Virtuous, chia seeds are on the rise. What are their health benefits? How to choose them and in what quantity to consume them? Do they have an appetite suppressant effect? Do they lose weight? Zoom on these small seeds from Mexico.
Chia seeds continue to be very trendy in our meals. Whether in a yogurt as a dessert or snack, in a salad or even in smoothie. “There is everything in chia seeds: proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, including Omega 3. They also contain a high amount of fiber” informs Dr Thierry Hanh, nutritionist. The fibers are excellent for the transit in particular but also to calm the feeling of hunger!
THE chia seeds are from tiny beige or black seeds resembling sesame seeds. They come from two herbaceous plants native to Mexico, Salvia miltiorrhiza and Salvia columbariae.
The color of the seeds has absolutely no influence on their nutritional value. Browns simply have a somewhat more pronounced nutty taste. Their texture is reminiscent of poppy seeds.
Chia seeds contain 490 Calories per 100 g. They are essentially represented by lipids (or fats). But the quantity consumed is of the order of a teaspoon, which is therefore negligible in terms of calories!
Chia seeds are easy to incorporate into your daily diet. You can mix them and add them to salads, dairy products, breakfast cereals and smoothies. The grind should be consumed quickly because the omega-3s that compose them are very sensitive to oxidation. A consumption of 20-25g per day is a good average.
“There is everything in chia seeds: proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, including Omega 3. They also contain a large amount of fiber” informs Dr Thierry Hanh, nutritionist. Thanks to their content of fiber and essential fatty acidstheir consumption is interesting to reduce the cardiovascular accidents, regulate blood pressure… But that’s not all ! These small seeds would allow better regulation of blood sugar in diabetics. These small seeds are extremely rich in omega-3 but also in omega-6. Their good fiber content helps fight constipation effectively. It’s also a pool of protein, calcium, potassium, folic acid and antioxidants. It would be a shame to deprive you of it!
“The chia seed is a seed that forms mucilage on contact with water. She ‘inflates’ because it retains water which generates a
taking up more or less impressive space in the stomach depending on the quantity ingested” says Dr. Thierry Hanh, nutritionist. “So, the feeling of satiety is perhaps reached more quickly.”
Chia seeds have a significant satiating power which can help prevent you from gaining weight. They guarantee a significant nutritional intake by limiting the number of calories. “However, it is not possible to rely only on the consumption of chia seeds to lose weight. If we eat abundantly or anarchically on the side, it will not change much” notify the nutritionist
In some people, chia seeds can cause digestive problems such as abdominal pain. “Indeed, when a person is not used to taking fiber in this way and in quantity, it can create stomach aches. So, I advise to go gradually when our fiber intake is minimal.” Particular caution is required in people allergic to other seeds, for example sesame seeds.
Thanks to Dr Thierry Hanh, nutritionist.