To be honest, chia seeds are not a miracle from a culinary point of view. They don't taste good, and they're not local or cheap. So why are chia desserts on the menus of cult cafes? And why do food bloggers like chia seeds so much?
The fact is that many of us have added them to our diets because of their supposed significant health benefits. They have been linked to anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats, and another benefit is supposedly complex proteins and minerals. Are chia seeds really a miracle food, or do their sellers just lavishly pay for advertising and thus have great piracy? Let's break down the most common nutritional claims.
Beneficial fats in a non-beneficial form
Chia seeds actually contain beneficial omega-3 fats. These are commonly found, for example, in marine fish, which is why we should eat them regularly. Does this mean that chia seeds are as beneficial as fish? No, they are not. Fish contains EPA and DHA, the finished omega-3 fats. In chia seeds, omega-3 fats are in the least suitable form, only the precursors are there. Conversion to true omega-3 fats is very limited in the human body and hardly worth mentioning. It is commonly reported that between 0.1 and 5 % are converted from precursors to true omega-3 fatty acids.
Minimum of poorly absorbed proteins
Chia seeds are also presented as a source of protein. Similar to animal foods, they contain all essential amino acids, and the amount of amino acids (20 g in 100 g of seeds) is decent. However, it is almost impossible to eat 100 g of chia seeds; you can usually eat one or two tablespoons of them in desserts or yoghurt, i.e. something between 15 and 30 g. Vendors recommend a maximum of one tablespoon per day, about 15 grams. And that's not all, chia seed protein is hard to come by. The highest availability is reported from soaked seeds, still only 24 %. So in a daily serving of one tablespoon, you're taking in about 3 grams of protein, of which the body can use less than one gram.
Calcium and zinc with limited availability
The claim that chia seeds contain a decent amount of calcium and zinc is only half true. The use of both is blocked by the seeds' antinutrients, phytates and lectins. Phytates restrict mineral absorption and are heat stable, so their adverse effect does not change even after heat treatment. Lectins are proteins that can irritate the intestinal wall and limit the absorption of micronutrients. The effect of anti-nutrients is reduced by soaking in water for several hours.
So what are they for?
Chia seeds are a real food, have a decent content of some nutrients and work well as a thickener. For me personally, they are a useful cooking aid when I need to thicken the consistency, for example when making marmalades without pectin (although I confess that lately I prefer to let the excess water boil off and not thicken anything at all). Because of its consistency, it's also definitely good in yogurt and flaky desserts. I have them at home and love using them, but I know they're not a miracle. In fact, rather than a superfood, it's the current fad in nutrition. And more than a statement against chia seeds, please take this text as an example of how to read the food claims of promoters of anything.
It is important to note that for almost all nutrients it is not just about the absolute number in the content. The form in which the nutrient is found in the food and the complex of other nutrients that are there with it is also essential. Another typical misguided statement is, for example, comparing the iron content of pulses and meat, when in each of these foods iron is in a different form and thus in a fundamentally different availability to the body.
This article was published with the kind permission of of the magazine Sphere
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