Seed guide: how to use chia seeds correctly?

You've probably heard of chia seeds before. In fact, a number of different articles praise them to the skies and recommend using them in a huge number of recipes. But what are they really? And do scientific studies really confirm any miraculous benefits for our health? That's what we'll look at in today's article, which is also the first part of our new guide to different types of seeds.

Article content:

• What are chia seeds?
• Chia seeds have important benefits for our health
• What are the uses of chia seeds?

What are chia seeds?

Chia seeds are edible seeds that come from the Hispanic sage plant and although they have only experienced a major boom over the past few years, they have actually been used since the Aztec era, in the 16th century.They are completely gluten and carbohydrate free and have no particular flavour, so they are quite versatile in the kitchen. They can be used both sweet and salty, and in some vegan recipes they can even replace eggs due to their gelatinous consistency when covered with water. You can see the nutritional values of chia seeds (based on information from the USDA) in the table below. These are the nutritional values for two teaspoons (specifically 28.35 grams) of chia seeds:

Chia seeds have important benefits for our health

You can read a lot of interesting things about chia seeds, and often it seems almost unbelievable that ordinary seeds could help with a whole host of health complications. And while some articles may exaggerate the benefits of chia seeds a bit, scientific studies have found a number of benefits that chia seeds actually have.

They are loaded with minerals

First and foremost, chia seeds are indeed rich in a whole spectrum of minerals, although vitamins are scarce. They contain well-known minerals such as calcium, iron and magnesium, as well as lesser-known ones such as manganese, selenium and copper. In terms of concentration, chia seeds are indeed a rich source of individual minerals, but on the other hand, you can't consume too many of them in quantity and, like all other seeds, they contain various antinutrients that can interfere with the use of some minerals.

Chia seeds contain minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron and many others.

They can make you feel hungry

Do you often feel hungry when losing weight? One of the reasons may be lack of fiber, which is not uncommon. But as the table above shows, chia seeds are rich in fiber. Primarily it is soluble fibre, which experts say forms a kind of gel in the stomach. This will help slow down your digestion and make you feel fuller and not hungry so quickly. So even though chia is relatively calorie-dense, it's also good for people on a diet.

They replenish the body with the necessary omega 3

Like many other seeds, chia is a great source of omega 3, which we've written about in a whole separate article. The problem is that they contain primarily ALA, which must be converted into its active form in the body, and this conversion can be quite wasteful. So in practice, chia seeds are definitely not as good a source of omega 3 as marine fish, but they do contain some.

Chia seeds, like salmon, are a source of omega 3 fatty acids.

They contain many antioxidants

As a side effect of the biochemical reactions taking place in our bodies, free radicals are produced, which have been linked to a number of diseases including cancer and Alzheimer's disease. Antioxidants play an important role in neutralising the effects of free radicals. And speaking of antioxidants, chia seeds are demonstrably packed with them. This means that their regular consumption may therefore be one of the possible preventions of certain diseases.

What are the uses of chia seeds?

Chia seeds are especially great for their versatile uses. They can be used on their own, or soaked in water or milk, for example, to create a jelly that can be used in many other dishes. We've even put together 7 great chia seed recipes for you. You can also try healthy RAW raffaello/chia balls or RAW carrot balls with chia. But your imagination has no limits and the uses of chia seeds are very rich.

What to take away from today's article?

The main thing you should take away from today's article is that chia are Hispanic sage seeds and have been used for centuries. They are also quite rich in minerals, protein and fibre and this is where the vast majority of their benefits come from - they can relieve hunger, replenish omega 3 fatty acids or even lower the glycaemic index of foods you add them to. What's also great about them is their versatility, as you can use chia seeds in both sweet and savoury dishes and they don't need to go through any cooking at all. You can get them directly from our shop in the Nuts and Seeds category.