healthSep 3, 20265:45

Do Chia Seeds Have ANY Benefits?

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Chia seeds have been used for thousands of years. Watch this video to find out about their #1 benefit. Watch this episode next: Reset Your Body in 5 Days (With Zero Food) Just so you know, my full line of high-quality supplements is available on Amazon — search Dr. Berg Supplements. 0:00 Introduction: Chia seeds and omega-3s 1:30 Chia seeds nutrition facts 1:52 The real benefit of chia seeds 2:02 Chia seed pudding 3:32 Chia seeds and other foods for gut health In this video, we’re going to talk about some of the health benefits of chia seeds. Omega-3s have many benefits, including supporting heart health. Salmon and sardines are among the best omega-3 sources, but what about chia seeds? It’s been said that chia seeds are a better source of omega-3s if you compare them gram for gram, but they don’t contain DHA. Chia seeds contain ALA, and only 0.5% converts into DHA. Chia seeds have also been compared to eggs. An egg contains around 7 grams of protein, while chia seeds contain 4 grams. The protein found in eggs is the most bioavailable form of protein. Chia seeds contain vitamin E, vitamin C, B vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium. Research suggests that chia seeds are cardioprotective, help lower blood pressure, benefit your brain, and can even help thin your blood. Chia seeds contain soluble fiber, which is the most significant benefit of consuming them. To make a healthy chia pudding: 1. Mix 2 tablespoons of chia seeds with ½ cup of milk or unsweetened almond milk. 2. Stir the mixture until the seeds swell and form a gel. 3. Add kefir, berries, Greek yogurt, coconut cream, or nuts. The gel that forms when you mix chia seeds with liquid is an excellent food for your microbiome. Chia seeds can help with gut inflammation and constipation. They’re also very low in lectins. Chia seed gel contains polyphenols—plant chemicals that benefit your microbes. A healthy microbiome supports your mood, energy levels, and overall health. Consume chia seeds, fermented vegetables, sauerkraut, pickles, and kimchi regularly for a healthy microbiome. Dr. Eric Berg DC Bio: Dr. Berg, age 59, is a chiropractor who specializes in Healthy Ketosis & Intermittent Fasting. He is the author of the best-selling book The Healthy Keto Plan and is the Director of Dr. Berg Nutritionals. He no longer practices but focuses on health education through social media. Follow Me On Social Media: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Drberg/ YouTube Shorts: https://www.youtube.com/@UCpWhiwlOPxOmwQu5xyjtLDw Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drericberg Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drericberg/ Spotify Podcast: 🎧 https://drbrg.co/DrBerg-Spotify TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drbergofficial X: https://x.com/dr_ericberg Disclaimer: Dr. Eric Berg received his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic in 1988. His use of “doctor” or “Dr.” in relation to himself solely refers to that degree. Dr. Berg is a licensed chiropractor in Virginia, California, and Louisiana, but he no longer practices chiropractic in any state and does not see patients, so he can focus on educating people as a full-time activity, yet he maintains an active license. This video is for general informational purposes only. It should not be used to self-diagnose, and it is not a substitute for a medical exam, cure, treatment, diagnosis, prescription, or recommendation. It does not create a doctor-patient relationship between Dr. Berg and you. You should not make any change in your health regimen or diet before first consulting a physician and obtaining a medical exam, diagnosis, and recommendation. Always seek the advice of a physician or oth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Dr. Eric Berg DC — Do Chia Seeds Have ANY Benefits?. Machine-transcribed; use the interactive transcript above to jump the player to any line.

Let's talk about the real benefit of chia seeds. I mean, if we talk about the omega-3s, okay? Omega-3s are good for the heart. They're good for thinning the blood. And of course, salmon and sardines are always recommended because they have high amounts of omega-3. Then what's this deal with chia seeds having more omega-3 if you look gram for gram? But what they don't tell you is the type of omega-3 is not the active omega-3 that people think about as an anti-inflammatory. That's called DHA. The type of omega-3 that chia is known for, and by the way, chia has the most of this, it's called ALA. It's the thing that comes before the conversion into this active form of this omega-3. So the question is, how much of that ALA converts to DHA? And the answer is not very much. It's like 0.5%. The next point is about eggs. Now, whereas an egg, like a medium-sized egg,

might have seven grams of protein, chia seed has four grams of protein. The question is, is it the same? And the answer is no, because the egg is the most bioavailable protein that you can consume. Actually, I lied. Breast milk is the number one, and then eggs, and then meat, and then fish. But chia seed and other plant proteins are pretty low on the list. And I've searched everywhere for a long period of time to try to find out how bioavailable it is. And I couldn't find that data. Now, chia seed also has some vitamin E, some vitamin C. It has some of the B vitamins. It has calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium. And if you look at the research on chia seed, you'll see cardio protective benefits, benefits to help lower your blood pressure, benefits for your brain, and can even thin your blood. But the biggest benefit from consuming chia seeds has to do with this soluble fiber. Okay, so, and what I normally do

is take two tablespoons of chia seed, and I'll put it in about a half a cup of either milk or almond milk, okay, unsweetened, and then I'll kind of mix it around until it swells up into this gel. And then I'll add some berries or some keyfer, which is a little better than yogurt. But if you're gonna use yogurt, I would use Greek yogurt, some coconut cream, and maybe some nuts, and it makes a great pudding, okay? But the benefit is in this gel. This gel is a soluble fiber that is a wonderful food for your microbiome. Your microbiome love this gel, and they can eat it up and turn it into food for the colon cells. And they can use it as energy. If you have inflammation in your gut, this would be a good thing to take. And also, if you have constipation, it can help you with that as well. Some people are concerned about these things called lactins, which can actually irritate the colon if there's inflammation.

Well, chia seeds have very low amounts of lactins, so you don't have to worry about lactins with chia seed. Also in that gel, you have other nutrients like polyphenols. These are certain plant-based chemicals that your microbes love and they can eat as well. But the real benefit is feeding microbes that benefit you indirectly. There's a huge connection between your mood and your energy and how your overall health is and the health of the gut microbiome. So I would recommend consuming things like chia seed and other things that can feed the microbes, including fermented vegetables, like sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi, things like that, on a regular basis. Couple of little less points. You don't want to grind the seeds. You can soak them whole. The Aztecs used to consume chia seeds. So it's been around for a long time. Now, if you have not seen my other video on chia seeds, check it out. I put it up right here.

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Do Chia Seeds Have ANY Benefits?

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