Benefits of Chia – Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Chia seed has many health benefits, and making chia a part of your daily diet can help with many health issues. I will repeat this over and over, chia alone is not going to cure anything. By itself, it won’t make you lose 50 pounds. However, using chia can aid in this and many other health issues.

Arguably, the most nutritious component of chia is it’s high amount of Omega-3 fatty acid content. Chia has about 2000 mg of Omega-3 per serving. That is the highest source of Omega-3’s of any plant-based food, and by volume has more than even salmon.

It is important to understand why Omega-3 fatty acids are so important to our health. Recent studies have shown that inflammation may be the biggest single cause of diseases, including heart disease and cancers. Omega-3 fatty acids are critical in decreasing and controlling inflammation throughout the body.

Here are some of the health benefits of a diet high in Omega-3 fatty acids:

Helps to reduce inflammation
Decreases excessive blood clotting
Aids cell membranes to maintain fluidity
Helps to lower the amount of lipids in the blood stream (fats like cholesterol)
Possibly helps to prevent cancer cell growth

If you suffer from cardiovascular disease, depression, type-2 diabetes, fatigue or joint pain, it is possible that you have an imbalance between Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. Both -3 and -6 fatty acids are critical building blocks for our bodies, but our western diet has caused a huge shift in the balance between these two essential nutrients.

In the past, the ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acids was about 2:1. An optimally healthy body can deal with approximately a 4:1 ratio. Unfortunately, the average person today has a huge imbalance, averaging closer to 25:1. This increased amount of Omega-6 fatty acids has led to many diseases due to the increase in pro-imflammatory chemicals. This imbalance is a critical factor in our health and bringing back a balance is important to improving our health.

The importance of Omega-3 intake cannot be overstated. Fish oils, including salmon and cod liver oils, have been a common way to increase Omega-3 intake. Those are still great ways to increase your intake. Chia, however, offers an even better source of natural Omega-3’s while at the same time providing many other essential nutrients.

Having a balanced diet that is high in Omega-3’s is important to providing the body the critical building blocks to reaching optimal health and fighting off the damaging effects of inflammation. Get some chia seed today and start feeling the benefits of this amazing natural, whole food.

~ by chiatruth on November 12, 2008.