Chia seeds come from the S. hispanica L. (commonly known as chia) plant and are native to the southwestern United States, Mexico, and western South America. Seeds from the chia plant are edible and commonly used as food.
Chia seeds are notable for the amount of omega-3, high-quality protein, and fiber. Seeds are also very high in B vitamins, vitamin E, and niacin. Chia seeds have a high nutritional value for a ‘small’ food source.
Modern nutraceutical researchers are focused on finding the foods with the highest impact on modern diets and health. The nutrients in chia seeds seem to make them a great candidate to study.
The general nutritional composition of a chia seed is ~35% fiber, ~35% fats, ~20% protein, and ~4.5% minerals. Chia seeds have been noted among the richest sources of high-quality vegetative proteins.
Chia seeds were mostly noted for their fiber content in the past. Modern research has turned to the protein content and bioactivity of digested peptides and how they can help with health and various ailments.
Peptide extraction from chia seeds is very effective due to the efficiency of widely available chia expellers. Chia expellers utilize different techniques that focus on retaining specific nutrients during seed refinement.
Chia seeds have been associated with many health benefits. Among the health potentials, the following have stuck out for researchers:
The antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of chia seeds are being researched to determine viability in everything from medicine to nutrition. The peptides produced from chia seeds have been been found to help with immunostimulation and antibody concentration in recent studies.
Nutraceutical researchers are studying the bioactives derived from chia seeds including peptides and how they may be applied to benefit medical and nutritional issues.
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