Chia seeds, I learned, used to be called “Indian Running Food” because they are so energizing. When I tried them, I literally could feel their energy. It was a strengthening and sustained surge unlike anything resulting from any other food. And so I often told customers about chia seeds, and had repeat customers for them because they “work”.

What makes them work? Synergy between all their outstanding features is at least part of the answer. Chia seeds are high in:

easily digestible protein

essential fatty acids, particularly omega-3

vitamins

soluble fiber

antioxidants

minerals

Chia seeds have much in common with flax seeds, which have a deserved reputation as a superfood. If you run down a comparative chart, you see a back and forth, with chia higher in some nutrients, flax higher in others.

The clear advantage I see for chia seeds is that their natural antioxidants make them stable, whereas flax quickly becomes rancid.

Like flax, chia seeds are highly hydrophilic, with the ability to hold about twelve times as much water as their own weight.