Chia seeds are an ancient super food that has been used by the Aztecs, Mayans and Incas. In reality, Chia means "strength" in the language of the Mayans, and was regarded as running food because messengers would run all day with the help of these very small seeds. Chia seeds were regarded as medicine and were actually prized more than gold due to their incredible health enhancing qualities.

Chia seeds are high in:

* Protein;

* Fiber;

* Magnesium,

* Calcium, and, even better,

* ALA, a type of omega-3 fatty acid. (In fact chia seeds have more Omega-3's than any other plant source, as well as flax seed).

It is easy to get confused between omega-3 and omega-6; basically, omega-3 acids are the fats which are not so easy to come across. They are in fish oils, flax seeds, chia seeds, and kiwi seeds, among other things. Omega-6, furthermore, is seen almost everywhere you look: nuts, vegetable oils, avocados, etc. As important as omega-6 oils are to our health, the balance of omega-6 to omega-3 is equally essential. As it is so easy to consume a lot of omega-6, it's very easy to end up with an out of balance intake of the two types of oils, which are also known as essential oils. When it comes to the amount of omega-3 oil in various seed oils, the chia seed has the maximum content, just above kiwi seeds, flax and perilla .

An ounce of chia seeds consists of 137 calories, and will get you 11 grams of fiber and four grams of protein.

What makes the Chia Seed the super food that numerous claim it to be?

- 40% of the chia seed's oil is Omega 6 oil. 3% of its oil is Omega 3 oil. This provides the nice balance those who take supplemental Essential Fatty Acids are looking for. The chia seed's considerably dense percentage in alpha-linolenic fatty acid additionally makes this seed a healthy dietary source of fatty acids.

- You don't need to grind the Chia Seeds to digest it. It's a relatively easy to digest seed, whereas flax seeds are not. Usually, one has to mill flax seeds to be able to process them in their digestive system. That is not the case with chia seeds.

- Chia seeds are a complete source of protein. They in fact have two times the protein of any other seed or grain.

- They're one of the best sources of fiber. They're fabulous colon cleansers and in fact clean out the digestive tract so that you absorb more nutrients and eliminate waste more efficiently. It also reduces heartburn and indigestion without risk of dangerous side effects.

- This is a super food for diabetes patients because they help balance the blood sugar levels.

- Chia seeds are great for weight reduction because they easily bulk up the food without changing the taste. Because the carbohydrates re released incredibly slow, it make people feel full. They furthermore bulk up and detox the body of old "junk" so the body can lose weight and detoxify.

- These very small seeds have are loaded with calcium, and they also contain boron which is a trace mineral that helps calcium get into your bones.

- This super seed is a seriously potent antioxidant; in fact, it has three times more antioxidant activity than blueberries. Not just does this help you to fight disease and defy age organically, it likewise keeps the chia seeds from going off like other seeds like flax.

- Chias have three more iron than spinach, which is needed to carry oxygen from the lungs into the muscles and organs.

- They're great for athletes because they're highly hydrophilic. Being hydrophilic means it absorbs huge amounts of water. Chia Seeds can absorb over ten times their weight in water making them a great booster in hydrating our bodies. They soak up the water we drink holding it in our system longer.

- Studies show that eating chia seed decelerates how fast our bodies change carbohydrate calories into simple sugars. This leads researchers to believe that the chia seed may have excellent benefits for diabetics.

- The chia seed gels when getting wet and this gel, when in our digestive systems, helps prevent many of the food, hence calories that we eat from getting absorbed into our system. This blockage of calorie absorption makes the chia seed a great diet helper. Consuming the seeds also helps those on a diet by making them feel fuller faster so they will be less hungry!

- Chia is a fantastic addition to a cleansing program. Chia seeds are high in healthy oils and in fiber making them a great addition to many detox programs.

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