1. Chia Seeds Assists in Weight Loss
When you eat food which is rich in protein and fiber, it will lead to weight loss. Fiber present in chia seeds makes you feel full, as it expands after absorbing large volumes of water from your body. They can absorb water up to 12 times their weight.
Also, these seeds provide high amounts of protein, another nutrient that decreases your appetite. Remember to complement the chia seeds in your diet with a healthy lifestyle, which makes it easier to lose weight.
2. Chia Seeds Enhances Digestive Health
For every 28 grams of chia seeds, you get almost 11 grams of fiber, allowing you to get the required amount of this nutrient from a single serving. The dietary fiber, present in these seeds, has a positive impact on your bowel movement, while giving your stool a healthy appearance.
An interesting thing to note is that chia seeds create a substance which resembles gelatin, after consumption. They form this substance because of the presence of soluble fiber. It improves your digestive health by encouraging prebiotics to grow in your gut.
3. Chia Seeds Full of Antioxidants
Studies show that antioxidants fight free radical production in your body. Free radicals are dangerous, as they damage your cells. As a result of this, they can cause diseases like cancer during the later stages of life. Also, they are responsible for ageing and cognitive decline.
The antioxidant content in chia seeds can protect your cells from these dangers. Keep in mind that obtaining antioxidants from natural sources is better than consuming supplements.
4. Chia Seeds Great Source of Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Chia seeds are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Therefore, they manage and prevent heart diseases, by reducing blood pressure. It also decreases the fat in your liver, improves joint and bone health, prevents your skin from ageing prematurely, and increases the quality of sleep.
By eating chia seeds, your body gets the required amounts of Alpha Linolenic Acid (ALA). Consume fish oil, DHA supplements, or fatty fish along with them so that your body can convert ALA into its more active and useful forms, DHA and EPA.
There was a study published in the Journal of Molecular Biochemistry, which examined the impact of ALA on cervical and breast cancer. The researchers found that ALA destroys cancer cells while keeping the healthy ones out of harm’s way. There needs to be more research on the impact of ALA on other types of cancer. However, it is good to know that it can help fight some variants.
5. Chia Seeds High Nutrient Density
One of the main reasons why chia seeds are gaining popularity all around the world is because of its high nutrient density. By eating two tablespoons of chia seeds, you get calcium, carbohydrates, fat, fiber, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, protein, and vitamin A. It also provides small amounts of copper, potassium, and zinc.
6. Chia Seeds Improves Dental Health
Nutrients such as zinc, phosphorus, calcium, and vitamin A are great for your teeth. The presence of calcium in chia seeds helps strengthen your teeth, making them great for dental health. At the same time, zinc keeps tartar at bay, by preventing plaque from building up. Also, due to its antibacterial effects, the germs responsible for bad breath cannot sustain themselves. Phosphorus and vitamin A keep your mouth healthy and add to the strength of your teeth.
7. Chia Seeds Improves Bone Health
A single serving of chia seeds can account for about 18% of your daily calcium requirements. This mineral is an important nutrient for bone health, as it maintains their mass and strength. They also contain boron, which further improves your bone health. It is responsible for metabolizing phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, and manganese, which promotes healthy growth in your bones.
8. Chia Seeds Prevents Spike in Sugar Levels
Chia seeds are a great source of fiber, due to which your body doesn’t need to increase the amount of blood sugar to digest them. As a result of this, your pancreas doesn’t have to increase its production of insulin. When you consume food with high amounts of fiber, it will stabilize your blood sugar.
A study conducted by National Institute of Medicine has shown what happens when you consume a diet which has 14 grams of fiber out of 1,000 calories. There is a considerable reduction in the risk of type 2 diabetes. There was another study, which showed the positive effects of these tiny seeds on diabetes patients. For 12 weeks, 20 patients got either wheat bran or chia seeds. The researchers found out that the patients who ate chia seeds were showing signs of improvement in health markers such as vWF, hs-CRP, and blood pressure.
9. Chia Seeds Improves Cardiovascular Health
According to certain recent studies, dietary fiber can help regulate the immune system and inflammation. Therefore, eating more chia seeds could decrease the risk of inflammation-related conditions such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
A higher fiber intake has been known to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. A review consisting of 67 different controlled trials showed that a modest 10-gram increase in fiber intake everyday reduced LDL or “bad cholesterol”, as well as total cholesterol levels in the body. Therefore, the consumption of chia seeds can help bring cholesterol levels under control.