Time: Gelling chia seeds takes time! Recipes like chia pudding are best when chia sits in liquid for a few hours, or even overnight. If you want your chia seeds to have that gel-like consistency, they need to sit for a minimum of 20 minutes to absorb the liquid.
For example, a small Brazilian study published in 2015 in Nutricion Hospitalaria involving 26 men and women who were overweight or had obesity found that eating 35 grams (about 3 tbsp) of chia seeds daily for 12 weeks resulted in weight loss.
Soak the seeds in almond milk or water (1/4 cup seeds to 1 cup liquid) until they take on a chewy texture reminiscent of tapioca pudding, about 20 minutes. Soaked chia seeds can be refrigerated for up to 5 days, so you can make a big batch at the start of the week.
Chia seeds are high in a plant-based omega-3 fatty acid, known to have an effect on inflammation. It's called alpha-linolenic acid and is important to a healthy heart. A study on chia seeds confirmed that consuming 37 grams of chia seeds a day led to a reduction in inflammatory markers in the blood.
You May Experience Digestive Issues
About 2 tablespoons of chia seeds pack nearly 10 grams of fiber. And although fiber is an essential nutrient for gut health, a side effect of fiber is gas and bloating, according to Mount Sinai. "Some people may experience GI and digestive issues from eating too many chia seeds.
Studies have shown that chia seeds consumption reduces visceral adipose tissues, also known as belly fat.
It is generally considered safe to consume up to two tablespoons of chia seeds per day. This amount is packed with essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Additionally, studies have also suggested that regular consumption of chia seeds can help reduce inflammation and improve digestive health.
Chia seeds are a great source of fibre. Consuming chia seeds with water in the morning helps in giving your digestive system a boost and improves bowel movement. Healthy digestion is a prerequisite to weight loss. The best time to eat chia seeds is when you wake up.
The seeds expanded in the esophagus and caused a blockage. Because they quickly swell after absorbing liquid, it is advised to eat chia seeds that have already been soaked in liquid or are served with a moist food, such as oatmeal or yogurt. Do not eat dry chia seeds by themselves.
Chia seeds may provide several benefits as part of a healthy diet. There is no RDA for chia seeds. Still, they can be safely eaten in amounts of 50 grams daily, which is about five tablespoons.
You do not need to soak chia seeds for a specific amount of time in order to consume them or reap the benefits of them. From a culinary standpoint however, chia seeds perform best when submerged or mixed with some kind of liquid (e.g. chia pudding, baked goods, in smoothies, mixed with yogurt).
The CDC state that a person can safely and effectively lose about 1–2 lb a week. Based on those numbers, in a month, a person could safely lose 4–8 lb.
The participants who did not consume chia lost 0.3 kilograms (kg), or 0.66 pounds (lb), on average. Those who ate chia lost an average of 1.9 kg, or 4.19 lb. The chia group also showed a significant average reduction in waist circumference compared with the control group.
Chia seeds are rich in tryptophan, an amino acid that regulates sleep pattern by improving mood. Drinking juice with chia seeds helps those suffering from insomnia.
Chia seeds may help you sleep
Chia seeds are tiny bundles of tryptophan, according to sharecare.com, and that amino acid raises melatonin and serotonin levels. These are the hormones that support stable sleep.
If you eat too many chia seeds they may cause you some digestive discomfort. This is because they are high in fibre, and too much fibre can cause issues for some people, e.g. bloating, abdominal pain, gas, constipation and diarrohea.
Caffeic acid, an antioxidant found in chia seeds, can help to fight inflammation in the body. Eating chia seeds regularly may also help to reduce inflammatory markers, which often indicate the presence of an inflammatory disease.
In particular, due to the high content of soluble fiber, chia seeds have the capacity of absorbing water, up to 15-20 times their weight. When they pass through the esophagus, they absorb water like a sponge in the intestine area and expand in the stomach. This is what leads to bloating.
For raw chia seeds, you can soak chia seeds with warm water first and then use them or sprinkle a spoonful of chia seeds directly into yogurt, wait 15-20 minutes for the chia seeds to bloom and then use. Can be used with many other fruits such as watermelon, strawberry, mango, ... to make the dish more attractive.
Chia seeds are rich source of several important minerals. Chia seeds are good for boosting the metabolism.