Chia Seeds £11.95 out of stock
Our CHIA SEEDS are grown organically in southern Mexico. These tiny seeds are one of nature's perfect foods and they contain essential fatty acids (an excellent vegetarian source of omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid), protein, soluble fibre, protective antioxidants, vitamins & minerals. Native Americans in what is now Mexico and the south western United States consumed the seeds of the chia plant for hundreds of years before the arrival of Europeans. Chia was cultivated by the Aztecs, Mayas, Tehuantapecs, and other native American peoples and were so highly prized that they were at one point used as valuable currency.
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Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are grown organically in southern Mexico.

These tiny seeds are one of nature's perfect foods and they contain essential fatty acids (an excellent vegetarian source of omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid), protein, soluble fibre, protective antioxidants, vitamins & minerals. Native Americans in what is now Mexico and the south western United States consumed the seeds of the chia plant for hundreds of years before the arrival of Europeans. Chia was cultivated by the Aztecs, Mayas, Tehuantapecs, and other native American peoples and were so highly prized that they were at one point used as valuable currency.

Here are some benefits to using chia seed in your life. Chia seeds are:

1. Nutritious. Chia seed provides ample calcium and protein to your tissues. The seeds are also rich in boron, which helps the body assimilate and use calcium. The nutrients also support proper brain functioning.
2. Water loving. The seed can soak up ten times its weight in water. Do this fun experiment. Put one tablespoon of chia seed in a cup of water and stir. Wait a few hours and see what happens. When inside your body, the seeds help you stay hydrated longer, and retain electrolytes in your bodily fluids.
3. Easily digestible. The shells are easily broken down, even when swallowed whole. This is an improvement over flax seed, which have to be ground up to be digested properly. If you eat flax seed whole, it will just pass through.
4. Concentrated. If I could only take one cup of food for a few days, I'd choose chia! The food value per volume is simply astounding. You don't need much.
5. Mild tasting. Unlike some seeds, the flavour is very mild. The mild taste makes it easy to put in sauces, smoothies, breads, puddings, and whatever you want. They won't really change the taste, but will add to your nutrition!
6. Energy enhancing. The health pioneer Paul Bragg did an experiment an endurance hike with friends. They divided up into a chia-eating group and another group, who ate whatever they wanted. The group eating only chia seeds finished the hike four hours, twenty seven minutes before the others, most of whom didn't even finish at all.
7. Versatile. The seeds can be used to replace less-healthy fat in just about any recipe. You can use them in salad dressings, spreads, fruit shakes, ice cream, and just about anything you want. I usually just mix in a couple of teaspoons to my juice or water and drink them down!
8. Slimming and trimming. Yes, the seeds will help you lose weight, for two reasons. The first reason is that they are so filling that you will eat less of other foods. The second reason is that they actually bulk up and cleanse your body of old "junk" in your intestines.
9. Endurance enhancing. Chia seeds are known as the "Indian Running Food". Also, the ancient Aztec warriors used chia seed during their conquests. Some runners use chia seed to enhance stamina and endurance on runs.
10. Regenerating. After eating, the nutrients travel to the cells very quickly due to the ease in digestion and assimilation. Use them when you want to build or regenerate healthy body tissue.
    

Nutritional Iinformation & amp; Properties: Chia seeds (Salvia hispanica L.) contain oil amounts varying between 32-39%, with the oil offering the highest known natural percentage of alpha-linolenic fatty acid (60-63%). Alpha-linolenic acid is an essential fatty acid acting in the human body as a substratum for the transformation into EPA and DHA through the action of desaturation and elongation enzymes. These seeds also contain some omega-6 essential fatty acids and exhibit a favorable omega-3 to omega-6 ratio of 3:2. Modern diets contain too few omega-3 fatty acids. The seeds possess 19-23% protein and the amino acids of chia protein have no limiting factors in the adult diet (i.e., they are a complete protein source having all of the essential amino acids in an appropriate balance). Chia seeds are also a good source of B vitamins, phosphorus, calcium, zinc, potassium, boron, and copper. They also have demonstrated strong antioxidant activity. The most important antioxidants they provide are caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid and flavanol glycosides. Since oxidation is significantly delayed, chia has great potential within the food industry when compared to other alpha-linolenic acid sources, such as flax seeds, which show rapid decomposition due to a lack of antioxidants. The human body easily digests chia seeds. The seed's outer layer is rich in mucilloid soluble fibre (chia possesses 5% soluble fibre) and absorbs more than seven times its weight in water! When mixed with water or stomach juices, the seeds form a gel that creates a physical barrier between the carbohydrates and the digestive enzymes that break them down. The carbohydrates thereby are digested and converted into glucose (blood sugar) at a slow, uniform rate. There is no insulin surge or spike needed to lower the blood sugar level and electrolyte balance. Their water absorption will also help you keep hydrated during sporting activity/physical exercise. For more information, see James F. Scheer's The Magic of Chia: Revival of an Ancient Wonder Food (2001), and Ricardo Ayerza Jr. and Dr. Wayne Coates' Chia: Rediscovering a Forgotten Crop of the Aztecs (Univ. of Arizona Press 2005).

Our Chia Seeds are packaged in 1 pound (454 g) plastic containers.

NUTRITION INFORMATION:

Serving Size: 15 g (2 tablespoons). Servings Per Container: 30

Total Calories Per Serving: 78. Calories from Fat Per Serving: 44

2 tablespoons contain the following percentages of the Daily Value:

* Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

DIRECTIONS: Take 1-4 tablespoons daily. Chia seeds may be consumed raw, sprouted, ground, cooked, or as a gel. Use creatively in smoothies, salads, soups, or when baking (e.g., in toppings, fillings, or crusts). You can make chia gel which can be added to creamy/liquid food items such as jelly, jam, yogurt, mustard, ketchup, salad dressing, margarine, barbecue sauce, puddings, etc. The gel doesn’t affect flavours, offers nutritional benefits, and cuts calories by decreasing the amount of the food item being extended or displaced. To prepare chia gel, whisk 1/3 cup chia seeds in 2 cups water. Let stand for 3 minutes and whisk again. Chia gel keeps for up to 2 weeks when refrigerated. For more recipes, see The Magic of Chia (2001).

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.