What are
Chia seeds are the fruits produced by a plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family, Genus Salvia, species Hispanic ; the binomial nomenclature of chia is therefore Salvia hispanica .
The chemical composition of the various seeds is not so different between the plants; nevertheless, the spread of the golden does not equal that of the "original chia".
Chia is a plant native to Central America; to be precise, it comes from Guatemala and from the central-southern portion of the Mexican peninsula.
Chia belongs to the same family as mint, lemon balm, citronella, savory, lavender, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, etc. organisms with which they share a strong aromatic capacity .
Curiosity : The noun "chia" derives from the term Nahuatl "chian", which means "oily".
The current Mexican state of Chiapas has received this name precisely from the words Nahuatl "chia water" or "river of chia".
Botanical outline
Chia is an annual cycle herbaceous plant. It grows up to 1.75 m in height, has opposite leaves 4-8 cm long when ripe for 3-5 cm in width; produces purple or white flowers that cluster in clusters (racemes) placed at the top of the stem.
Chia produces small oval-shaped seeds, with a diameter of about 1mm and a color that varies from mottled gray to gray and black and white.
Chia: the Seeds
To date, chia is grown mainly for its seeds. These represent in fact a very rich food of " good fats ", known above all for their nutraceutical and phytotherapeutic potential (like real pharmacological molecules).
The production of chia is therefore quite interesting on several fronts: from the nutritional point of view for consumers, and from the economic point of view for traders. From chia seeds it is possible to extract up to 25-30% of oil, which after all is an excellent yield; just think that, in a rather variable way, about 10-20% of the lipidic liquid is obtained from the olives (of which only 9% would constitute the well-known extra virgin).
The nutritional profile seems curiously similar to that of many other edible seeds much more widespread in Italy, such as sesame seeds and those of flax ; nevertheless, in the Bel Paese, the fruits of chia represent today an obsolete product, recently revalued by the spread of vegan and macrobiotic food styles.
In 2009, the European Union integrated chia seeds among food products, thus allowing their use in portions equal to or greater than 5% even in the formulation of bread.
Nutritional aspects
As anticipated, up to 25-30% of oil can be extracted from chia seeds. Of this, 55% is represented by fatty acids from the omega 3 group (especially α-linolenic acid or ALA), 18% from omega 6, 6% from omega 9 and 10% from various saturated fatty acids.
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Nutritional values (per 100 g of edible portion)
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In addition to the excellent lipid portion, chia seeds are used for soluble fiber extraction.
According to the USDA ( United States Department of Agriculture ), 28g of chia (a portion) contains 9g of lipids, 5mg of sodium, 11g of dietary fiber, 4g of protein, up to 18% of the recommended portion of calcium, 27% of phosphorus and even 30% of manganese.
The table shows the values of the "ESSICCATI chia seeds" and not the fresh ones, since in Italy they would be impossible to find.
Research and Health Implications
Although preliminary studies on the human metabolic impact of chia seeds have indicated potential health benefits, the overall work on the subject seems to be rather incomplete or inconclusive to date.
Among these researches, worthy of note is a "pilot study" that has observed the body's reactions to a daily intake of 25g of ground chia seeds compared to the whole ones. There have been greater increases in the blood concentration of α-linolenic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid ("good fats", or omega 3 considered cardio-protective). However, there were no significant effects on markers of systemic inflammation and other risk factors of metabolic diseases with potential cardio-vascular compromise.
It is also important to emphasize that, precisely because of the high concentration of omega 3 fatty acids, chia seeds can cause unpleasant drug interactions . The increase in bleeding potential was mainly shown in subjects taking anti-coagulant and fluidifying molecules; in conjunction with these circumstances, it is suggested to significantly reduce food consumption of chia seeds.
NB . To date, we do not have specific data on the safety of consumption of chia seeds during pregnancy and lactation.
Gastronomic Use
Chia seeds, used whole, can be an alternative ingredient to the preparation of various recipes. In addition to oil, even the flour obtained by grinding the dry portion can play an important role in various recipes. For example, chia flour is useful in the formulation of certain baked products (such as bread and derivatives), helping to increase the amount of soluble fiber, to reduce its energy intake and to moderate its glycemic index.
Whole seeds, which can also be added to baked goods, are also excellent in dietetic smoothies, in the mixtures of grains for breakfast, in diet bars and substitute meals, dipped in yogurt as a snack, etc.
Today, the gel made from chia seeds (more precisely from flour) plays a very important role in the home preparation of diet recipes. This product has characteristics of binders, gelling agents and emulsifiers, so as to be able to replace up to 25% of the oil and egg content in some cakes; obviously, the nutritional advantage is far from negligible thanks to:
- reduction in caloric intake
- reduction of fatty acid intake
- reduction of cholesterol intake
- glycemic index reduction
- increase in dietary fiber.
Gluten-free pizza with chia seeds
Pizza Without Flour - Proteica and for Celiacs
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Being a central American plant, the diffusion of chia in all other continents is to be attributed to commercial import / export.
Some finds dating back to the 16th century AD, more precisely referred to the Mendoza Code, clearly show that chia was an Aztec cultivar already in the pre-Columbian age. For these peoples, the chia assumed an almost irreplaceable alimentary role, so much so that contemporary historians have come to the conclusion that it is as important as corn.
Even today, chia is widespread in Mexico, Paraguay, Bolivia, Argentina and Guatemala as a food raw material and main ingredient in the formulation of typical drinks. Various crops are also located in Ecuador, Nicaragua and Australia (in 2008, the latter was a record holder in the production of the related seeds).
