Pixel Stories/Stocksy UnitedWelcome to Fresh Food Fast, your source for creative, accessible recipes and nutrition tips to make eating healthier just a little bit easier — and more fun! Chia seeds may be small, but they’re incredibly rich in nutrients. A staple in the ancient Aztec and Maya diets, these seeds have been touted for their health benefits for centuries.
The antioxidants, minerals, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids in chia seeds may promote heart health, support strong bones, and improve blood sugar management (1Trusted Source).
What’s more, chia seeds are versatile and can be used in many recipes. Personally, I embrace their gel-like consistency by mixing them with liquid and making chia pudding. Here are 7 health benefits of chia seeds, all supported by science.
1. Highly nutritious
Chia seeds are tiny black or white seeds from the plant Salvia hispanica L. They’re believed to be native to Central America (1Trusted Source).
Historically, Aztec and Mayan civilizations used the seeds in their diets, as well as for medicinal purposes, religious rituals, and cosmetics. Today, people all over the world enjoy chia seeds (2Trusted Source).
Ancient civilizations viewed chia seeds as highly nutritious — a belief that’s backed by modern science. In fact, just 1 ounce (28 grams or 2 tablespoons) of chia seeds contains (3Trusted Source):
- calories: 138
- protein: 4.7 grams
- fat: 8.7 grams
- alpha-linolenic acid (ALA): 5 grams
- carbs: 11.9 grams
- fiber: 9.8 grams
- calcium: 14% of the Daily Value (DV)
- iron: 12% of the DV
- magnesium: 23% of the DV
- phosphorus: 20% of the DV
- zinc: 12% of the DV
- vitamin B1 (thiamine): 15% of the DV
- vitamin B3 (niacin): 16% of the DV
This nutritional profile is particularly impressive considering that it’s for just a single serving of about two tablespoons.Despite their tiny size, chia seeds are highly nutritious. They’re packed with fiber, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and various micronutrients.
2. Loaded with antioxidants
Chia seeds are also an excellent source of antioxidants (1Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source).
Antioxidants not only protect the sensitive fats in chia seeds from going rancid but also benefit human health by neutralizing reactive molecules known as free radicals, which can damage cell compounds if they build up in your body (1Trusted Source).
For example, free radical damage contributes to aging and diseases like cancer (5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source).
The specific antioxidants in chia seeds include chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, myricetin, quercetin, and kaempferol. These may all have protective effects on your heart and liver, as well as anticancer properties (1Trusted Source).
For example, chlorogenic acid may help lower blood pressure, while caffeic acid has anti-inflammatory effects (7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source).Chia seeds are high in antioxidants. These compounds help protect the seed’s delicate fats while also offering health benefits to humans.
3. May support weight loss
The fiber and protein in chia seeds may benefit those trying to lose weight. One ounce (28 grams) of chia seeds has close to 10 grams of dietary fiber. That means they’re a whopping 35% fiber by weight (3Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source).
Although research on this topic is mixed, some studies suggest that eating fiber may play a role in preventing overweight and obesity (11).Additionally, the protein in chia seeds could help reduce appetite and food intake.
One study in 24 participants found that eating 0.33 ounces (7 grams) or 0.5 ounces (14 grams) of chia seeds mixed with yogurt for breakfast increased feelings of fullness and reduced food intake in the short term compared with eating chia-free yogurt (12Trusted Source).
Even so, studies examining the effectiveness of chia seeds for weight loss have observed mixed results.
In an older study from 2009 involving 90 people with overweight, consuming 50 grams of chia seed supplements per day for 12 weeks did not affect body weight or health markers like blood pressure and inflammation markers (13Trusted Source).
In contrast, a 6-month study involving 77 people with overweight or obesity and type 2 diabetes eating a reduced-calorie diet found that those who took chia seeds daily experienced significantly greater weight loss than those who received a placebo (14Trusted Source).
Though adding chia seeds to your diet is unlikely to cause weight loss on its own, it may be a useful addition to a balanced, nutritious diet if you’re trying to lose weight.Chia seeds are high in protein and fiber, both of which have been shown to aid weight loss. However, studies on chia seeds and weight loss have provided mixed results.
4. May lower your risk of heart disease
Given that chia seeds are high in fiber and omega-3s, consuming them may reduce your risk of heart disease.Soluble fiber, the kind primarily found in chia seeds, can help lower total and LDL (bad) cholesterol in your blood. In turn, this can reduce your risk of heart disease (15Trusted Source).
Consuming ALA, the omega-3 fatty acid in chia seeds, has also been linked to decreased heart disease risk (16Trusted Source).Still, studies specifically examining the connection between chia seeds and heart health have had inconclusive results.Some rat studies have shown that chia seeds can lower certain heart disease risk factors, including high triglyceride and oxidative stress levels (17, 18).
A few human studies found that chia seed supplements significantly reduced blood pressure in people with hypertension, or high blood pressure, which is a strong risk factor for heart disease (19Trusted Source, 20Trusted Source).Overall, chia seeds may benefit heart health, but more research is needed.Chia seeds may reduce the risk of heart disease, likely due to the fiber and ALA they contain. However, more human research is needed.
5. Contain many important bone nutrients
Chia seeds are high in several nutrients that are important for bone health, including:
- calcium
- phosphorus
- magnesium
Many observational studies suggest that getting enough of these nutrients is important for maintaining good bone mineral density, an indicator of bone strength (21Trusted Source, 22Trusted Source).
In addition, ALA in chia seeds may play a role in bone health. Observational studies have found that consuming this nutrient could also be associated with increased bone mineral density (23Trusted Source).Therefore, it’s possible that regularly eating chia seeds could help keep your bones strong.
One animal study found that rats who received chia seeds daily for about 13 months had increased bone mineral content compared with a control group. The authors concluded that ALA may have contributed to this benefit (24Trusted Source).
However, besides animal studies, a limited number of studies have explored this topic, specifically. Ultimately, more human research is needed.Chia seeds are high in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and ALA. All of these nutrients have been linked to improved bone mineral density.
6. May reduce blood sugar levels
Consuming chia seeds may help with blood sugar regulation, possibly due to their fiber content and other beneficial compounds.People with diabetes may experience high blood sugar levels. Consistently high fasting blood sugar levels are associated with an increased risk of several complications, including heart disease (25Trusted Source).
Promisingly, animal studies have found that chia seeds may improve insulin sensitivity. This might help stabilize blood sugar levels after meals (26, 1Trusted Source).Research in humans is sparse, but some older studies have shown promising results.
In particular, older research from 2010 and 2013 suggests that eating bread containing chia seeds helps lower post-meal rises in blood sugar among healthy adults, compared with eating bread without chia seeds (27Trusted Source, 28Trusted Source). Nevertheless, more research is needed to learn more about the connection between these nutritious seeds and blood sugar regulation.Animal studies suggest that chia seeds may help with blood sugar management, but more human research is needed.
7. Easy to incorporate into your diet
Chia seeds are incredibly easy to incorporate into your diet. They taste rather bland, so you can add them to pretty much anything.You don’t need to grind, cook, or otherwise prepare them, making them a handy addition to recipes.
They can be eaten raw, soaked in juice, or added to oatmeal, pudding, smoothies, and baked goods. You can also sprinkle them on top of cereal, yogurt, vegetables, or rice dishes. Plus, they work wonders in homemade fritters as a binding agent.
Given their ability to absorb water and fat, you can use them to thicken sauces and as an egg substitute. They can also be mixed with water and turned into a gel.
The seeds appear to be well tolerated. Still, if you’re not used to eating a lot of fiber, you might experience digestive side effects like bloating or diarrhea if you eat too many seeds in one sitting.
A common dosage recommendation is 0.7 ounces (20 grams or about 1.5 tablespoons) of chia seeds twice per day. Remember to drink plenty of water to prevent any digestive side effects.Chia seeds are easy to prepare and often used as an egg substitute and added to oatmeal or smoothies.
The bottom line
Chia seeds are not only rich in minerals, omega-3 fat, antioxidants, and fiber but also easy to prepare.Studies suggest that they have various health benefits, ranging from weight loss to a reduced risk of heart disease. However, more research involving humans is needed before any firm conclusions can be made.
If you want to reap the possible benefits of chia seeds, consider incorporating them into your diet. They’re a great addition to smoothies, oatmeal, yogurt, baked goods, and more.
By Kris Gunnars, BSc and Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN, LD — Medically reviewed by Jared Meacham, Ph.D., RD, PMP, MBA, CSCS — Updated on April 12, 2022
Source: Chia Seeds: 7 Health Benefits
Related contents:
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Coates, Wayne; Ayerza, Ricardo (1998). “Commercial production of chia in Northwestern Argentina”. Journal of the American Oil Chemists’ Society. 75 (10): 1417–1420. doi:10.1007/s11746-998-0192-7. S2CID 95974159.Coates, Wayne; Ricardo Ayerza (1996). “Production potential of chia in northwestern Argentina”. Industrial Crops and Products. 5 (3): 229–233. doi:10.1016/0926-6690(96)89454-4.
Ayerza (h), Ricardo; Wayne Coates (2009). “Influence of environment on growing period and yield, protein, oil and α-linolenic content of three chia (Salvia hispanica L.) selections”. Industrial Crops and Products. 30 (2): 321–324. doi:10.1016/j.indcrop.2009.03.009. ISSN 0926-6690.Cahill, Joseph P. (2003). “Ethnobotany of Chia, Salvia hispanica L. (Lamiaceae)”. Economic Botany. 57 (4): 604–618.
doi:10.1663/0013-0001(2003)057[0604:EOCSHL]2.0.CO;2. S2CID 35611803.Kintzios, Spiridon E. (2000). Sage: The Genus Salvia. CRC Press. p. 17. ISBN 978-90-5823-005-8.Stephanie Strom (23 November 2012). “30 Years After Chia Pets, Seeds Hit Food Aisles”. The New York Times. Retrieved 26 November 2012. Whole and ground chia seeds are being added to fruit drinks, snack foods and cereals and sold on their own to be baked into cookies and sprinkled on yogurt. …
(h), Ricardo Ayerza (1 September 1995). “Oil content and fatty acid composition of chia (Salvia hispanica L.) from five northwestern locations in Argentina”. Journal of the American Oil Chemists’ Society. 72 (9): 1079–1081. doi:10.1007/BF02660727. ISSN 0003-021X. S2CID 84621038.USDA SR-21 Nutrient Data (2010). “Nutrition facts for dried chia seeds, one ounce”. Conde Nast, Nutrition Data.
“Chewing Chia Packs A Super Punch”. NPR. Retrieved 18 October 2012.Costantini, Lara; Lea Lukšič; Romina Molinari; Ivan Kreft; Giovanni Bonafaccia; Laura Manzi; Nicolò Merendino (2014). “Development of gluten-free bread using tartary buckwheat and chia flour rich in flavonoids and omega-3 fatty acids as ingredients”. Food Chemistry. 165: 232–240. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.05.095. ISSN 0308-8146. PMID 25038671.
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“Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/2470 of 20 December 2017 establishing the Union list of novel foods in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 of the European Parliament and of the Council on Novel Foods”. Eur-Lex. 20 December 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2021.“Entering the European market for chia seeds”. Centre for the Promotion of Imports, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Netherlands. 18 January 2021.
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“A second apparently pre-Columbian cultivation area is known in southern Honduras and Nicaragua.”Jamboonsri, Watchareewan; Phillips, Timothy D.; Geneve, Robert L.; Cahill, Joseph P.; Hildebrand, David F. (2011). “Extending the range of an ancient crop, Salvia hispanica L.—a new ω3 source”. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution. 59 (2): 171–178. doi:10.1007/s10722-011-9673-x. S2CID 14751137.
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