Nutrition Facts
Serving Size:
| |
25g |
Servings Per container:
| |
18 |
|
|
|
Calories (Energy)
... |
|
134 |
|
Calories from Fat
....
|
|
74 |
|
|
|
|
Amount Per |
% Daily |
|
|
Serving |
Value |
|
|
|
Total Fat
............
|
8 g |
13 % |
|
Saturated Fat .......
|
0.7 g |
3.5 |
|
Trans Fat .......
|
0 g |
*** |
|
Omega-3 .......
|
5,000 mg |
*** |
|
Omega-6 .......
|
1,500 mg |
*** |
|
Cholesterol .......
|
0 mg |
*** |
|
Total Carbohydrate
..
|
11 g |
3.6 % |
|
Sugars
.............
|
0 g |
*** |
|
Dietary Fiber ........
|
7 g |
28 % |
|
Protein
.............
|
4 g |
7.5 % |
|
Sodium**
.............
|
0 mg |
0 % |
|
Gluten
.............
|
0 mg |
0 % |
% Daily Value is based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
*** Daily Value not established.
**Less than 0.005g sodium per serving.
Best if used within 1 year after opening. Store in a cool, dry place.
Serving Size: 25 grams - 2 Tablespoons
Suggested Use: Simply sprinkle on yogurt, cereals, salads, rice, smoothies or sandwiches, bake into bread, muffins or pancakes, or stir into water or juice. No refrigeration or grinding required!
Ingredients: Whole Chia Seed
Warnings: None
Disclaimers: None
Chia Mia $8.95 Plus S&H 1 Pound
Health Benefits & Nutritional Data
Whole Grain, Non-GMO, NO Pesticides, Cholesterol & Gluten free, Vegan-friendly.
The Story of Chia
In pre-Columbian times chia was one of the four basic foods of Central American civilizations. It was less important than corn and beans, but more important than amaranth. Tenochtitlan, the Capital of the Aztec Empire, received between 5,000 and 15,000 tons of chia as an annual tribute from conquered nations. Chia seed was not just a food, but was also used for medical purposes and as an offering to the Aztec gods.
The use of chia in pagan religious ceremonies caused the Spanish conquistadors to try and eliminate it and replace it by species brought from the old world. The conquistadors came close to being successful in their crusade against New World practices such as growing chia and practicing various customs, as many disappeared. Corn and beans were an exception. They survived the conquistador's efforts and became two of the world's most important crops. However, because of its religious use, and maybe because chia was unable to adapt to production under European climatic conditions, it was pushed into obscurity for five hundred years.
Chia survived only in very small cultivated patches in scattered mountain areas of southern Mexico and Guatemala until a research and development program called the Northwestern Argentina Regional Project began in 1991. Under this project growers, commercial entities as well as technical and scientific personnel from Argentina, Columbia, Bolivia, Peru, and the USA began collaborating in the production of chia . The idea behind the project was not only to provide growers with alternative crops, but also to improve human health by reintroducing chia to western diets as a source of omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and fiber. A number of technical papers and reports that came from this project as well as subsequent studies are referred to in other pages of this web site. These provide additional information on chia, its composition and its uses.
Chia Facts
* Chia is the richest plant source of omega-3 fatty acids and contains natural antioxidants It is available as raw material for use in Functional Foods, Nutraceuticals and Dietary Supplements. Chia’s unequaled omega-3 fatty acid stability is a result of the natural antioxidants it contains. Oxidation of food lipids is a major concern for both consumers and manufacturers. If not controlled, oxidation can produce off-flavors (typically a fishy
flavor), and promotes degenerative diseases associated with aging such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases,
cataracts, immune system decline, and brain dysfunction.
The natural antioxidants in chia gives it an enormous advantage over all other sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
* Chia, when used as a source of omega-3 fatty acids does not require
the addition of artificial antioxidants such as vitamin E. Vitamin E has been shown to nullify the
protector effects of cardiovascular drugs, and actually promotes oxidation when used at higher levels.
* Chia, when added to animal diets, results in a dramatic reduction (up 30.6%) in the saturated fatty acid content of the products produced. This reduction is significantly greater than that found when feeding marine products (fish
and algae) and flaxseed. Consumption of saturated fatty acids is associated with cardiovascular diseases, with their effects on blood low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) being stronger than those of dietary cholesterol. This difference between chia and other sources of omega-3 fatty acids has important implications for commercialization.
* Eggs from hens fed chia have an α-linolenic fatty acid to DHA ratio similar to that found in human milk. When very
high quantities of chia are added to the diet, α-linolenic elongation and desaturation are delayed, and DHA (a very unstable fatty acid) content remains constant. This means that if excess amounts of omega-3 are added to hen diets it is essentially stored as α-linolenic fatty acid. This metabolic behavior, together with the potent antioxidant activity of chia's flavonols and cinnamic compounds, allows hens to produce eggs having greater stability to resist oxidation than eggs containing high DHA contents.
* Chia can be stored for
years without deterioration in flavor, odor or nutritional value. This is an advantage compared with marine products since fish oil and fish meal as well as algae oil and powder require special packaging and storage conditions to prevent even minor changes in these characteristics occurring over time.
* Chia is a sustainable
and environmentally friendly product. The high oil content of its leaves acts as an extremely potent insect repellent and eliminates the need for pesticides being used to protect the crop. The use of chia as an omega-3 source prevents depletion of natural fish stocks, and also eliminates concerns about the accumulation of toxins such as dioxin and mercury that may accumulate in fish and fish products. Solvent extraction and artificial preservatives are not needed when chia seed is used in human or animal diets. This is another advantage compared
to omega-3 sources such as algae.
* Chia has a long history as a human food, starting with its domestication by ancient
Mexicans in 2,600 B.C. Amaranth, beans, chia, and corn comprised the main components of the Aztec and Mayan diets when Columbus arrived in the New World. Many people are still using this ancient grain in the preparation of a popular and refreshing beverage called
“chia fresca” which is consumed in Mexico,
Central America, as well as in California and Arizona in the US.
* Chia is ideal for enriching a number of products such as infant formulas, baby foods, baked goods, nutrition bars, yogurt,
sauces, etc. When used as an animal feed
omega-3 enriched products such as eggs, poultry, beef, ham, milk, cheese, etc. are produced. Chia is an
excellent source of protein, minerals and vitamin B, is simple to use in feed preparation, and is safe for both humans and animals.
* Another α-linolenic rich crop is flax. This is primarily used to manufacture industrial products, such as coatings, floor coverings, paints and varnish, however. Although many efforts have been made to use flaxseed for omega-3 food enrichment, trials have shown the negative effects that the antinutritional factors in flax have on animal and human health. In order to safely use flax in a diet in any significant quantities, the seeds have to be detoxified. However, the most efficient processes require solvents, and
still flax seed is not completely detoxified.
* Summary: Scientific evidence strongly supports the use of chia as being the most efficient source of omega-3 fatty acids which can be used to enrich foods. Adding chia seeds or meal directly to the final product, or including it in animal diets has not shown any of the problems other omega-3 sources such as flaxseed or marine products have shown such as fishy flavor, animal weight loss, digestive problems, diarrhea,
allergies, etc.
Chia Mia $8.95 Plus S&H 1 Pound
