Eat your Chia Pet. Help your heart?
Some researchers think so — prompting distributors of the tiny seeds used to sprout the pets’ iconic frizzy green hair to tout them as the latest “superfood.”
Chia seeds and related items such as chips and energy bars are becoming more widely available in the San Francisco Bay area, and a major health food chain recently started carrying them nationwide. Online retailers report rising sales. Plugs on CBS News and Oprah Winfrey’s show haven’t hurt either.
Derived from a mint-related plant known as Salvia hispanica, chia seeds are high in protein, fiber and calcium. Most important, the seeds are high in one of the omega-3 fatty acids known to help prevent heart disease. The seeds are higher in omega-3 than any other plant source, including flaxseed, which many people sprinkle on food for its health benefits.
That’s why chia seeds, long a tiny niche product in health food stores, are drawing attention. The omega-3 supplement market, dominated by products such as fish oil and flaxseed, has grown into a $500 million-a-year business, attracting marketers not only of chia seeds but other omega-3-rich foods such as cranberries and soy.
“The market for omega-3s is skyrocketing,” said Rebecca Wright, editor of Nutraceuticals World, a trade magazine. “They’re so popular, everyone’s trying to get in on it.”
More Top Picks Work Boots
The Vitamin Shoppe, a 342-store health-food chain based in New Jersey, is the first major chain to roll out chia products nationwide.
“It’s among our fastest-growing products,” category manager Rob Maru said.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates chia as a food, and it’s largely regarded as safe. An ounce of chia seeds contains 137 calories, 4 grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber in addition to omega-3s. Some studies have found that high levels of omega-3 fatty acids can interfere with blood clotting.
Chia has a storied history as the food of the Aztecs, Mayans and other Native Americans, who believed the seeds aided endurance. In Mexico, people soak the seeds in water and lime juice to make a drink called chia fresca.
Today, chia seeds, which require a warm climate, are largely grown in Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and Argentina.
Few studies have been conducted on chia seeds alone, although more have used flaxseed, which contains the same type of omega-3 fatty acid. One study published last year found that among 20 diabetic patients, those who ate chia seeds for three months had lower blood pressure and lower levels of a blood protein linked to heart disease.
The limited research, however, hasn’t stopped chia’s distributors from touting all kinds of health benefits, including relief from indigestion, weight loss, extra endurance and blood-sugar control.
“I don’t recommend it as a cure-all, but as a way to get more of what’s healthy into our diets,” said Sheri Zidenberg-Cherr, a cooperative extension specialist at the University of California, Davis.
One thing that has hindered chia’s popularity is that prices for a pound of the seed can range from $7 to more than $20, compared with flaxseed, which often is a third of the price.