© 2008 www.mychiaseeds.com
The Chia Seed really stands out among other types of seeds!
No other seed posesses such hydrophilic properties. (hydrophilic: attracted to water) The micro fibers on the outer
coating of the seed allow it to absorb NINE times its own weight in water. This is the power of chia seed hydtration &
it is extremely beneficial for anyone who eats the seed, for a number of reasons.
But how does it work?
See the diagram below for a closer look at a Chia seed. The seed in this image is many, many times larger than a
real Chia seed. The actual Chia seed is about the size of a poppy seed, but it has no flavor.
With this "magnified" view you can see how the fibers of
the seed are raised when exposed to water (or any other
liquid) The gray area represents the rough size of the
bead of gel that forms when liquid gets trapped by these
unique fibers.
The outside of the Chia
seed is covered in tiny
micro-fibers. When the
seed is wet, these nearly-
invisibly tiny fibers stand
on end and begin trapping
liquid. This property is so
amazing, it can hold 9
times the weight of the
seed in water! This action
causes a bead of gel to
form around the seed.
The Chia Seed's outer shell
is always patterned, and can
be either gray and tan or
brown and black, depending
on the type of chia plant.
The shell is made of
insoluble fiber, also known
as 'roughage' and it acts as
a sweeper in the digestive
tract to promote regularity.
As the seed is digested, the
coating softens making it
especially safe to eat.
When you wet a Chia seed and wait about 10 minutes you'll see
A bead of gel form. This has the consistancy of a gelatin snack, and is difficult to remove from the
seed's outer surface. It's held there by the unique micro-fibers on the seed's outer shell. This
liquid is only removed slowly by the digestive system, so it keeps the colon hydrated while
releasing electrolytes and nutrients.
What do Chia Seeds look like in action?
With this photo you can see the
true size of the seeds, in a
common spoon. Here, they're
dry...
And here they've been allowed to
form a gel. What looks like a bead
of water surrounding the seeds is
actually attached to them. The
seeds have absorbed the water and
turned it into the clear gel you see
in the spoon.
This glass only has ONE teaspoon
of chia seeds in it. Dry, they
wouldn't even cover the bottom.
But when gelled, see how much
of the glass they fill? It's this
amazing property that benefits
you when you eat them!
Water retaining benefits of the Chia Seed for you:
1. Keep the entire digestive process hydrated:
Because the water absorbed by the seed is somewhat difficult to remove, it takes the digestive process a
while to break down the soluble fiber and absorb the water. This means that as the seeds pass through the
colon, they are slowly irrigating it on the way through. Keeping food moist is an important way to prevent
maladies such as constipation and diverticulitus . The soluble and insoluble fibers act as a 'sweeper' to keep
food moving easily. When digestion is flowing smoothly, bile-acid from the liver doesn't get a chance to be re-
absorbed. Bile-acid is produced by using up your supply of cholesterol, so ushering it out of the system is a
benefit to your cholesterol level as well.
2. Calorie Replacement:
Because Chia seeds have no flavor of their own, they distribute and take on the taste of whatever food or
drink you add them to. If you want them to taste like your favorite flavored tea, just mix them in. They'll
hydrate with the water and taste just like it. It's the same with any beverage of your choice that's not too
acidic. (Chia won't gel in undiluted lemon, lime or grapefruit juice...but you can just add pre-gelled chia.)
Because of the dramatic increase in size, when you eat the hydrated seeds you feel full. However, you are
replacing calories from food you'd normally eat with 0-calorie water, or lower calorie drinks! For example, if
you mix 1 tbsp of chia seeds with 9 tbsp of water, you end up with 9 tbsp of filling, nutritious chia gel. This
can then be used to displace the volume of foods, without altering their taste. You can find out more about
adding chia to food on the Baking With Half the Fat: Just Add Chia Seeds! page.
3. Two kinds of fiber means better digestion for you
Your body cannot break down & get calories from soluble or insoluble fiber. However, the beneficial bacteria
that live in your digestive system can. Soluble fiber is also called a "pre-biotic" it feeds "probiotic" bacteria,
which in turn, help you. Feeding beneficial bacteria helps them kill off harmful bacteria, helps them break
down certain nutrients into forms you can use & helps them out-populate less-desireable bacteria. Keeping
the friendly bacteria hydrated helps too.
Learn About Chia Seed Hydration: Fiber & Water for Health