Chia powder

Chia was first cultivated in the Mexico Valley between 2,600 and 2,000 BC. In pre-Columbian times, toasted or ground chia seeds were the third most important source of food after maize and beans. For the Aztecs, chia seeds were a staple food, but when soaked in water, they were also used to make a refreshing drink. Its healing properties were also appreciated in the treatment of infections. The Aztecs considered this seed to be very energetic and gave it to hunters and soldiers during military training. It was pressed to extract an oil used as a base for body paints and ritually used to anoint statues and religious paintings.

The most nutrient-rich seeds, they are whitish in colour. Chia seeds are rich in flavonols, a family of antioxidants. (Myricétol, quercétol, kaempférol), flavonol glycosides, chlorogenic acids and caffeic acid. They are rich in protein and fibre. With an admittedly variable protein content ranging from 16 to 23 %, they are higher than wheat (14.7 %) and maize (14 %). They are also very rich in lipids, with a high proportion of omega-3 acids (alpha-linolenic acid accounts for 68 % of lipids, or 21 % of the total) and a favourable omega-3 to omega-6 ratio of around 3-4.

Benefits: chia seeds provide a good source of calcium and phosphorus and a very good source of dietary fibre and manganese. Chia has good antioxidant properties thanks to its polyphenols (chlorogenic and caffeic acids and flavonols). These various characteristics make it ideal as a dietary supplement to help improve intestinal transit, lower blood pressure, prevent osteoporosis and improve protein assimilation.

In 2009, the European Commission adopted the following decision: "Chia seeds (Salvia hispanica) and crushed Chia seeds, as described in the Annex, may be placed on the market in the Community as a novel food ingredient for use in bakery products at a maximum level of 5 % of Chia seeds (Salvia hispanica). "

According to a study published in 2007 in Diabetes Careresearchers found that patients with type 2 diabetes who consumed 37 grams of chia, the salba (approximately 6 tablespoons) daily, saw their levels of C-reactive protein (a marker of inflammation) fall by 32 %, a reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, as well as an improvement in blood sugar levels. However, this relative reduction in C-reactive protein levels was due to an increase in these levels in the control group, which consumed wheat bran.