Chia Seeds Benefits
Chia seeds are all about health benefits. Chia seeds are considered to be a superfood because of the huge amount of benefits we could get from them.
Different components that make up chia seeds are responsible for different benefits. The important nutrients that are responsible for most of the health benefits of chia seeds are:
- Boron
- Calcium
- High Fiber Content
- High Protein Content
- Iron
- Kaempferol
- Magnesium
- Myricetin
- Niacin (Vitamin B3)
- Omega – 3
- Omega – 6
- Potassium
- Quercetin
- Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
- Thiamin (Vitamin B1)
- Vitamin C
Now isn’t that simply amazing! All this in one seed! Below I will go through the benefits that each of these components provide.
Boron - can naturally effect us in a verity of ways ranging from helping us beat Arthritis to balancing our sex hormones. Boron is often overlooked. Simply adding chia seeds to your diet means you could benefit from what boron has to offer.
Calcium – most people know that calcium can help keep our bones strong and healthy but what some people forget is that calcium can also help us fight problems with high blood pressure, colon cancer, premenstrual syndrome and heart attack. Milk is famous for having a high calcium content however, chia seeds have contain more calcium per gram than milk.
Fiber – Including plenty of fiber in your diet aids the digestion process. The western diet doesn’t usually contain enough fiber so consuming chia seeds is an easy way to top up on your fiber.
Protein - Another issue with the western diet is that it’s mainly based on refined carbohydrates and doesn’t contain enough protein. Including more protein in your diet could aid with weight loss. Protein is also essential for maintaining healthy skin hair and nails. Getting your protein from chia seeds is healthier than getting your protein from a fatty steak! (I must admin that I would much rather eat a steak though)
Iron – It’s essential that we get enough iron in our diet. Iron is needed for us to have a healthy circulation system and brain. Chia seeds contain plenty of iron.
Kaempferol - A strong antioxidant. The way that Kaempferol helps us is way to complicated for me to understand, but Kaempferol is believed to help fight cancer. You can find Kaempferol in brocoli, tea, chia seeds and a few other foods.
Magnesium – can help treat migraines, insomnia, depression, diabetes, high blood pressure and can also help with cardiovascular diseases and osteoporosis. Clearly it’s very important to be getting enough magnesium in our diet and one way to do that is to include the humble chia seeds!
Myricetin – Another antioxidant that’s found in chia seeds. Myricetin is said to reduce inflammation, bad cholesterol while also helping give our immune system a boost.
Niacin - is mainly known as vitamin B3. This is another antioxidant that is believed to help control blood suger, decrease cholesterol levels, aid with detoxification, aid with the production of sex hormones, arenal hormones and aid with the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Another huge list of benefits there that can be added to the list of chia seeds benefits!
Omega 3 - This is going to need a post of it’s own but briefly, Omega 3 is an essential fatty acid that improves the health of your heart, helps with mood disorders, lowers blood pressure, improves brain function and much more. Chia seeds are packed with omega 3.
Omega 6 - Another essential fatty acid that helps reduce the aches and pains of arthritis, reduces eczema symptoms, helps with acne and more.
Potassium - Helps prevent strokes, helps balance our blood suger levels and much more. It’s vital that people who suffer from anxiety and stress consumer enough potassium as a deficiency could be making it worse. Again, chia seeds are a great source of potassium.
Quercetin - Another antioxidant that can be found in chia seeds. Quercetin also has a a wide range of health benefits ranging from helping with allergies to reducing the symptoms caused by diabetes.
Riboflavin - More commonly known as viramin B2. This is the “energy vitamin”. It plays an important role in managing your energy levels and a vitamin B2 deficiency could lead to low energy levels. Riboflavin is also an antioxidant.
Thiamin – Or vitamin B1 promotes growth, reduces stress levels and gives the immune system a boost amongst other things. This is one of 3 B vitamins that can be found in chia seeds.
Vitamin C – Strangely enough, chia seeds also contain vitamin C. This is probably the most talked about vitamin and is best known for helping you get rid of a cold as fast as possible.
Well that is a pretty huge list of chia seeds benefits! Basically this one food can provide you with a huge number of benefits. The general health benefits are not the only benefits of chia seeds.
Chia seeds have a great ratio of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. The energy in chia seeds is released slowly so they have been used by runners and hikers as a reliable energy source.
After all that, you must be convinced about the “superness” of this “superfood”. It’s pretty amazing huh? There are some chia seeds side effects though as is expected from something that can effect our health in so many ways. The main point to think about is that chia seeds can decrease your blood pressure. This is ideal for someone with high blood pressure but it could be dangerous for anyone with low blood pressure.
If you’re looking to buy some chia seeds, check out the chia seeds buying guide here!
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