10 Powerful Reasons Why You Should Eat Chia Seeds

7. Cure Diabetes

Because chia seeds are rich in alpha-linolenic acid and fiber, researchers from the University of Litoral in Argentina set out to determine how chia seeds can help prevent metabolic disorders like dyslipidemia (excessive fat in the blood) and insulin resistance – which are two factors in the development of diabetes. Published in the British Journal of Nutrition, I find this article extremely fascinating because
these scientists conducted two studies at the same time and uncovered some profound data. (6)

• The first test evaluated how healthy Wistar rats responded to 3 weeks of a sucrose-rich diet (SRD) in which chia seeds made up theprimary dietary source of fats.
• The second test took healthy rats and fed them a SRD for 3 months so that they developed dyslipidemia and insulin resistance. Then, they fed these newly diseased rats SRD + chia seeds for an additional 2 months.

The results were astounding:

• During the first examination, eating chia seeds completely prevented the onset of dyslipidemia and insulin resistance. In fact, the blood levels in these rats didn’t change at all in spite of having 65% of their diet comprised of sugar for 3 weeks!
• During the second examination, after the dyslipidemic and diabetic rats were fed chia seeds + SRD for two months, they completely recovered from their conditions. The researchers also discovered that the dietary addition of chia seeds also reduced visceral adipose tissue, a “belly fat” tissue that effects the metabolism of the body and is a component of obesity!

In a nutshell, chia seeds was proven to halt diabetes and reverse it!

8. Boost Your Energy & Metabolism

A recent study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning concluded that consuming chia seeds enhanced exercise performance for workouts that lasted 90 minutes the same way a sugar-laden sports drink would, but without all the sugar.

In the study, half of the athletes drank 100 percent Gatorade, while the others consumed half Gatorade and half chia drink.  Their runners time were matched and the half-chia group consumed far less sugar.

• By adding a serving of chia seeds a day you can help boost your metabolism and burn belly fat as well! Studies show that the addition of chia seeds to your diet also reduces visceral adipose tissue, a “belly fat” tissue that effects the metabolism of the body and is a component of obesity!

9. Fight Breast and Cervical Cancer

Chia seeds are rich in alpha lineic acid (or ALA) which is an Omega-3 fatty acid. Recently in 2013, the Journal of Molecular Biochemistry found that ALA limited the growth of cancer cells in both breast and cervical cancers.

They also found that it caused cell death of the cancer cells without harming the normal healthy cells.  While more research still needs to be done to find out the deeper implications of ALA on other types of cancer, this is a great discovery for women struggling with these increasingly common types of cancer. (7)

10. Dental Health

With chia seeds being packed with calcium, phosphorus, Vitamin A and zinc, it’s no wonder that they are a top food to help your teeth! Calcium is the building block of your teeth and necessary for tooth health.

Zinc prevents tarter by keeping plaque from mineralizing onto your teeth and has an antibacterial effect that keeps bad breath germs away. Vitamin A and phosphorus are also important for strong teeth and a healthy mouth.