Chia Seeds May Exert Cardioprotective Effects
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Posted on Aug 08, 2012, 6 a.m.
Consumption of chia seeds raises blood levels of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), among postmenopausal women.
A number of previous studies have suggested that increased, long-term consumption of foods rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) may counter the inflammation response, thereby exerting a cardioprotective effect. Fuxia Jin, from Appalachian State University (North Carolina, USA), and colleagues enrolled 10 menopausal women, average age 55.6 years and average BMI 24.6 kg/m2, in a seven-week long study. Subjects consumed 25 g per day of milled chia seed. The team observed that blood levels of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) rose by 138%, and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) rose by 30%.
Fuxia Jin, David C. Nieman, Wei Sha, Guoxiang Xie and Yunping Qiu, et al. “Supplementation of Milled Chia Seeds Increases Plasma ALA and EPA in Postmenopausal Women.” Plant Foods for Human Nutrition 2012, Volume 67, Number 2, Pages 105-110.
