What's so great about chia seeds?

On September 8, 1977, the Chia Pet hit American stores and its TV ad catch phrase became one of the most familiar sound bites in history. Did you or did you not just sing it in your head when you read the title of this article?

Chia Pets, in case you're only three or have been living in a remote cave for the past 30-odd years, are terra cotta figurines upon which you slather a concoction of moist chia seeds, which then grow into sprouts that come to serve as the Chia Pet's "fur." Or mohawk, in the case of the Chia Mr. T. If you were to let the sprouts continue to grow to maturity, your Chia Pet would be unable to bear the weight of the resulting Salvia hispanica, a flowering plant of the mint family that grows to be nearly six feet tall and yields enough seeds to cover hundreds, or maybe even thousands, of Chia Pets.

We're not here today to discuss Chia Pets, but you can't really discuss chia seeds without an obligatory "ch-ch-ch" and a nod to sprout-covered clay animals. And now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's see what else chia seeds are good for.

Chia Seeds Are Healthy Eats

We like to throw around the term "superfood" when referring to super healthy foods like blueberries, kale, and salmon, and sometimes these foods really are "superfoods," which are those that are particularly beneficial to your health due to an uncommonly high nutrient content or specific medical benefit. Most of the time, though, what we call "superfoods" are just your run-of-the-mill, everyday healthy foods that become the hottest new thang thanks to the zealous efforts of overly-enthusiastic marketers. Which, incidentally, became such an annoyance in the European Union that in 2007, the term "superfood" was prohibited for use in marketing unless it was accompanied by a specific claim as to its medical benefits, along with the scientific research to back it up.

Well, chia seeds would pass muster even in the EU, and here are five good reasons why.

1. Chia seeds may help improve Type-2 diabetes. Preliminary research at the University of Toronto found that 20 diabetic people who consumed 37 grams of chia seeds for 12 weeks saw marked improvements in blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and C-reactive protein, a marker of cardiac risk, compared to a control group that received 37 grams of wheat bran for those 12 weeks.
2. Chia seeds help keep things moving. A single ounce of chia seeds, or about 2 tablespoons, contains a whopping 11 grams of fiber. If that won't help keep you regular, what will? And due to the high fiber content, chia seeds absorb around 12 times their weight in water, which means they'll expand in your stomach and theoretically take up all that space that you would otherwise fill with cheeseburgers and Oreos. Thus, chia seeds may contribute to weight loss.
3. Chia seeds are all about bone health. Healthy bones require adequate nutrition, and tossing two tablespoons of chia seeds into your Superfood Smoothie each morning provides your body with a healthy dose of four bone-lovin' nutrients: calcium (18% RDA), magnesium (30% RDA), phosphorous (27% RDA), and manganese (30% RDA.)
4. Chia seeds are a spectacular lean protein source. The thing about protein is that in order to qualify as a complete one, all eight of the essential amino acids must be present. Well, guess what? Two tablespoons of chia seeds sprinkled over your oatmeal contain 4 grams of complete protein, making it an easy way to help you get adequate daily amounts of lean protein for weight loss and good health, especially if you're vegetarian or vegan.
5. Chia seeds can help fight aging. Rumor has it that chia seeds contain more antioxidants than blueberries, but since an authoritative source couldn't be found to confirm it, and we don't want to be telling tales out of school, we'll just say that the high dose of antioxidants found in one ounce of chia seeds packs a powerful punch against those pesky free radicals, which are rogue molecules that make us all wrinkly and cause damage to our cells that can lead to cancer, atherosclerosis, vision loss, and an impressive collection of other diseases and conditions.

So what are you waiting for? Grab yourself some chia seeds and toss them into your oatmeal, sprinkle them over your salads, sandwiches, and smoothies, and add them to your homemade muffin, cake, or pancake mix. Aim for three tablespoons a day, and you'll likely find that this super food really is a superfood.