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Chia seeds, good or bad?

pjgtech

pjgtech

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Still trying to collate a list of foods that I can eat long term after my T2D pathway to remission course ends.

So I've seen lots of YT vids, and read a few articles about Chia seeds, some say "Wonderfood", and some say, nope, its inflammatory!

What do folks think on here, good or bad, worth trying or not?

Chia pudding looks nice..... also seen Chia bread, Crackers, etc.
 
Chia seeds get a big thumbs up from me. I buy them whole (from Lidl) and add them to flavoured water with psyllium husk to make a fibre drink. It is filling, negligible carbs, boosts my soluble fibre intake and my Omega 3 fatty acids. I believe that fibre is beneficial for lowering cholesterol as well as good for gut health.
I once bough milled ones and they didn't keep very well and started to smell like cod liver oil which is a bit turn off for me as I still remember having to have a spoonful of the stuff every day when I was little (before capsules were developed) Yuk, yuk, yuk!! The whole ones keep really well and absorb water very quickly when added to a drink or soups or stews to help thicken them and don't taste or smell of anything.
The only time they are inflammatory for me is if I get one wedged in my gum and that certainly makes it inflamed until I get it out, but I find them a great benefit to my digestive health and bowel regulation. I think taking them with liquid is important because they do absorb water readily and form a sort of gel of soluble fibre.
 
We eat chia seeds, I sprinkle them on fresh salads in summer and on my fruit & berries at breakfast time (yesterdays breakfast in photo)
I also eat quite a selection of other seeds and nuts

I used to sprinke Chia Seeds on top of my smashed banana on peanut buttered sourdough toast,
but I cut that out and started eating more berries seeds fruit & Greek yogurt at breakfast time
as previously I got into bad habit of eating to much bread (that was before the summer)

Mrs @goodybags also uses Chia seeds in all sorts of Thai dishes she makes, although I rarely eat them as they are usually carb heavy & sickly sweet (so not good for me)
 

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Chia seeds are double plus good. I first glommed on to them when I was scanning food lists for the best high fibre plus low carb combo, when I was an the initial stages of getting my T2D under control and carbs were an issue. I continue to eat a bunch of them evey day.

Lots of fibre, reasonable protein, loads of omega-3, great minerals and a fair array of vitamins.

The inflammatory thing might just be part of the Internet seed oil woo-woo, best ignored.
 
I have chia seeds on my breakfast cereal and salads too. I love them! Although they do look alarmingly bug-like if you spill a few on the kitchen counter 😱
 
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Got some chia seeds a few weeks ago having read some good reports about them, at the moment I just sprinkle some on salads.
 
I bought some in M and S a while back as I had never tried them. However they look like fine nigella seeds. I assume they are better for me if they are the full seed. Where best to buy them? Have a Lidl and Holland and Barrett in next small town, Don't have easy access to Aldi or Asda but rest of supermarkets yes. I sprinkle on breakfast yoghurt but sometimes have other seeds.
 
Like everyone else, I'm a fan. I sprinkle them on my Greek Yoghurt plus I sometimes make chia 'jam' by mixing them with stewed raspberries - as the way they swell and thicken makes a sort of alternative to pectin.
They are good for gut health - so much so that a little bit of portion control is advised!!
 
There always has to one except who proves the rule. Doesn't there? It's me.
Unlike everyone else, I am not a fan of the gloopy jelliness that happens when you add any liquid to them. Tasteless frog spawn comes to mind.

But you never know until you try it. And as others have said, they are supposed to be good for you.
So, despite my texture sensitivity, I would recommend trying them before taking any advice from me.
 
helli said:
There always has to one except who proves the rule. Doesn't there? It's me.
Unlike everyone else, I am not a fan of the gloopy jelliness that happens when you add any liquid to them. Tasteless frog spawn comes to mind.

But you never know until you try it. And as others have said, they are supposed to be good for you.
So, despite my texture sensitivity, I would recommend trying them before taking any advice from me.
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Make that two! I also find the gloopy texture unpleasant. I do use golden flaxseeds (Tesco, milled by me in blender) with porridge and as part of crumble topping (blend of oats, milled flaxseed and ground nuts to replace flour).
 
Chia seeds are part of my diet, too - I always stir some into soup. Nutritionally they punch well above their weight in terms of fibre, protein and unsaturated fat, and all for barely any carbs.
 
i use chia seeds everyday with greek yogurt and or if i do overnight oats ill sprinkle some and mix them with porriage oats as a good source of fibre 🙂
 
So I assume they can be eaten raw, uncooked?
People sprinkle them on stuff, eg: salads, so I assume its being used a bit like sesame seeds?
Obviously I know about the swelling in liquid and thickening properties, so I understand why some add them to yoghurt, soups, etc.
 
I sprinkle mine raw to need too cook them , ive tried chia seed pudding with water but not to keen so i mix abit with porrage for overnight oats mixed with almond milk and i can tolerate the glucose 🙂 sprinkle them on salads soups chilli you only need a small amount
 
pjgtech said:
So I assume they can be eaten raw, uncooked?
People sprinkle them on stuff, eg: salads, so I assume its being used a bit like sesame seeds?
Obviously I know about the swelling in liquid and thickening properties, so I understand why some add them to yoghurt, soups, etc.
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I wouldn't - they absorb a lot of water/fluid and swell up - that could be really uncomfortable, and perhaps dangerous in some circumstances.
I have used them in a milled mixture with other seeds - bought from Lidl, when I was experimenting making bread - it was rather too good once I got the hang of it.
 
There is no problem eating them sprinkled on foods as long as you are not eating whole teaspoons of them in one mouthful, but I prefer to have them in a drink to ensure that they have already absorbed plenty of water when I swallow them. If you are having them mixed in with other foods they will be fine dry and will just absorb fluids in your digestive system.
 
Tried them but just didn't like them at all, bit like eating grit, much prefer sunflower or pumpkin seeds.
 
Yep, should have made it clearer, I don't intend eating loads of them, or have them on their own, Lol!
Cheers
 
pjgtech said:
Yep, should have made it clearer, I don't intend eating loads of them, or have them on their own, Lol!
Cheers
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This is quite informative and seems to cover all the bases:-

patient.info

9 benefits of chia seeds - and when they're not safe

Chia seeds: Health hype or reality? We explore nine potential health benefits of chia seeds, and look at whether this ingredient is safe for everyone.
patient.info patient.info
 
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