Chia seeds, packed with nutrition, have become a health-food fad

As a gag gift, the Chia Pet remains a popular choice for the kitsch-inclined. Slather on some seeds, add water and voilà, a ceramic Homer Simpson sprouts fluffy green "hair."

But chia seeds as a valuable source of nutrition?

Well, to paraphrase Homer, Umm, chia!

Turns out, maybe we should have been spreading those seeds on toast, not on a ceramic "pet" all these years.

Nutritionists say that chia seeds, plucked from a Central American plant called Salvia hispanica, have many beneficial qualities that are making them a trendy choice in the natural supplements aisle.

According to a 2007 University of Toronto study published in the journal Diabetes Care, a quarter-cup of chia seeds supplies as much omega-3 fatty acid as a salmon fillet, 25 percent more dietary fiber than flaxseed, 30 percent more antioxidants than blueberries and as much calcium as three cups of milk.

The study, so far the only peer- reviewed one concerning the health claims of chia seeds, showed that diabetes patients reduced cardiovascular risks by ingesting chia seeds along with standard diabetes therapy.

Dr. Sheri Zidenberg-Cherr of the UC Davis nutrition department says chia seeds have a "nice nutritional profile" but hastens to add they are not the dietary cure-all some are trumpeting.

"The redeeming qualities of it is omega-3s, specifically the lenlinic (acid) that's in there," Zidenberg-Cherr says. "Because of that tie-in with heart disease and diabetes, I see potential for it as something that could be added to someone's diet if they're already following a healthy eating plan with the proper recommendations."

At the very least, she adds, chia seeds can't hurt.

"The (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) considers it safe, as for now," Zidenberg-Cherr says. "So it doesn't look like there's any danger. You're just now starting to see a lot more research going on with it."

That could be because the health claims associated with chia seeds – in particular, a certain kind of seed marketed under the name Salba – are eye-popping.

"Read some of the stuff on the Internet about it, and it's like the new wonder food," she says.

Among the claims for chia:

• Levels blood sugar.

• Controls weight via soluble fiber.

• Increases energy, endurance and strength.

• Works as a remedy for colds, sore throats, wounds, body odors and constipation.

• Keeps bones strong with calcium and boron.

While some cast skeptical eyes at such sweeping health claims, others have embraced chia, which is said to have been a major nutrient for ancient Aztecs and Mayans.

It's become chic, too. Few had heard of flaxseed before 2004, and now it's a staple on the shelves of every drugstore. Chia's recent proponents include alternative-therapy guru Dr. Andrew Weil, who has praised the seeds in a Prevention magazine column, and none other than Oprah Winfrey, who ate a pumpkin chia muffin on air.

As for taste, chia seeds are bland, not as nutty as flaxseeds. And because they are water-soluble, they don't need to be ground up, as flaxseed must.

Finding chia seeds outside of health-food stores is a challenge. The Vitamin Shoppe franchises in Citrus Heights and Elk Grove carry Salba while the Davis Food Co-op carries seeds in bulk.

Chia doesn't come cheap, though. At the Davis Co-op, chia seeds sold for $21.95 a pound, compared with $1.65 a pound for flaxseed.

Twenty-one bucks? Heck, a Chia Pet only costs $19.95.

About the writer:

• Call The Bee's Sam McManis, (916) 321-1145.