Increased fiber intake could contribute to lower blood pressure

A study of more than 2000 men and women published in the British Journal of Nutrition in July 2015 concluded that increased intakes of fiber, both soluble and insoluble but in particular insoluble fiber, may contribute to lower blood pressure.

Chia is a great source of fiber, both soluble and insoluble, so we ask Have you had your chia today?®

How important is fiber in our diets? - Chia Seed is a great source

A study just published in BMC Public Health Journal reported that if Americans would increase the fiber in their diets, health costs would decrease significantly.  The authors stated that "Accumulating evidence indicates that greater dietary fiber intakes reduce risk for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, weight gain, obesity and diverticular disease as well as functional constipation.  The authors estimate that at least a $2 billion savings in health care costs could be achieved among adults with only a 3 g/day increase in fiber was undertaken by only 50% of the population.

Chia seeds are an excellent source of fiber and contain on average 34% dietary fiber of which 4% is soluble.

Given that chia seeds have been classified as a food by the FDA this means one can consume as much chia seed as one would like.  The only caveat is that if you are on a low fiber diet, increase your consumption of chia seeds slowly since loose bowels could result with a rapid increase.

Are all carbs in foods equal? How does chia enter the equation?

The truth of the matter is, they are not.

If you look at chia for example: a serving of 25 grams of chia has 10g of carbohydrates and 10 grams of fiber.

People trying to avoid carbs in their diet would obviously say this is way too much and I am not going to eat chia. 

The issue here is that fiber is counted as carbohydrates in any analysis done on a food. So in this case the reality of the situation is that chia has no carbs that you want to avoid. Why is this so? Because fiber is not broken down into glucose.

Wayne

Whole Chia Seed or Milled Chia Seed?

There is increasing discussion about the benefits of whole chia seed, compared to milled chia seed.

Some argue that whole chia seed will simply pass through the body leaving you with little to no benefit with all the components simply excreted.

This is definitely the case for flaxseed since it has a very hard seed coat. Unless the seed is opened, sprouted, cooked etc. and the coat opened, it will pass through the body.

Chia seed, on the other hand, has a soft seed coat. The omega3 fatty acid in the seed being protected by the natural antioxidants it contains, rather than being protected by a hard seed coat, as in the case of flaxseed.

Now some people have said I looked in the toilet and saw the seeds.  No that is not what they are seeing, rather it is the seed coat which is the insoluble part of the seed.  If one were to carefully examine the remains it would be a hollow incomplete shell.

In theory it would make sense that opening the seed would expose more of the inside of the seed to the stomach so that the benefits could be gained.  It may be true that it might act a bit faster, but that is about it.

Why do I say the seeds do not need to be milled to be taken advantage of? 

There are just way too many people that have consumed only whole chia seeds and have seen remarkable changes in cholesterol, weight loss, less joint pain, lessened glycemic spikes, more energy, etc.  I doubt these people are making up their unsolicited stories to please the world.  They are simply telling the world how well whole chia seed has helped them.

Wayne

Dr Oz and chia seeds

Chia lovers and those new to this seed.

Did you see Dr. Oz's show yesterday?

 He was talking about what he considers to be his 5 Miracle Solutions from around the Globe.  Chia seed was number 2! He talked about how chia can help with weight loss by controlling hunger pangs as it tends to give you the feeling of being full.  He had two women that he asked to try chia seeds and both of them said it worked very well for them as they had lessened hunger pangs, and actually wanted to eat less at dinner.

His recipe for success.  Take two tablespoons in the morning in water after breakfast and if you like, take two more later in the day.

One thing he stressed was to buy whole or raw (meaning non processed, milled, cooked, etc) seeds.

I agree totally with the whole seed use, however if you have problems with seeds, such as with diverticulitis, then use the milled form, otherwise stick to whole seeds.

Have you had your chia today?

Chia is the richest plant source of omega-3 fatty acids, and contains natural antioxidants.

Chia’s omega-3 fatty acid stability arises because of the abundant natural antioxidants that are in the seed.

This is an advantage compared with marine products, since these foods require special packaging and storage conditions to prevent even minor degradation occurring over time. Flaxseed must be ground and used immediately, since oxidation has been shown to be a problem with this seed, especially once it has been milled.

Chia also is an excellent source of protein as well as soluble and insoluble fiber, is simple to use, has essentially no flavor, and is safe for both humans and animals having been declared as a food by the FDA in 2005.

The easiest ways to incorporate chia into your diet is to add it to your morning juice or smoothie, mix in your yogurt or sprinkle on your salad. Simply put, add it to anything you normally consume.

Have You Had Your CHIA Today?®

Chia’s potential health benefits.

Omega-3 fatty acid and fiber have both been shown to serve as heart healthy components in food, while omega-3 fatty acid and antioxidants are both anti-inflammatory so they can lessen joint pain associated with many ailments.

As the seed is very hydrophilic (absorbs 7 to 10 times its weight in water) it helps slow digestion and can result in more energy later in the day and in some cases provide a “full” sensation, which tends to help with weight loss

Chia is a sustainable and environmentally friendly product.

The high oil content of chia’s leaves acts as an extremely potent insect repellent and eliminates the need for pesticides. Chia is a member of the mint family and is technically known as Salvia hispanica L. If you have ever grown mint, you know insects never bother it; the same is true for chia.

The use of chia as an omega-3 source prevents depletion of fish stocks, and also eliminates concerns about the accumulation of toxins such as dioxin and mercury that may accumulate in fish and fish products.

Have You Had Your CHIA Today?®

My New Chia Book

Chia Friends

My new book CHIA: The Complete Guide to the Ultimate Superfood just came out and is available from Barnes & Noble, Amazon or DrCoatesChia

We are very pleased with the book as not only does the book have a lot of information on chia, it talks about some of the myths and misconceptions about chia, contains over 75 recipes as well as exercise plans to help you get and stay healthy.

Some chapters are: Staying Healthy with Chia, Cooking Eating and Healing with Chia.

It was written so as to help everyone better understand chia and its potential health benefits.

Wayne

Ways to add CHIA to your diet

5 easy ways to add CHIA to your daily diet

• Mix in with your morning juice or milk 

• Add to your smoothie 

• Sprinkle on your salad 

• Add to your yogurt 

• Sprinkle on peanut butter and banana sandwich 

Have you had your CHIA today?®

Why you need to consume Omega3

5 reasons for Omega-3 in your daily diet:

* improve cardiovascular health
* lower cholesterol
* reduce inflammation
* boost your immune system
* improve your mood

Chia is the highest known plant source of Omega-3.

Have you had your CHIA today? ®

Chia - seed or grain?

Is chia (Salvia hispanica L.) a grain or a seed?

People have been calling chia a grain, but that simply is not correct. It is a seed. Here is an explanation of the difference between a grain and a seed from a botanical standpoint.

A grain has its fruit wall and seed coat fused, so you cannot separate them. So each grain is technically an individual fruit (called a caryopsis) containing a single seed. When processed, the fused ovary wall (fruit coat) and seed coat are the "bran," the embryo is the "germ," and the endosperm is the part full of carbohydrates that we eat. Of course, if you eat whole grains you get the bran, germ and endosperm together. So on an ear of corn or the head of a grain, each grain is an individual ovary with a seed inside.

Seeds are fertilized/ripened/mature ovules (that are found within ovaries), and the seed coat is made of the maternal tissue called integuments. The ovary is part of the flower that contains the ovules. So in fruits, like watermelon, the rind and what we eat is all ovary, and the "seeds" are the black things inside (to confuse matters, the little white things are ovules that did not get fertilized). Most plants have true seeds, but in some plants, like wheat, rice, and corn what we see and use is really the fruit and seed combined. Interestingly what have often been called ancient grains (amaranth, quinoa and buckwheat) are actually seeds!

Chia grows multiple seed heads on a single plant, within each head the seeds are singular within a capsule or husk, which is formed at each flower. If you hand strip the head from the plant, the capsules come off, rubbing them in your hand the seed comes out. The husk is what is left of the ovary (fruit) coat. You have just a single seed per ovary in chia, which is not uncommon in plants. The capsule or husk is the ovary, with the individual seeds coming from ovules in the ovary.

So in summary: Seeds just have a seed coat, embryo and endosperm/cotyledons, whereas grains also include the ovary.

Hence chia (Salvia hispanica L.) is technically a seed, and because if the high oil content, is an oilseed.

AZChia on Facebook

Chia friends

I have not posted here for some time, just pretty busy trying to help people understand the many benefits of chia.

Please go to AZChia for information on chia, or to purchase our chia and/or chia products. I do not want to use this blog as a commercial selling tool, but do want people to be aware of the products we offer.

Another way to keep up with our activities is to go to our Facebook page which can be found at Facebook/AZChia.

Regards,

Wayne

Chia - History, Research, Composition, Uses - the story

The University of Arizona recently published a presentation I made as part of the invited Faculty Fellows Speaker Series in the Fall of 2005.

The presentation covers the history, composition, benefits of chia and cites some of my chia research work, etc. In essence it is a summary of the book entitled CHIA: Rediscovering a Forgotten Crop of the Aztecs published by the University of Arizona Press of which I am a co-author.

The presentation consists of a video and the slides I used at that time to tell the chia story.

In the past five years many more papers have been published on chia which document its benefits, properties, uses, etc. As a result of increased press, blogs, etc. people are becoming more and more aware of this amazing food, and how it can help improve the health of the world. For updated chia information go to www.azchia.com and click on the My Chia Research link in the left hand column.

I hope you enjoy this presentation and will learn a bit more about this great, healthy food. To view the presentation click here.

How does chia compare to other foods?

Chia Friends

Thought I would let you know that I added information to the website showing how the four main components of chia (fiber, protein, antioxidants and omega3) compare to a number of common foods, and to a number of common seeds, including flax seed. To go to this page directly click here

I hope you find this of interest.

Regards,

Wayne