Chia Seeds - Super food for all diets?

[Bernard]

I was reading about these seeds in a newsletter from our local vitamin store and was pretty amazed that I had not heard about this Aztec staple food before. Check it out:

...Here are ten benefits to using chia seed in your life. Chia seeds are:

1. Nutritious. Chia seed provides ample calcium and protein to your tissues. The seeds are also rich in boron, which helps the body assimilate and use calcium. The nutrients also support proper brain functioning.

2. Water loving. The seed can soak up ten times its weight in water. Do this fun experiment. Put one tablespoon of chia seed in a cup of water and stir. Wait a few hours and see what happens. When inside your body, the seeds help you stay hydrated longer, and retain electrolytes in your bodily fluids.

3. Easily digestible. The shells are easily broken down, even when swallowed whole. This is an improvement over flax seed, which have to be ground up to be digested properly. If you eat flax seed whole, it will just pass through.
...

Chia Seed - Ten Benefits from this Power Food and Brain Food

... The Nutritional Science Research Institute, NSRI, a non-profit
organization committed to both the rigorous scientific testing of
products and nutritional supplements from natural sources tested chia and
confirmed that it is a low glycemic index food suitable for diabetics.
Their research also showed that taking 40 grams of Chia (Salvia hispanica
L) per day results in significantly decreased systolic blood pressure.
C-reactive protein (CRP), a blood protein that is a measure of chronic
inflammation, was also reduced significantly.

Another study by the University of Toronto study tested the Salba variety
of Chia seed. They found it to be more effective than the expensive and
risky medications currently used for decreasing blood pressure, thinning
blood, reducing inflammation and controlling blood sugar.

Participants in the study were Type-2 diabetes patients. Doctors observed
the following within three months: clotting factors dropped 20 percent,
levels of C-reactive protein (a key marker of inflammation) fell 30
percent, systolic blood pressure dropped six units.

And the benefits go even further -- 100 grams of this chia strain has as
much Omega-3 fatty acid as a 32-ounce Atlantic salmon steak, as much
magnesium as 10 stalks of broccoli, as much calcium as 2 1/2 cups of
milk, and as much iron as half a cup of kidney beans.

Chia naturally contains the highest percentage of Omega-3 of any
commercially available source. It is also high in vitamins and in
insoluble fiber (which makes it excellent for appetite suppression and
intestinal cleansing). ...

Chia -- Science Agrees Seed Is the Perfect Food

There appear to be a number of gluten free Chia seed flours being sold (at least over the internet). I'm going to get some of the seed and start sprinkling it on my salads.

[Meetz1064]

I was reading about these seeds in a newsletter from our local vitamin store and was pretty amazed that I had not heard about this Aztec staple food before. Check it out:

Chia Seed - Ten Benefits from this Power Food and Brain Food



Chia -- Science Agrees Seed Is the Perfect Food

There appear to be a number of gluten free Chia seed flours being sold (at least over the internet). I'm going to get some of the seed and start sprinkling it on my salads.

this would help my prehypertension

Any idea where I can get it around here (in Indiana I mean)? Or should I just look online?

[Bernard]

I found it at the Vitamin Shoppe. You might try your local vitamins/whole foods stores.

They are pretty good in lemonaide/juices. They gain a tapioca like texture when soaked in water/drinks.

[Meetz1064]

I shall do some looking......

They sound good, and ANYTHING that is like tapioca is DEFINITELY worth it!

Sorry, it's been so long since I've been able to have any of that, I DREAM about it sometimes.......weird, but what can I say?



Thanks, Mr B!

[alivenwell]

I personally know somebody who makes a drink out of chia seed mixture. I honestly do not know the brand. I also read other articles that indicate they are extremely healthy.

[kirklong]

I have been eating chia seeds since last year. its a superfood indeed...

i buy my stuff at hidalgofoods.com at $6.01 a pound

[Meetz1064]

a Vitamin Shoppe opening up somewhere nearby, so I am going to see about getting some chia seeds, but I wonder how they will mix with the celiac problem. We will have to wait and see....

[Molly97]

Meetz,
I did a little(ok, a lot)of searching to see what the status is on chia seeds being gluten free. What I found is the following:

http://gluten-free-blog.blogspot.com...od-status.html

Hope this helps.