Did you know chia seeds are considered one of the healthiest foods there is? Chia seeds are loaded with nutrients benefiting both body and brain. These are just some of the health and wellness benefits from chia seeds you can receive by consuming them regularly.
Lowers risk of heart disease
Chia seeds consumed regularly may lower certain risk factors relating to heart disease, including reducing triglycerides, inflammation, insulin resistance, and belly fat. They also raise HDL cholesterol – the good kind! – among some people.
Almost all carbs are fiber
In chia seeds, more than 92% of the carbs you receive will be in fiber. This makes chia seeds low carb. The fiber is a digestible carb, highly soluble, and feeds friendly bacteria in your intestine which will help keep your gut bacteria up to snuff.
High in bone nutrients
Chia seeds are high in nutrients relating to the health of our bones including calcium, protein, magnesium, and phosphorous. They are considered an excellent source of calcium for people who don’t eat any dairy or include it in their lifestyle.
Antioxidants are packed in
Chia seeds have a high antioxidant content which helps to fight free radicals in the body. Free radicals are known to damage cell molecules and contribute to aging as well as diseases like cancer and similar conditions.
High quality protein
It’s worth not forgetting that chia seeds are protein. Chia seeds are about 14% protein which is high when it comes to plants. A higher protein intake lowers appetite, reduces the desire for nighttime snacking, and will help to support muscle maintenance and growth.
A lot of nutrients, few calories
A 1-ounce serving of chia seeds has 11 grams of fiber, 4 grams of protein, 5 grams of omega-3 fatty acids, 18% of your daily calcium, 30% of your daily manganese, 30% of your daily magnesium, and 27% of your daily phosphorous. This small amount only has 137 calories!
They’re a weight loss food!
Chia seeds help in weight loss through its high fiber and high protein content. The fiber means increased feelings of fullness and slower absorption of food, while protein is a great weight loss food. Although chia seeds won’t make much of a difference without following through with lifestyle and diet choices, they’re worth adding to your daily food intake.
Omega-3 fatty acids
Chia seeds are similar to flax seeds in the sense that they are very, very high in omega-3 fatty acids. Chia seeds contain more omega-3 fatty acids than salmon, measuring gram to gram. Although plant-based omega-3s are inferior to animal sourced oils scientifically speaking, it’s still a benefit worth mentioning.
This is just some of the good news to take away from chia seeds. Buy them in bulk and toss some seeds into your diet any time breakfast, lunch, or dinner!
Featured Photo by Daria Shevtsova from Pexels
