Chia seeds, packed with nutrition, have become a health-food fad
By Sam McManis - smcmanis at sacbee.com

Published 12:00 am PDT Sunday, April 27, 2008
Story appeared in SCENE section, Page L8

http://www.sacbee.com/adrenaline/story/887967.html

As a gag gift, the Chia Pet remains a popular choice for the kitsch-
inclined. Slather on some seeds, add water and voilà, a ceramic Homer
Simpson sprouts fluffy green "hair."

But chia seeds as a valuable source of nutrition?

Well, to paraphrase Homer, Umm, chia!

Turns out, maybe we should have been spreading those seeds on toast,
not on a ceramic "pet" all these years.

Nutritionists say that chia seeds, plucked from a Central American
plant called Salvia hispanica, have many beneficial qualities that are
making them a trendy choice in the natural supplements aisle.

According to a 2007 University of Toronto study published in the
journal Diabetes Care, a quarter-cup of chia seeds supplies as much
omega-3 fatty acid as a salmon fillet, 25 percent more dietary fiber
than flaxseed, 30 percent more antioxidants than blueberries and as
much calcium as three cups of milk.

The study, so far the only peer- reviewed one concerning the health
claims of chia seeds, showed that diabetes patients reduced
cardiovascular risks by ingesting chia seeds along with standard
diabetes therapy.

Dr. Sheri Zidenberg-Cherr of the UC Davis nutrition department says
chia seeds have a "nice nutritional profile" but hastens to add they
are not the dietary cure-all some are trumpeting.

"The redeeming qualities of it is omega-3s, specifically the lenlinic
(acid) that's in there," Zidenberg-Cherr says. "Because of that tie-in
with heart disease and diabetes, I see potential for it as something
that could be added to someone's diet if they're already following a
healthy eating plan with the proper recommendations."

At the very least, she adds, chia seeds can't hurt.

"The (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) considers it safe, as for
now," Zidenberg-Cherr says. "So it doesn't look like there's any
danger. You're just now starting to see a lot more research going on
with it."

That could be because the health claims associated with chia seeds –
in particular, a certain kind of seed marketed under the name Salba –
are eye-popping.

"Read some of the stuff on the Internet about it, and it's like the
new wonder food," she says.

Among the claims for chia:

• Levels blood sugar.

• Controls weight via soluble fiber.

• Increases energy, endurance and strength.

• Works as a remedy for colds, sore throats, wounds, body odors and
constipation.

• Keeps bones strong with calcium and boron.

While some cast skeptical eyes at such sweeping health claims, others
have embraced chia, which is said to have been a major nutrient for
ancient Aztecs and Mayans.

It's become chic, too. Few had heard of flaxseed before 2004, and now
it's a staple on the shelves of every drugstore. Chia's recent
proponents include alternative-therapy guru Dr. Andrew Weil, who has
praised the seeds in a Prevention magazine column, and none other than
Oprah Winfrey, who ate a pumpkin chia muffin on air.

As for taste, chia seeds are bland, not as nutty as flaxseeds. And
because they are water-soluble, they don't need to be ground up, as
flaxseed must.

Finding chia seeds outside of health-food stores is a challenge. The
Vitamin Shoppe franchises in Citrus Heights and Elk Grove carry Salba
while the Davis Food Co-op carries seeds in bulk.

Chia doesn't come cheap, though. At the Davis Co-op, chia seeds sold
for $21.95 a pound, compared with $1.65 a pound for flaxseed.

Twenty-one bucks? Heck, a Chia Pet only costs $19.95.