Did you know that chia seeds are widely considered a super-food? Today, you'll learn more about these tiny seeds and their health benefits. And, of course, we'll pay close attention to how you can take advantage of those benefits to build healthier, stronger bones.
You'll also get an easy-to-prepare delicious bone-building recipe, so let’s get started!
All About Chia Seeds
The chia plant is native to Mexico and Guatemala, where it's been a staple food for around 5,500 years. Chia seeds were used by Aztec and Mayan cultures for medicines, crafts, and as a source of nutrition.
The seed is often used whole and offers a delightful crunch. Ground chia seeds are also popular, as is the oil extracted from them.
Chia seeds are excellent sources of Omega-3 fatty acids, high quality protein, dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and a variety of antioxidants.1. And in addition, chia seeds are alkalizing, which is great news for Savers.
Synopsis
The Chia plant has been a source of food for around 5,500 years. Chia seeds are alkalizing and contain many valuable nutrients.
Nutritional Breakdown Of Chia Seeds
A one-ounce serving (28 grams or two tablespoons) of chia seeds contains:
- Fiber — 11 grams
- Protein — 4 grams
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids — 5 grams
- Calcium* — 18% of the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI)
- Manganese* — 30% of the RDI
- Magnesium* — 30% of the RDI
- Phosphorus: 27% of the RDI
Chia seeds are also a great source of:
*denotes Foundation Supplement
That same serving of chia seeds contains only 137 calories and a single gram of digestible carbohydrates. This makes chia seeds very nutrient-dense. Few other foods offer this much nutrition per calorie.
Synopsis
Chia seeds are excellent sources of fiber, protein, Omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, manganese, magnesium, and phosphorus, among other nutrients. They contain a high density of nutrients per calorie.
Health Benefits Of Chia Seeds
The rich nutritional content of chia seeds translates to numerous health benefits. Here are a few of the ways that chia seeds can help you stay healthy:
- Lower Risk Of Heart Disease — The fiber, protein, and Omega-3s in chia seeds help reduce your risk of heart disease. Studies have found that chia seeds lower risk factors including inflammation, insulin resistance, and belly fat.2
- Reduce Blood Sugar Levels — Studies with animals have found that chia seeds can improve insulin sensitivity. They also help regulate blood sugar levels, so you can avoid after-meal blood sugar spikes.3,4
- Reduce Chronic Inflammation — Chronic inflammation causes harm throughout the body, and is primarily detected through inflammation markers found in blood. A three-month study with diabetic participants found that those who ate chia seeds each day had reduced inflammatory markers.5
- Antioxidant Protection From Cancer And Aging — Free radicals damage cells and contribute to both aging and the development of cancer. Antioxidants fight the production of free radicals, helping to slow the aging process and prevent cancer.6,7 Studies have confirmed the positive health effects of antioxidant rich foods, like chia seeds.8
Synopsis
Chia seeds provide health benefits including reduced risk of heart disease, blood sugar levels, chronic inflammation, and effective antioxidant protection from aging and cancer.
Bone Building Nutrients In Chia Seeds
Chia seeds contain high levels of several nutrients that are essential for building strong bones. The following four Foundation Supplements are excellent examples. They illustrate just how useful chia seeds are for a bone-healthy diet.
- Calcium — Calcium is directly involved in the process of bone formation and maintenance. It’s the most prevalent mineral in your skeleton, so it’s crucial for building bone. Calcium also facilitates the transport of oxygen throughout your body, making it necessary for cardiovascular health as well.
- Magnesium — Magnesium plays a role in more than 300 processes throughout the body, including in the regulation of the parathyroid gland. That gland controls the mineralization of new bone. Since magnesium is a necessary component of the bone matrix, it both regulates the process of mineralization and is one of the minerals present in that bone-building process.
- Manganese — Manganese is a Foundation Supplement that often gets overlooked. But this mineral is the primary antioxidant enzyme, protecting your cells from oxidative damage. It also plays a role in collagen production, meaning you need manganese to create the building blocks of both your skin and bones.
- B Vitamins — The B Vitamins work together to offer benefits ranging from nervous system function to protein metabolism, to the production of red blood cells and immune cells.
Synopsis
Many of the nutrients in chia seeds play an important role in bone health. They're a great source of minerals that comprise bone, including calcium and magnesium. The manganese in chia seeds helps you produce collagen. And B Vitamins work system-wide to improve health and reduce fracture risk.
A Recipe Featuring Chia Seeds
If you've never used chia seeds before, then you're in for a treat. This recipe is a great start to your love affair with these crunchy seeds.
No-Bake Pumpkin Pie Delight
pH-Balanced
2 Servings
Ingredients
- ¼ cup chia seeds
- ¾ cup almond or coconut milk
- ¼ cup plain unsweetened yogurt
- 2 teaspoons honey (adjust to taste)
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- Slivered almonds for garnish
- In a bowl, mix all ingredients with a whisk.
- Place in a covered container in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
- Garnish with slivered almonds before serving
Directions
What This Means To You
If you don't have chia seeds in your pantry, make sure you add them to your shopping list. This superfood is easy to use as a topping for salads, yogurt bowls, and oatmeal, or in smoothies, bread, cookies, muffins, and more.
To get recipes like the one above, check out Bone Appetit, the Save Institute's cookbook and meal planner. Bone Appetit helps you incorporate scores of bone-building ingredients into delicious daily meals.
Adding variety to your diet is a great way to add adventure to your bone-healthy lifestyle. When you try new bone-building foods, you enable yourself to stay strong and independent, able to enjoy your life to the fullest.
References
1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4926888/
2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17356263
3 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24120122/
4 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21429727/
5 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17686832
6 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1985414
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Recent Study Links Dietary Acid Load To Osteoporosis RiskComments on this article are closed.
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I thank you for your kind words and appreciation! I’m so glad to know you enjoy our articles and that you’re part of our Saver community 🙂
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Dear Vivian,
I fully agree that Chia seeds are very nutrient rich. However, how much of these nutrients can be absorbed by the body, since these tiny seeds are according to my experience not really chewable and therefore potentially will go through the intestinal tract unchanged.-
Dagmar, when you consume chia seeds mixed in liquids, as in the above recipe, the outer layer breaks apart and the seed becomes more digestible without chewing. However, you can also sprout them or grind them for even better absorption.
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Please ignore my comment/question.
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Just curious as to why you didn’t respond to Andrea’s comment about anti-nutrients and address that issue?
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Dear Vivian,
Thank you for your always informative and helpful emails.
My question is:
can I have chia seeds soaked in water, of course, when I am doing
a water fast, to give a little nutrition to my body when I am not eating?
Thank you very much!-
Yes, Eleni. You can soak the chia seeds for at least 20 minutes or overnight if you prefer a more pudding-like texture.
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I have been following your advice for years after being diagnosed with osteopenia. Yesterday I had a bone scan and the technician was quite surprised at the results. My bones show significant improvement and I no longer have osteopenia. I have improved my healthy diet, routinely do yoga, walk and ride my horse—and feel wonderful at 74. Thank you!!!
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Congratulations, Nancy! That’s such awesome news and I thank you for sharing it with us! Keep up with your bone-healthy lifestyle 🙂
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Unfortunately, chia seeds (like almonds and many other seeds and nuts), are also very high in anti-nutrients, including oxalates. This means that the minerals they are so rich in are bound to the anti-nutrients and are not available to be absorbed by the body. Soaking, activating and fermenting seeds and nuts can assist in the bioavailability of nutrients, but does not remove all the anti-nutrients. So, unless prepared correctly, my understanding is, these foods are doing more harm than good, by making most of the minerals in them and from other foods eaten at the same time, unavailable for the body.
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Andrea, oxalates can interfere with calcium and other micronutrient absorption, but the reduction is relatively small, and oxalates don’t actually leech calcium from the bones. Provided you don’t consume excessive quantities and your kidneys function properly, you should not worry about oxalates in healthy foods.
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Hi Vivian – thank you for your reply. I appreciate that oxalates don’t leech calcium from bones. However, I am still confused by this, as I have read many studies demonstrating that foods high in phytic acid and oxalates (e.g. spinach, silverbeet, quinoa, buckwheat almonds, cannelini beans) bind with around 90% of the minerals, making these nutrients unavailable for the body. One example: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4325021/
I’d be really interested to read studies showing that the reduction in mineral absorption is relatively small in foods that are high in oxalates and phytic acid. Your thoughts are at odds with those promoted by ‘The Healthy Bones Nutrition Plan and Cookbook’, so I am really interested to better understand this.
Also, what would you consider to be sensible quantities to consume of foods that are high in oxalates and phytic acid?
I’m not trying to be difficult at all – just to truly understand the literature better and do the right thing for my body and my bones!
Thanks so much 😊
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Take a look at this article about phytic acid:
And there’s no measured recommended quantity of foods that contain anti-nutrients. That’s where consuming a variety of foods plays an important role.
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I also thank you for all your information. I am a blind lady, and getting info like this, using a computer program that talks to me helps tremendously. Thanks. MaryAnn
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Bless you vivien , appreciant all your wonderful information , so helpful , even in my late, late 80 yrs , that you for all your work
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You’re very welcome, Victoria! And I appreciate your kind words and love to have you in the Saver community 🙂
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I am so glad I have been eating Chia seeds in my smoothies. I have been following your advice for years. Would you give me your take on the Covid vaccine. I never take flu shots, I try to eat healthy and take supplements.
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I recommend to not get the COVID vaccine (at least for now) because we don’t know yet any long-term side effects, especially since it was so rushed. Plus mRNA vaccines have never been used except for very specific clinical trials on cancer and animal studies on rabies and other diseases.
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I so appreciate your honesty re the vaccine Vivian. My neurologist of almost 40 years ago ( who saved my life I must add) instructed me THEN – NO vaccines for you- Especially!! New ones. Never have! Grateful for his sage knowledge today that’s for sure!
Appreciate you and everything that you do for us all!!
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Hi there
I buy the seeds whole but for optimal absorption do I need to grind before use?
Best in the new year
LisaKlein-
Even though it’s better to grind certain seeds, as is the case with flax seeds, chia seeds can be eaten whole without sacrificing nutrient absorption.
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Your articles are always very informative & easy to understand, I learn something new each week.Thank you for all your excellent work.
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You’re welcome, Pauline 🙂
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Thanks, Vivian. I have 2T of chia seeds on my yogurt bowl every day for lunch. (Also add fruits, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds). Good to know about all the benefits for our bones!
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You’re welcome. And that’s an excellent dietary habit, Sue!
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Hello Vivian,
Thank you.
Have a wonderful day.
Marlene-
You’re very welcome, Marlene!
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I have calcium oxylate “crystals” in my urine which can lead to painful health issues like kidney stones.
I noted that fruits, seeds and nuts, which I eat a lot of, might be the cause. How can 1. How do I determine which fruits, seeds, nuts will breakdown in my digestive system and which will not?
2. How to get enough berries and nuts, seeds, but not develop these crystals?
Thanks, Mary-
An effective, scientifically-proven way to inhibit oxalate crystals is to increase the consumption of foods that contain phytic acid. Beans, seeds, grains, and nuts are rich sources.
You can read more about phytic acid and its health benefits here:
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Thanks,Your support for healthy lifestyle is really useful for so many.
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And I thank you for your kind words, Tariq 🙂
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Thank you, Ita.
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My pleasure, Ita!
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Your pie sounds delicious. Here’s another yummy topping that you can put on top of it to jazz it up even more: Pumpkin pie topping: Fresh Ginger root, Brown Sugar or a Brown Sugar KETO replacement, Sea Salt and the secret ingredient Cayenne Pepper (Cut the Sweet with the Heat). This is from The Good Witch show on Hallmark, a favorite of mine.
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Thanks for sharing the pie topping, Suzanne!
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Vivan,
You are so efficient and knowledgeable. A real pleasure reading you.
Many thanks for all your advise and precision.
Love, Brigitte