1-2 cha cha cha, let’s eat cha cha chia… Oh yes! Most health conscious people are going cha cha Chia these days. Well of course I’m not referring to the dance but superfood chia seeds! With increasing public health awareness worldwide, demand for functional foods with multiple health benefits has also increased and chia seeds are among the recent addition (since past 3-5 years) to the superfoods list; and it does deserve the rightful spot. Chia may be confused with sabja/sabza ( basil seeds) in India due to similar swelling properties, size but they are totally different plant species and even in composition. Chia may be grey & white, basil seeds are black. Here we try to just give you a low down on what are these chia seeds!

Chia is an edible seed that comes from the desert plant Salvia Hispanica, native to Mexico (South America) but now available worldwide. “Chia” is the ancient Mayan word for strength, and the tiny seeds were valued for their energy-boosting properties in old times. About 80% of the global chia supply comes from Latin America. But other countries are scaling up to meet the global demand. This includes select countries in Asia-Pacific region too. Chia seeds market is one of the fastest growing commodity markets, globally, and projected to reach USD 2.1 billion by 2022, registering a CAGR of 40.62% during 2017-2022 as per latest Mordor intelligence report.

Central Food Technology Research Institute (CFTRI) in Mysore, is helping local farmers earn more profits than traditional cereals by growing chia. Director, CFTRI added that chia seeds are a great source of vegetarian Omega 3 and is in discussion with several states to introduce chia blended products into mid-day meals programme. High returns, lower cultivation costs, low water consumption, and a short duration of 90 days largely untouched by pests and animals are the primary reasons Indian farmers have taken an interest in chia seeds, both white and black as quoted by The Hindu daily.

Farmers in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu were the first to receive the improvised seeds, and they have found it to be very profitable. Chia plants require less water, give surplus yields from multiple crops in a year and are high on nutrition thus can be called as crop of the future.

So why the craze for this Superfood?

They are a nutrition powerhouse containing healthy vegetarian omega-3 fatty acids, carbohydrates, protein, fiber, antioxidants, calcium & other minerals, vitamins and phyto chemicals too. According to the USDA National Nutrient Database, one ounce (approximately 28 grams) of chia seeds contains 138 Kcals, 8 g of fat, 12 g of carbohydrate, 10 g of fiber and 5 g of protein plus vitamins and minerals. When compared to flaxseed, chia seeds provide more omega-3s, calcium, phosphorus and fiber – which puts them at top spot among seeds and superfoods.

They are rich in B complex vitamins too- Thiamin, Niacin. And even a good source of minerals like phosphorous, magnesium, manganese – all important for bone health. These seeds contain about 25-40% of oil, of which 60% is omega 3 (alpha-linolenic acid or ALA) about 20% omega 6 linoleic acid. (This is one of the major reasons for it being a superfood). If oil is extracted from the seeds, composition of the fat of the oil may be 55% ω-3, 18% ω-6, 6% ω-9, and 10% saturated fat. It also contains a high amount of antioxidants, phytochemicals- includes myricetin, quercetin, and kaempferol, chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid, each known for unique benefits like antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer, cardio protective, hepatic protective effects, anti-ageing etc.

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy2,034 kJ (486 kcal)
Carbohydrates42.12 g
Dietary fiber34.4 g
Total Fat
• Saturated
• Monounsaturated
• Polyunsaturated
   Omega 3
   Omega 6		30.74 g
3.33g
2.31g
23.665g
17.8g
5.8g
Protein16.54 g
Calcium631 mg
Iron7.72 mg
Potassium407 mg
Magnesium335mg
Manganese2.723 mg
Phosphorus860 mg
Sodium16 mg
Source: USDA Nutrient Database

Applications of Chia.

They can be used unprocessed, whole and they have a very mild almost negligible nutty flavor thus easy to incorporate. Sprinkle chia seeds on cereal, yogurt, oatmeal, kheers, smoothies, milkshakes, lassies, rice preparations, vegetable preparations etc. Add them to baked goods like bread and muffins or just anything as they do not impart flavor of their own. The seeds when soaked in water can absorb 12-13 times their weight, and develop a gel like texture. This is because they are hydrophilic in nature similar to basil or garden cress seeds. This gel like texture gives it wide application in food industry apart from direct usage. This gel can be used to replace as much as 25% of egg content and oil in cakes/ baked goods while providing other nutrients. This property is finding wide application due to trends like vegetarianism, veganism.

The food industry too is adapting to this trend though a lot more in the international markets.  Indian markets still do not see a surge in usage of chia seeds very extensively but there is a start. In terms of product launches, chia is used as a functional ingredient in a number of bakery products, muesli bars, peanut and other nut butters, breakfast cereals, mouth fresheners, energy drinks, yoghurts, fruit based beverages (cold pressed juices) etc.

CFTRI has developed chia-blended products such as ice creams, chocolates and jams, which are being commercialised by various companies.

A study comparing flaxseed, rapeseed, and chia seed as chicken feed had been conducted. Eggs from hens fed with chia had the highest ω-3 ALA content as compared to hens fed with flaxseed or rapeseed. Though flaxseed is cheaper and easily available than chia, the high anti nutritional content of flaxseed affected the poultry meat quality. Other than chia seed oil, studies had been done using other grain oil such as flaxseed in broiler feed which also resulted in an increase of fatty acid quality level in broiler’s meat.

Chia seed usageProductsRemarks
Animal feedChicken(1) Increased ω-3 alpha-linoleic acid and ω-6 linoleic acid of egg and yolk.

(2) Increased ω-3 alpha-linoleic acid and decreased palmitic fatty acid of meat.

(3) Taste, sensory evaluation, and production of eggs and broilers were not affected.
Pigs and rabbitsIncrease of PUFA in meat fats as well as improved aroma, flavor, and digestibility of meat.
Food formulationComposite flour (15–20% of chia with corn flour)Increased total dietary fiber and a decrease in Glycemic Index .
Ingredient for cookies, cereal bars, chips, desserts, breads, jellies, and emulsionsImproved water holding, absorption capacity, and emulsifying stability.
Health supplementChia seed oilTopical application for skin diseases such as pruritus and xerotic especially in diabetic and renal dysfunction patients.
Carbohydrate-loading drinksEnhanced athletes’ sports endurance by more than 90 minutes but not athletes’ performance.
Supplement for postmenopausal womenEnhanced the levels of ALA and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).

Table ref: www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2012/171956

Chia seeds are said to last up to a year with no refrigeration, courtesy of the high levels of antioxidants they contain unlike other oilseeds like flax which turn rancid quicker. Compared to flax seeds, chia seeds may provide slight lesser calories, high antioxidants, high phosphorous, calcium & high fibre but are lower in lignans & total proteins. Yet the quality of protein is complete (much better) from chia. This this suggests that one need not compare the two for their omega 3/ protein or any other nutrient rather both flax and chia seeds are definitely worth eating and incorporating in the diet.

While there’s little evidence for the weight loss benefits of chia, it can be a nutritious high fibre addition to your diet.  Also even though so many nutrients & active ingredients vouch for its health benefits, the upper limit, efficacy & safety is yet to be validated as studies are limited on chia seeds.

Each superfood whether local or global is super for some specific reason, & has some unique properties, so instead of going ga ga over 1 superfood, we must try to incorporate all of them in our diet in controlled amounts. If one cannot afford chia, they can still try to incorporate basil seeds, garden cress seeds and flax seeds in their diet and reap the benefits!

References

 

Note: This Article is published in Magazine “ Ingredients- South Asia- January 2018 issue, Pg 32”.

Published Article Link: http://www.saffronmedia.in/eMagazines/ISA/2018/ISAJan01152018/html5/index.html