If you have taken a recent glance at healthy recipes online lately, then you have probably come across an interesting, newly popular, ingredient called chia seeds. You may have even started spotting them in tiny packaged at your local grocery store. That Is because chia seeds are an up and coming super food that is gaining a lot of popularity, for all the right reasons. Chia seeds are exactly what their title says, seeds; but they are packed full of nutrition! Chia seeds are extracted from chia plants, Salvia Hispanica, a type of flowering plant native to central and southern Mexico and Guatemala. The chia plant is a flowering species that produces purple and white flower clusters at the end of its stems.
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Antioxidants work to ward of the production of free radicals within the body. Free radicals can damage cell molecules and contribute it diseases, such as cancer. Antioxidants also have great benefits for your skin. Antioxidants work to speed up the skins natural repair system and prevent future damage. Chia seeds can also help to prevent premature aging of the skin caused by inflammation free radical damage, according to Dr. Axe. Chia seeds have a higher antioxidant value than any other whole food!
2.) Protein
Another great benefit of chia seeds, is the amount of protein that they contain. Chia seeds are compiled of roughly 14 percent protein. High protein consumption can help reduce inflammation, enhance cognitive performance and reduce high cholesterol. Chia seeds contain 10 grams of protein in just 2 tablespoons of chia seeds.
3.) Fiber
When you first glance at the nutritional facts on a package of chia seeds you may be turned off by the carbohydrates. But wait, If you look closely you will see that of their 48 percent of carbohydrates, 83 percent of those carbs are in fact fiber, according to, Authority Nutrition. Approximately 95 percent of the fibers are insoluble fibers, which have been related to a reduced risk of diabetes. When chia seeds are placed into water or other liquid, they absorb approximately 10 times their weight in liquid and turn into a gel …show more content…
Nearly 75 percent of the fats in chia seeds are omega-3 fatty acids and around 20 percent omega-6 fatty acids. Though the omega-3 fatty acids found in chia seeds aren’t as potent as those found in fish, chia seeds are one of the best plant based sources for omega-3 fatty