rats.
Also, in humans, eating chia seeds daily was found to reduce a specific type of inflammation
in the cells, called C-reactive protein, that can be a risk factor for heart disease and
diabetes.
Less Body Toxins: Since chia seeds support your digestive health, they help you get rid
of toxins naturally.
Their anti-inflammatory qualities enable them to prevent and repair damage that takes place
at a cellular level.
The result is less waste within your body, and more effective elimination of waste that
you do produce.
How often do you eat chia seeds?
What is your favourite way of incorporating them into your diet?
Let us know in the comments section below!