Dr. Wayne Coates on chia...

Which chia should you buy and from whom?

This is a question I have been asked many times, and there is not an easy, nor correct answer. Having started my research on chia at the University of Arizona in 1991, I believe that I understand the crop, its health benefits, etc. as well as anyone.

To help you decide I have put together this website.

First of all you need to be aware of the various forms chia and its components are sold. There are four possibilities:

1. whole chia seed

2. milled (ground) whole chia seed

3. ground chia flour (what is left after the oil has been extracted that has been ground)

4. chia oil

How do they compare?

Whole chia seed is the way Mother Nature produces this crop. In theory, milled (ground) chia seed should allow the nutrients to be more readily available for the body to use, but there is no scientific proof that this is the case with chia. Ground chia flour contains significantly less Omega3, since much of the oil has been removed through an extraction process. Chia oil is a good source of Omega3, but has no fiber, little protein and antioxidants.

Before you look at the table comparing what people are saying they are selling, you need to understand that chia seed can vary depending on where it is grown and when it is grown. Cooler climates (or higher elevations) increase the oil content of the chia seed and in turn increase the omega-3 content. To see how chia seed composition can vary look at this Table 1 - Chia Seeds By Location. The table was created using analyses of samples which were sent to independent laboratories to determine seed composition. The table is sorted by increasing omega-3 content going from left to right. The maximum value of each component is shown in the third column.

Table 2 - Chia Seed Comparisons (Retail Brands) compares chia seed offered for sale today and is divided into two sections. On the left are the compositional data the chia merchants provide on a per serving basis, with the numbers having come from either the label on their package or from their website. Since serving sizes vary, the right half of the table was constructed and shows composition per 100 grams of chia seed. These values may be directly compared, with the average of all values given at the bottom of that section. Using the 100 gram values, and current pricing, one can calculate cost per gram of Omega3, protein, etc., and decide which is the best value.

Be aware, however, that the label values and the website values are what the seller claims the composition to be. All label values have been rounded, and FDA regulations allow a margin for error in the values. Also, depending upon the test method used to determine these values and the quality of the facility that determined them, variations in the values are very possible.

Finally, a problem with the web is that anyone can put anything on it they want. Unless someone complains, the information is simply left there. Given this fact, all of the values should be considered only as a guide, unless the retailer provides you with a Certificate of Analysis from a reputable laboratory. Some websites list no analysis information. What then are they really selling?

Another interesting way to look at chia is when some of its components are compared to other foods since it excels in a number aspects. I put together Table 3 - Chia Compared To Other Foods for the purpose of showing how chia compares. The values for the other foods were taken from the USDA Nutrient Database, while the chia values came form either an average of the values given by a number of retailers or from the www.eatchia.com site. All of the comparisons, as in table2, are reported on a 100 gram basis.

(Perhaps the worlds foremost educator on chia seeds, Wayne Coates started researching chia in 1981. Retired research professor, University of Arizona.  Dr. Wayne Coates | Chia Seeds | Chia Products | Official Site)