© 2008 DBA Design Action MySeeds Chia
The Chia Seed really stands out among other types
of seeds!
No other seed posesses such hydrophilic
properties. (hydrophilic: attracted to water) The
micro fibers on the outer coating of the seed allow
it to absorb NINE times its own weight in water.
This is extremely beneficial for anyone who eats the
seed, for a number of reasons.
But how does it work?
See the diagram below for a closer look at a Chia
seed. The seed in this image is many, many times
larger than a real Chia seed. The actual Chia seed is
about the size of a poppy seed, but it has no flavor.
With this "magnified" view you can see how the fibers of
the seed are raised when exposed to water (or any other
liquid) The gray area represents the rough size of the
bead of gel that forms when liquid gets trapped by these
unique fibers.
The Chia Seed's outer shell
is always patterned, and can
be either gray and tan or
brown and black, depending
on the type of chia plant.
The shell is made of
insoluble fiber, also known
as 'roughage' and it acts as
a sweeper in the digestive
tract to promote regularity.
As the seed is digested, the
coating softens making it
especially safe to eat.
The outside of the Chia
seed is covered in tiny
micro-fibers. When the
seed is wet, these nearly-
invisibly tiny fibers stand
on end and begin trapping
liquid. This property is so
amazing, it can hold 9
times the weight of the
seed in water! This action
causes a bead of gel to
form around the seed.
When you wet a Chia seed and wait about 10 minutes you'll see
A bead of gel form. This has the consistancy of a gelatin snack, and is
difficult to remove from the seed's outer surface. It's held there by
the unique micro-fibers on the seed's outer shell. This liquid is only
removed slowly by the digestive system, so it keeps the colon
hydrated while releasing electrolytes and nutrients.
With this photo you can see the
true size of the seeds, in a
common spoon. Here, they're
dry...
And here they've been allowed
to form a gel. What looks like a
bead of water surrounding the
seeds is actually attached to
them. The seeds have absorbed
the water and turned it into the
clear gel you see in the spoon.
This glass only has ONE teaspoon
of chia seeds in it. Dry, they
wouldn't even cover the bottom.
But when gelled, see how much
of the glass they fill? It's this
amazing property that benefits
you when you eat them!
What do Chia Seeds look like in action?
Water retaining benefits of the Chia Seed for you:
1. Keep the entire digestive process hydrated:
Because the water absorbed by the seed is somewhat difficult to
remove, it takes the digestive process a while to break down the
soluble fiber and absorb the water. This means that as the seeds pass
through the colon, they are slowly irrigating it on the way through.
Keeping food moist is an important way to prevent maladies such as
constipation and diverticulitus . The soluble and insoluble fibers act as
a 'sweeper' to keep food moving easily. When digestion is flowing
smoothly, bile-acid from the liver doesn't get a chance to be re-
absorbed. Bile-acid is produced by using up your supply of
cholesterol, so ushering it out of the system is a benefit to your
cholesterol level as well.
2. Calorie Replacement:
Because Chia seeds have no flavor of their own, they distribute and
take on the taste of whatever food or drink you add them to. If you
want them to taste like your favorite flavored tea, just mix them in.
They'll hydrate with the water and taste just like it. It's the same with
any beverage of your choice that's not too acidic. (Chia won't gel in
undiluted lemon, lime or grapefruit juice...but you can just add pre-
gelled chia.)
Because of the dramatic increase in size, when you eat the hydrated
seeds you feel full. However, you are replacing calories from food
you'd normally eat with 0-calorie water, or lower calorie drinks! For
example, if you mix 1 tbsp of chia seeds with 9 tbsp of water, you end
up with 9 tbsp of filling, nutritious chia gel. This can then be used to
displace the volume of foods, without altering their taste. You can find
out more about adding chia to food on the Baking With Half the Fat:
Just Add Chia Seeds! page.
3. Two kinds of fiber means better digestion for you
Your body cannot break down & get calories from soluble or insoluble
fiber. However, the beneficial bacteria that live in your digestive
system can. Soluble fiber is also called a "pre-biotic" it feeds
"probiotic" bacteria, which in turn, help you. Feeding beneficial
bacteria helps them kill off harmful bacteria, helps them break down
certain nutrients into forms you can use & helps them out-populate
less-desireable bacteria. Keeping the friendly bacteria hydrated helps
too.