Immune system support chia seeds -
Chia seeds are a nutritional powerhouse. Deanna Embury Deanna, Founder of Blended For You, is passionate about nutrition, wellness and helping people reach their personal health goals.
Sign Up for Our Newsletters Subscribe and get updates, coming to your inbox in the very near future. By checking this box, you confirm that you have read and are agreeing to our terms of use regarding the storage of the data submitted through this form.
Next article —. You May Also Like. Read More 5 minute read. New Years Resolutions can be tricky to stick with so here's a way to make a plan that you'll be able to integrate into your life. Read More 3 minute read. Here's how to get more vitamin D from food, which you especially need in the winter.
We can think of a lot of reasons to love chocolate. Learn why you should incorporate dark chocolate into your diet, for this Halloween and beyond. Fermented foods are shown to help with gut health, but did you know that not all fermented foods offer the same health benefits?
Did you know that tomatoes are not only delicious, they are also a nutritional powerhouse? Read on for two easy and delicious recipes! Read More 2 minute read. Oat milk has surged in popularity in recent years and rightly so, it's got many benefits.
Watercress is high in vitamin A, vitamin K, potassium and anti-oxidants and contains more vitamin C than an orange.
Read More 4 minute read. Extra-virgin olive oil has long been revered by health enthusiasts but did you know that cold-pressed olive oil stands out for its exceptional nutritional properties? With this antioxidant rating, chia seeds are much more powerful in terms of antioxidant capacity than, for example, blackberries, mango, noni fruit, grapes, pineapple, or carambola.
The nutrient profile of chia seeds is broad, and there are numerous nutrients and phytochemicals that are likely to contribute to the extraordinary antioxidant power of chia. These include vitamin C, vitamin E, certain flavonols such as quercetin, myricetin, kaempferol , phenolic acids such as caffeic acid , and lignin not to be confused with lignan which is a phytoestrogen found in flaxseed.
Also zinc, which is abundant in chia seeds, plays a role in the antioxidant defense system of the body, even though it is not an antioxidant in its own right. Australia is the world's largest producer of chia, which is why it is not surprising that much of the research done on the potential medicinal properties and health effects of chia seeds has been conducted Down Under.
One Australian study, conducted by a group of researchers from the University of Queensland, found that rats that ate chia seeds showed more signs of good cardiovascular health, including improved insulin sensitivity, reduced fat accumulation around the abdominal area, and reduced cardiac inflammation — compared to rats that did not eat chia seeds.
These potential cardioprotective health benefits associated with eating chia seeds have been largely attributed to alpha-linolenic acid ALA. Alpha-linolenic acid is a type of omega-3 fatty acid that our bodies cannot produce, and that we must therefore obtain through our diet.
While the plant kingdom offers numerous good sources of alpha-linolenic acid — such as soybeans, kiwifruit seeds, lingonberries, hemp seeds and flaxseeds — chia seeds are one of the best natural soures of alpha-linolenic acid.
Note: As omega-3 fatty acids, such as ALA, can act as a blood thinner, you should talk to your doctor before taking chia seeds if you are taking any medication including anticoagulant drugs such as Warfarin or are scheduled for surgery.
The same Australian study that suggested that chia seeds are good for the heart and cardiovascular health also unveiled another interesting health benefit associated with eating chia seeds: improved insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance.
Insulin sensitivity is a term used to describe how well your body responds to insulin, a hormone that processes glucose. Deteriorating insulin sensitivity, also known as insulin resistance, is a precursor to pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes.
The prevalence of both of pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes has been increasing at an alarming rate since the early s. What's more, type 2 diabetes — which used to be a typical "adult disease" — is becoming increasingly prevalent among the teen population.
The good news is, this chronic disease can often be prevented or delayed by adopting healthier eating habits. Besides chia seeds, foods that are good for you if you want to reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes include salmon, flaxseeds they are very similar to chia seeds in terms of nutritional properties , whole grains, legumes and vegetables.
In an intriguing French study, a group of scientists from Tours, France, analyzed biopsies of adipose breast tissue from over women with invasive non-metastatic breast carcinoma.
A group of over 50 women with benign breast cancer served as controls. The scientists found no link between breast carcinoma and most of the analyzed fatty acids saturates, monounsaturates, long-chain polyunsaturates n-6 or n However, unlike the other fatty acids, alpha-linolenic acid appeared to have an inverse association with the risk of breast cancer.
This study was published in the European Journal of Cancer in The findings of a more recent analysis, published in the Journal of Molecular Biochemistry in , may provide an explanation for the beneficial effects of alpha-linolenic acid observed in the French case-control study.
This analysis found that alpha-linolenic acid, the dominating fatty acid in chia seeds, could induce apoptosis in certain types of breast cancer and cervical cancer cells , without damaging non-cancerous cells.
Apoptosis is the body's natural way of eliminating unnecessary or damaged cells, but cancer cells have developed mechanisms to evade apoptosis, allowing them to grow uncontrolled. Now, before you rush to incorporate chia seeds into your anti-cancer diet plan, consider this: While alpha-linolenic acid may provide some protection against breast and cervical cancer, its impact on other cancers remains unknown, and in some cases, controversial see Chia Seeds May Prevent Breast Cancer but Increase Prostate Cancer Risk.
During the times of the Aztec civilization, chia seeds were also recommended to warriors and other men who would benefit from increased endurance and stamina.
According to some Spanish manuscripts, messengers who ate chia seeds were able to run the entire day on just a handful of chia seeds. Inspired by these claims, researchers specializing in sports nutrition have undertaken scientific studies to evaluate the potential benefits of chia seeds for athletes and other people who who regularly engage in strenuous exercise.
In one recent study, researchers investigated whether eating chia seeds could enhance athletic performance in events lasting more than 90 minutes and allow athletes to substitute omega-3 fatty acids for some of the sugar traditionally used in pre-competition carbohydrate loading.
The researchers recruited six highly trained male subjects whose performance was measured after the two types of treatments used in this study.
The researchers found no statistical difference between the two treatments, which implies that omega-3 acids from chia seeds may be just as effective as sugar in preparing athletes for competition. Back in the s, the Aztecs were convinced that, in addition to all the other health benefits of eating chia seeds, these 'super seeds' were also good for the joints.
Now, fast-forward to today, and you will find numerous anecdotal reports touting the beneficial effects of chia seeds on joint health. However, despite all the testimonials, little actual scientific research has been conducted on the subject. That said, many of the nutrients abundant in chia have been widely researched, and many of these have been shown to possess strong anti-inflammatory and anti-rheumatic properties , suggesting that chia seeds may indeed help reduce inflammation associated with joint pain.
You can read more on the topic in our article Are Chia Seeds Good for Joint Health? Thanks to its strong antioxidant properties, chia is also good for your skin. Antioxidants slow down the aging of the skin by destroying free radicals — unstable molecules than can wreak havoc on cells and tissues in your body.
While free radicals are generated by your body's normal metabolic processes, there are several external factors that can add to your free radical load. These include drugs both medical and recreational , tobacco smoke, X-rays, infections, air pollution, pesticides in food, and exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays.
The nutritional profile of chia seeds is impressive. Just Immune system support chia seeds tablespoons approx. This is why 33Fuel athletes love Thermogenic metabolism boosters Chia Energy Immune system support chia seeds Immunr much. They help supporg, cyclists and triathletes maintain stable blood sugar levels serds you can say goodbye to spikes in energy and inevitable bonks goodbye hitting the wall! This, in turn, reduces the risk of diabetes. This study concluded chia seeds were " effective in attenuating blood glucose levels " when added to everyday food product. Thanks to that great good fat content, chia seeds are a powerful natural inflammatory which means they reduce the inflammation brought on throughout your body from hard training and racing.:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/ChiaSeeds-f9b6094bc15d46a78d6dce7b3d7b9c72.jpg "Immune system support chia seeds")
0 thoughts on “Immune system support chia seeds”