NUTRITION WATCH

Eat Your Chia Pet?

eat your chia?

The super chia seed reportedly packs more omega-3s than flaxseeds.

By Ana Mantica, for EatingWell July/August 2008

Move over flax and hemp. The latest super seed to sprout on store shelves is ch-ch-ch-chia, a cousin of the seeds (Salvia columbariae) you once used to grow a crop of green hair atop your clay “pet.” The chia seed now sold as a nutty topping for yogurts and salads and used in cereals, energy bars, even pastas, is a different variety called Salvia hispanica. This type of chia reportedly packs more alpha-linoleic acid, an omega-3 fat, than flaxseeds, and also provides fiber, antioxidants and even some calcium and iron. A member of the mint family that is abundant in Mexico and South America, chia was highly prized by the Aztecs, who believed it provided supernatural powers. Today, it’s being touted for having cardiovascular benefits, reducing blood sugar levels and perhaps even squelching hunger pangs.

Pros: In a 2007 Diabetes Care study of 20 people with type 2 diabetes, those who added about 4 tablespoons of Salba—a specific Salvia hispanica strain that’s been cultivated for its nutritional consistency—to their diets for 12 weeks saw improvements in blood pressure and reduced inflammation, a recognized risk for heart disease. In April, the study’s authors (scientists from the University of Toronto) reported at an annual Experimental Biology meeting that healthy people who ate a slice of white bread containing as little as three-quarters of a tablespoon of Salba saw a drop in blood sugar levels and reported feeling fuller than after they ate plain white bread.

Cons: Chia seeds can vary widely in their nutritional makeup, and Salba is the only cultivar for which clinical trials suggest health benefits. (Even for Salba, the published peer-reviewed science currently is limited to one small preliminary study.) Although high in fiber, chia seeds are also high in calories (about 37 calories and 3 grams fiber per tablespoon).

Bottom line: “The average American already gets a good amount of omega-3 fatty acids from the two major vegetable oils used in the U.S., soybean and canola oils,” says Alice Lichtenstein, D.Sc., director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory at Tufts University and an EatingWell Nutrition Advisory Board member. “There are no data to indicate supplemental vegetable sources of omega-3 fatty acids will provide additional health benefits.” That said, eating chia seeds (the kind sold as food!) won’t harm you. So if it’s nutty crunch you crave, try them. But don’t expect your hair to grow any faster.

Flaxseed for Hot Flashes?
Healthy Flax Recipes and Tips
Will these (omega-3-fortified) foods make you smarter?

Video: Learn all about good and bad fats in our Healthy in a Minute video.

Stay current with the latest issue of EatingWell. Subscribe Risk-Free Now!

USER COMMENTS — Add Your Comment

Wow. This is one of the worst articles I've read in a while, and in an ostensibly health-related magazine, no less. I am astonished by the assertions by Alice Lichtenstein that the average American already gets sufficient Omega 3 from soybean and canola oils. First, there exists considerable debate about the efficacy and health benefits of soy and canola. However, there exists absolutely no debate that the average American gets far LESS Omega 3s than they should and that their Omega 3 to 6 ratio should be about 1:1 but is actually about 1:6. A little research would go a long way in making this even a remotely accurate article.

Terry Brown, Chicago, IL

If I wanted to get one of the chias where would I go to get one? Thanks

Tommy Pease, Richardson, TX