mikeyarmo
Co-Founder
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2006
- Messages
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I have known for some time the theory that our current diets have a very high ratio of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) compared to omega-3 PUFAs. Omega 6 is now thought to be pro inflammatory while omega 3 is though to be anti-inflammatory, which means that the decreased consumption of it has resulted in more health problems. The increased consumption of omega-3 is thought to have many beneficial effects, including releiving depression symptoms, improving coginitive function and balance as well as decreasing inflammation. The consumption of omega-3 has even been found to decrease the risk of cancer! Therefore, it is possible that the addition of omega-3 to your diet can be of some benefit to your health, and possible decrease some of the symptoms of your disease.
Fish oil and flax oil (or seeds) have been promoted for their omega-3 content, however some people are suspicious about these sources (especially the toxins found in fish and the possibility of increased prostate cancer risk with flax for males) and have looked for other ways to get their beneficial omega-3 PUFAs. I have heard of other vegetarian sources for omega 3 like wal nuts and tofu, however until this time I have never heard of a vegetarian omega-3 alternative that was better than hemp seeds. That was until I heard about Chia!
Chia seeds are what was used in the famous Chia pets. They were supposedly consumed as a staple by the Aztec cultures of Mexico, and they continue to be grown there as well as other South American countries.
A serving of Chai seeds has a ratio of roughly 3:1 of omega-3 to omega-6, which is the opposite of most foods (which have much more omega 6 than omega-3). The amazing thing is that just two tablespoons of chai seeds countains about 5 grams of omega-3 PUFAs! They are contain a lot of calcium, and other beneficial vitamins. It is also gluten free.
The downside of chia is that it is high in fiber (7 grams in 2 tablespoons), which may cause a problem for some IBD sufferers. Additionally, vegetarian sources of omega-3 only contain the ALA form of fatty acid. The body can convert this into the other forms (EPA and DHA) however it requires a lot of additional ALA as the conversion rate is something like 10-15% I believe (from AlA-EPA).
Regardless of what you do with this information, I thought it was an interesting discovery. Remember that not all foods agree with all people (especially because this is high in fibre) so I encourage anyone considering to try this food to use caution. Here are some studies showing the benefits of chai seeds (including how they raised omega-3 levels in animals).
Fish oil and flax oil (or seeds) have been promoted for their omega-3 content, however some people are suspicious about these sources (especially the toxins found in fish and the possibility of increased prostate cancer risk with flax for males) and have looked for other ways to get their beneficial omega-3 PUFAs. I have heard of other vegetarian sources for omega 3 like wal nuts and tofu, however until this time I have never heard of a vegetarian omega-3 alternative that was better than hemp seeds. That was until I heard about Chia!
Chia seeds are what was used in the famous Chia pets. They were supposedly consumed as a staple by the Aztec cultures of Mexico, and they continue to be grown there as well as other South American countries.
A serving of Chai seeds has a ratio of roughly 3:1 of omega-3 to omega-6, which is the opposite of most foods (which have much more omega 6 than omega-3). The amazing thing is that just two tablespoons of chai seeds countains about 5 grams of omega-3 PUFAs! They are contain a lot of calcium, and other beneficial vitamins. It is also gluten free.
The downside of chia is that it is high in fiber (7 grams in 2 tablespoons), which may cause a problem for some IBD sufferers. Additionally, vegetarian sources of omega-3 only contain the ALA form of fatty acid. The body can convert this into the other forms (EPA and DHA) however it requires a lot of additional ALA as the conversion rate is something like 10-15% I believe (from AlA-EPA).
Regardless of what you do with this information, I thought it was an interesting discovery. Remember that not all foods agree with all people (especially because this is high in fibre) so I encourage anyone considering to try this food to use caution. Here are some studies showing the benefits of chai seeds (including how they raised omega-3 levels in animals).
