Do chia seeds help you lose weight ?
Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia…no, not the chia pet. We’re talking about the actual seeds of the chia plant. The seeds come from Salvia Hispanica or chia plant. It is grown commercially in various South American countries and is native to Mexico.
Weight loss Sorry to burst your bubble, but there is no research that shows chia seeds can directly impact weight loss. In fact, research on 76 obese men and women showed no significant influence on body mass composition. In another study on 62 obese women, the results again indicate that there was no significant influence on bodyweight.
But…
Chia seeds are highly nutritious. The macronutrient profile is as follows (100 g/ 486 Calories):
Protein: 17 g
Fat: 31 g
Carbohydrates: 42 g
Total Dietary Fiber: 34 g
Sugar: 0 g
No sugar, 34 g of fiber not bad. The fats are mostly omega-3’s, which are heart healthy. Most of the carbs are non-digestible which means it does not contribute to fat storage in any way. Chia seeds have a decent amount of protein with all 8 essential amino acids (vegetarians love it). This is an extremely healthy food.
Can you use it for weight loss? Well, like we said before, no…at least not directly. But because of the dietary fiber it may help you to feel full. And this could very well contribute to eating less as you feel satiated…thus leading to fat loss. There is no insulin spike to worry about and it’ll keep your blood sugar levels normal.
Warning Chia seeds absorb water…lots of it. This means that they expand and form a gel like substance. Now this might be good because it will help you feel full. But patients with dysphagia or known esophageal strictures should not consume them dry, followed by liquid. It could expand and cause blockage of the esophagus. It is generally recommended that they are mixed in liquids prior to consumption.
Conclusion So, chia seeds are healthy and once used properly can be added to other foods or drinks for that added nutritional punch. But use some common sense. Eating chia by itself is not going to result in weight loss. The rest of your diet must be also be sensible. Low refined carbs and reduced sugar intake is important. But, chia seeds can aid in weight loss.
P.S. The healthy goat was last seen feeding chia seeds to birds in a local park. It has been a couple of weeks and people are beginning to wonder about the strange bloated appearance of the local pigeon population.
Update: No pigeons were harmed due to the writing of this article. They just weren’t able to fly south for the winter and are currently nesting in the collective beards of ZZ Top.
Hi there,
I found your article very interesting, I really enjoyed the reading! To be honest, I’ve never heard of Chia until I read your article and this plant is surely very healthy and efficient. The fact that it reduces the sugar and give a sensation of being full after eating is fantastic! I will definitely try it:) I was just wondering, do you have some ideas of Chia recipes?
Thank you very much for this excellent blog!
Hi Daniella,
Thanks for reading. I don’t have chia recipes. I just eat mine with yogurt and almonds. But you can put chia seeds in any smoothie. I f you have chocolate almond milk, put a half cup with about as much chia seeds for a jelly like dessert.
Hi There,
Chia seeds may not exactly be part of a weight loss diet but they are certainly healthy if you check out their micronutrient content.
I am deeply concerned, what will happen if ZZ top shave their beards? should we call in WWF to help the pigeons and rehouse-renest them?
Hello Derek,
Lol, I’ll leave it to the concerned visitors to decide the fate of the pigeons. Chia seeds are indeed very healthy, with considerable amounts of potassium, phosphorous and calcium. Agreed on that.
Cheers
Thanks for the honest and straight forward review on chia seeds. It is refreshing to see that you are not trying to sell something that is clearly not meant for weight loss. I find the chia seeds really interesting and might need to add it to my diet to get those extra fibers in. This might be a weird question but something so small could weigh very little, how much is 28g compared to a hand full?
No problem. 28 g is about 2.75 tablespoons. So close to 3 tablespoons.
Cheers
I always wanted to look more into the whole foods especially when it come to the nutritional benefits of edible seeds. Thanks for the overview of chia seeds.
I heard with some vegan athlete diet programs there were certain seeds which contain decent amount of protein. I wanted to ask would chia seeds be good for this and maybe a look on other seeds?
Appreciate the info and look forward to feedback on other edible seeds.
You get 4 g of protein per 28 g of seeds, which is pretty good. Flax seed has more protein about 5g or so. Also try pumpkin seeds which has a similar protein content.
Cheers
I have never heard of chia seeds before this is very interesting information to learn about them. As a person trying to eat healthier I will definitely have to add these. Any idea where I might be able to buy these as I really haven’t seen them in a local grocery store?
Hi Curtis,
You won’t likely find them in the local grocery store. Whole foods sells them. You can get them on amazon and most health food stores should also stock them.
Cheers
I got mine from Wal-Mart organic