Salba Seeds: Benefits, Uses & Nutritional Powerhouse

Salba is an ancient seed used by Aztecs that can be sprinkled on food to moderate appetite and control blood sugar. Also known as Chia, experts laud salba as a rich source of essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals.

Benefits

• Ground salba seeds form a thick gel which slows digestion, moderates rises in blood sugar, decreases appetite and aids elimination.

Features

• Salba is a rich source of omega-3 fat, protein, potassium, magnesium, calcium, folate, niacin, copper, fiber and antioxidants.

Effects

• Salba seed absorbs many times its weight in water, forming a bulking agent that slows digestion, moderates blood sugar changes and helps you feel full.

Significance

• Although salba was a staple in the Aztec diet 500 years ago, experts now view the ancient seed as the next big thing in nutrition.

Study

• In a study at the University of Toronto, subjects eating salba for three months had a six-point reduction in blood pressure and a 40 percent decrease in an inflammation marker that predicts heart disease.