Who needs chia? Will small seeds save a lot of weight

Chia seeds have confidently won their place among the products that lose weight have special hopes. Reviews, advertising, and the attention of some doctors took care of this. Is it worth hoping for the help of an Indian drug in the responsible business of getting rid of extra kilos, or is it better not to flatter yourself?
In South and Central America, the refreshing drink "chia fresco" is popular, which is made by soaking chia seeds in a mixture of water and lime juice sweetened with stevia or honey. If the seeds are allowed to swell, the “chia fresco” turns from a drink into a dessert snack.
In South and Central America, the refreshing drink "chia fresco" is popular, which is made by soaking chia seeds in a mixture of water and lime juice sweetened with stevia or honey. If the seeds are allowed to swell, the “chia fresco” turns from a drink into a dessert snack.
Native American magic: a lot of food from nothing
Sellers of healthy food are very lucky that the extinct ancient civilizations did not leave legal successors, otherwise they would have to seriously fork out for compensation for the use of the image. The next legacy of the relic Indians, which appeared on sale after quinoa, spirulina, amaranth, was chia seeds, which immediately got into the list of superfoods - products that have an outstanding effect on metabolism.
The main expectations from superfoods are related to their ability to help with weight loss. Seeds and nuts are an undeniable concentrate of benefits and an integral part of any healthy diet. But, alas, no matter how much we love crunching nuts, they contain unfairly many calories, you won’t have time to taste how it’s time to stop.

The edible seeds of the desert plant Salvia hispanica (Spanish sage) common in Mexico and Guatemala are a special case. Upon contact with liquid, they increase in size twelve times and turn into jelly. These seeds are known throughout the world today as chia.

This miraculous ability of chia to reincarnate is due to the high content of insoluble fiber in the seeds, a carbohydrate with a long assimilation chain. Fiber absorbs water and swells; from a couple of teaspoons of seeds, you can get a completely complete dish, pleasing to both the eye and the stomach. You can use these seeds in dry form or as an additive to drinks, salads, sauces, cereals - then they will turn into a gel already inside the body and the effect will be the same (of course, if you do not torment yourself with thirst and drink enough water).
A tablespoon (about 30 grams) of chia contains about 11 grams of fiber, which is a third of the daily amount recommended by adult nutritionists.
Chia for weight loss: what to expect?
the ability to avoid feeling an empty stomach;
longer feeling of satiety;
less risk of overeating;
lowering blood sugar levels due to the long processing of fiber;
normalization of the intestines and creation of a favorable environment for the development of beneficial microflora.
Other super seeds to add to your daily menu

Nutritionists believe that flax seeds familiar to Russians are in no way inferior to chia in terms of useful qualities. Sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds are not far behind!
Fatty acids are not sour!
Of course, not for the useful, but still inexpressive fiber, the ancient Indians valued chia seeds and gave them a respectful name (chia means “strength” in forgotten South American dialects).

One hundred grams of dry chia seeds contain 31% fat (3% of them are saturated, the rest are not), 17% protein, 42% carbohydrates, of which 34% is fiber. The energy value of chia is 486 kcal.

The main feature in the composition of chia seeds is the high content of omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids (five grams in the notorious thirty-gram serving). This special type of healthy fat is in demand by the human brain and nervous system as a fuel for recovery and development, and natural sources of its receipt in the menu of a modern person are literally worth their weight in gold. It is important that omega-3 fat, as shown by American studies, is stored under the dense shell of the seeds, without rancidity and without losing its beneficial properties, even if the chia has been heat-treated.
Omega-3 acids are necessary for healthy weight loss - they speed up metabolism and "expel" old fat deposits due to the ability to activate the PPAR-alpha protein, which prevents the accumulation of fat in the liver and destroys its accumulation under the skin. Still unsaturated fatty acids, according to studies by Spanish scientists, allow a person who has eaten them to maintain a pleasant feeling of satiety longer, which is the case with seeds chia means a real double whammy for hunger, which fiber has already begun to fight.

Vegetarians appreciate chia as a source of protein, the amino acid composition of which contains tryptophan, which is atypical for plant foods. This essential for the nervous system substance the human body is not able to synthesize on its own, and for those who do not consume, for example, poultry meat and dairy products, replenishment of tryptophan becomes a real problem.

Chia seeds also contain calcium, manganese and phosphorus, which are essential for bones, teeth and muscles. If you are ready to add about 100 grams of chia seeds in dry equivalent to your daily diet (it will cost you at least 200 rubles), then you can count on covering about 20-30% of your daily requirement for these substances.
It is vital to note that chia contributes to a drop in blood pressure and therefore is not recommended for those who have it below normal. Also, you can not combine the intake of these seeds with blood thinners, and you should refrain from food exotics during pregnancy and lactation.
fifty shades of chia
Chia seeds that go on sale often differ significantly in appearance: from dark, almost black, to gray, cream, white ... Is there a difference and which ones are more useful?
A keen researcher of chia seeds, Professor Wayne Coates of the University of Arizona confidently states that all chia seeds are useful in about the same way, and the choice of their color is a purely aesthetic preference. Different seeds may vary slightly in the content of useful elements, but it is not the shade of the shell that is responsible for this, but the composition of the soil in the place where the Spanish sage happened to grow.
The only color that can alert you when choosing chia seeds is red. It means that the product was assembled before it was ripe, and probably did not have time to gain strength yet. Also an indicator of higher varietal qualities is the size of the seeds. If you have a choice, take the larger ones!
Reviews of doctors about chia seeds: there is no unanimity of opinion
Chia seeds were brought to the big dietary world by the famous French doctor Pierre Dukan. In an interview with Woman.ru, he did not hide his delight from getting to know Indian food: “I am shocked by their properties! The Mexicans have a huge culinary experience in processing chia, and we can borrow it. Due to the fact that they swell strongly, they can be used for desserts. In Mexico, they stuff tomatoes with these seeds, and it turns out something amazing. The Dukan diet has recently allowed one tablespoon of chia per day, which is not so little, given their ability to increase in volume, and the author of the diet insists that chia is necessary for anyone who wants to lose weight and stay healthy.
His Russian colleagues, however, speak of the Indian "seed of strength" with a grain of salt. For example, the well-known nutritionist Rimma Moisenko, in principle, does not believe in superfoods and the special opportunities for weight loss allegedly opening up with their use. “The term superfoods was coined by marketers and is neither medical nor scientific. This is a business whose scheme is simple: exotic products, hitherto unknown to anyone, are selected and become the object of a grandiose advertising campaign. Also, one of our enterprising compatriots can grind a plantain leaf into powder, sell it as a miracle cure for weight loss to Mexico, the birthplace of superfoods and at the same time the world leader in the number of fat people, and thus improve the economic situation of the country.
Nutritionist Elena Tikhomirova recognizes chia as a valuable composition, but warns: “Chia seeds are really useful, but not more useful than, for example, flax seeds. In addition, they are high in calories, like any seeds and nuts. They are not a wonderful way to lose weight chia, but if you use them heavily, then there is a high probability, on the contrary, to gain weight. In addition, they can provoke an allergic reaction.
“Fish and dairy products are the usual sources of protein, calcium and omega-3 fatty acids on the tables of Russians,” recalls nutritionist Tatyana Zaletova. “Chia seeds do indeed contain high levels of these substances, but there is no specific data on how the human body reacts to them when taken from this source.”

An experiment was conducted at North Carolina State University using chia seeds. It lasted 12 weeks; during this period, volunteers received 50 grams of chia daily as a snack to their usual diet. Control studies showed that the subjects had some improvement in heart health, but the weight and amount of fat in the body remained unchanged.

Unfortunately, the Aztecs and Mayans have gone into oblivion and have not left