Thank you for the great question! Chia seeds are known as an ancient crop (and people usually equate "ancient" with "healthy"), and I often recommend them on this blog (they are one of my food staples). But, like seemingly every food out there, some say they're good for us, and some like Loren Cordain say they should be avoided. So, what do I think? Let's look at the various arguments."Have you heard about Loren Cordain and his explanation regarding why we should not eat chia seeds? I eat them but now I wonder if they really are good for my body..."
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| Cyanocorax |
Both anti-nutrients and phytic acid are typically avoided by health conscious individuals because our dietary goal is to get as much nutrition as possible. But, anti-nutrients and phytic acid get in the way of it by preventing proper absorption of nutrients such as calcium, zinc, magnesium, copper and iron. Still, as problematic as this sound, it would be unfair to blame nutritional deficiencies on anti-nutrients and phytates since they do not prevent 100% of the mineral content from being absorbed. Rather, I think that nutritional deficiencies are due to an unbalanced or inadequate diet, it's really as simple as that.
Let's admit that yes, anti-nutrients and phytates are present in chia seeds. Does it mean that we are doomed to being zinc deficient? No. This would only be the case if our consumption of them is abnormal, and our zinc intake inadequate. Of course, another reason would be that chia seeds are so powerful that they will cancel out any and all intake of nutrients, but this is doubtful. I believe in the wisdom of the ancients, and if chia seeds were so terrible, they wouldn't have been consumed by ancient civilizations including the Aztecs. With a balanced diet of foods rich in zinc (and other minerals), and a moderate intake of anti-nutrient and phytate containing foods, deficiencies are therefore unlikely.
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| brainloc |
For an interesting opinion on the phytic acid issue, please read the article Phytic Acid: Friend or Foe? by Sue Becker.
Lauren Cordain seems to agree with my point here, arguing that only if the chia seeds are a food staple (which I assume here means "a major part of the diet) would nutritional deficiencies occur. So, let me clarify here that for me, chia seeds are not a major food source. I eat about 2 tablespoons a day several times a week, and enjoy them immensely. I don't eat a half cup a day!
Chia seeds have caused gastrointestinal side effects in some studies
For some, if gastrointestinal distress was experienced, then it is indicative of the potentially unhealthy nature of chia seeds. This kind of reasoning would make my husband laugh -- he has been studying hard core for the LSAT and he can spot errors in reasoning really fast (it's really annoying).
Just because a group of people in a study experienced gastrointestinal distress does not mean that most of us will, and it does not mean that the chia seed itself was at fault -- if these people ate a poor diet low in dietary fiber and they were suddenly given dietary fiber every day, you bet they'll experience gastrointestinal distress! The question here is, do you experience digestive issues after eating chia puddings? If you do, and think that chia seeds are a worthwhile addition to your diet, go slow and eat a teaspoon a few days a week. Note that if low dietary fiber intake is the issue, then other high fiber foods will cause issues as well.
My Conclusion?
I personally will keep eating chia seeds. I won't consume extraordinary quantities of them, but I would not do that with any food. The problem is not just phytic acid and anti-nutrients. Chia seeds are filling, and if you fill yourself up with a single food, how else are you going to get enough nutrition? No food is perfect, containing absolutely everything you need to be healthy. You need variety. I think that 2 tablespoons of chia seeds a day is pretty good - you get all essential amino acids, fiber, calcium, phosphorus, manganese and omega 3 fatty acids in ALA form. Not bad!
Readings:
- The chia seed controvery by David Mandosa
- Chia seed follow-up by The Paleo Diet
- Phytic acid: friend or foe? by Sue Becker
- Chia seed nutrition by Nutrition Data
- Mark Sisson's opinion on chia seeds (he says that we shouldn't consider our omega 3 needs taken care of thanks to chia seeds only, and I agree).
All this scare tactic stuff about types of Omegas and ocalates and so forth I feel just makes people overly preoccupied with food and stressed. It can become an eating disorder at a certain point. I appreciate that you have a leveled headed approach to it. At this point I'll enjoy my chia pudding and know that it's a lot better for my body than oats or other things most "healthy" people have often. Not worried.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this: I hadn't heard about it at all and lately I've been having chia pudding for breakfast every morning, with some protein powder and some fruit on the side. My appetite is so small, though, (or I'm currently making it so small) that I only have one tablespoon. I think I'll carry on eating them--you can find reasons not to eat every food imaginable (I've done it!)--but I agree with you that it's wrong to assume this covers all your omega-3 needs...
ReplyDeleteThanks alot for this post. I think best sourse for omegas is fish salmon or krill oil. With chia seeds is problem that it is hard to soak them and then drain them like we can do it with almonds.
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