Your Cart is Empty
Shop now on Amazon
Did you know that the New York Times ranked chia as the first nutritional recommendation for 2023? Indeed, it is an essential superfood that provides great nutritional value and innumerable benefits to our health.
On World Chia Day, March 23, we tell you everything that makes it a super seed.
Chia seeds originate from the Salvia Hispanica plant, cultivated in the mountainous areas of central and southern Mexico, and northern Guatemala. The name of Salvia derives from the Latin Salveo, which means to save or heal, which already gives us an idea of the medicinal properties of this plant family, which already in 3,500 BC was very popular as both food and medicine.
In fact, legend has it that these "magic seeds" were the essential fuel for the ancient Mayans, Aztecs and Tarahumara peoples, allowing them to survive several days without needing to eat any other food. Since then, they became a staple of their diet, and they started using the word 'chia' to denote 'strength'. However, after the colonization period, they stopped eating this cherished food for many years, although some indigenous communities continued to cultivate and consume it.
It was not until the 1980s that Dr. Wayne Coates of the University of Arizona, in his research of ancient plants, came across chia seeds and was impressed by their immense nutritional profile. However, it wasn't until 20 years later, with the emergence of lifestyles like veganism, that chia began to gain popularity as a plant-based protein. And in 2016, March 23 was consecrated Chia Day in the United States, to honor this miraculous seed for its vitality, energy and benefits, and to help to spread its impact on the diet of people around the world.
There currently is a broad consensus in the scientific world that chia is rich in essential nutrients such as high-quality vegetable protein, fiber, antioxidants, micronutrients, and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron.
But perhaps most importantly, it is the most abundant plant source of omega-3 ALA, (alpha-Linolenic) an essential oil for the body.
In this regard, Revista Chilena de Nutrición (Chilean Nutrition Magazine) recently highlighted the positive effect of the consumption of this seed on the prevention and treatment of non-communicable chronic diseases such as dyslipidemia, diabetes, hypertension and cancer, among others.
Chia’s high level of omega-3 ALA can act by regulating lipid metabolism, lowering cholesterol and triglycerides, and preventing diabetes. In addition, it has important benefits for cardiovascular health, anti-inflammatory effects, weight control properties, and a satiating effect, among others values.
Committed to people's health, at SOW we offer a wide variety of chia-based products so that you can easily include them in your dietary routine. In addition to being healthy and delicious, they are vegan, non-GMO, and free from the 9 major allergens (lactose, gluten, egg, tree nut, peanut, soy, sesame, and shellfish or crustaceans).
We have products available such as chia-based drinks, pasta, proteins, flour, oils and much more! In fact, the SOW Chia Oil was recognized as one of the innovative Chilean products of 2022, within the category of next-generation healthy foods by the Transforma Alimentos catalog. But we do not stop there, and we are constantly innovating and looking for the latest trends in food, nutrition, and development of flavors, formulas and foods that allow us to continue spreading the great qualities of the so-called "magic seed".
Find out more about what we're up to in 2023 at www.sow.cl!
