Meet the Forgotten Seed Rediscovered
as a 21st-Century SUPERFOOD...
A Seed You'll Love Because It Loves You!

“One of Nature’s Perfect Foods...Her Richest Source

of Heart-Healthy Omega-3 Alpha-Linolenic Acid...”

CHIA SEEDS

“Discover for Yourself the Ancient Seed that Increases Energy Levels, Improves Cardiovascular Health, Stabilizes Blood Sugar, Boosts Brain Power, Supports Immune Function, Assists Elimination and Detoxification, and More...”

Dear Health Enthusiast,
 
Can you imagine being healthier...feeling great...having more energy and vitality... being more fully alive?

What if you could get these health benefits—and more—from a natural source...in fact, the tiny seeds of a healing plant? And what if these seeds were available right now?

I have good news for you...these seeds exist! They come from an ancient, long-forgotten food crop of Native Americans that’s been rediscovered—as a 21st-century “Superfood.” The seeds are known as Chia (say “chee-ah”).

I discovered these seeds for myself a few years ago and eat some every day. I’ve experienced greater health, strength, and vitality. I love chia seeds because they love me! After enjoying such positive effects, I began investigating chia in order to learn more about its amazing healing powers.

Here are just a few of the many astounding benefits of chia seeds:

• Super-Energizing Power...For Greater Endurance and “Go Power”! Due to its unique blend of Protein, Essential Fats, Fiber, Complex Carbohydrates, and Antioxidants, chia is unrivalled among seeds and grains for providing energy to your body.

• Improves Cardiovascular Health...super high levels of heart-healthy EFAs (Essential Fatty Acids)...chia’s oil contains the highest-known percentage of omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid, a whopping 62%–64%!

• Stabilizes Blood Sugar...Reduces blood sugar swings...and supports conditions of hypoglycemia and diabetes.

• Reduces Cravings for Sweets and Junk Foods—high soluble fiber content releases natural, unrefined carbohydrate energy slowly into the bloodstream.

• Improves Mental Focus and Concentration. Chia’s balanced essential fatty acids can signficantly boost your brain power...and brighten your mood.

• High-Quality Protein—Chia contains 20% or more protein...a higher percentage protein than found in other grains, such as wheat, corn, rice, or oats.

• Builds Lean Muscle Mass...Plus it’s useful for weight loss and weight maintenance. Chia is suitable for all lifestyles and dietary regimens, including low-carb diets and vegetarian diets.

• Gluten-Free. Unlike grain-source proteins, chia seed protein contains no gluten. You can eat chia without worrying about gluten if you are sensitive to it…or about developing gluten sensitivity. Chia is an ideal food for individuals with gluten sensitivity, carbohydrate intolerance, hypoglycemia, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, or anyone who wants to avoid common gluten-containing grains like corn, barley, and wheat.

• An Ideal Food for nearly everyone, including individuals with food allergies, food sensitivities, or food and chemical hypersensitivity. One study found no evidence of allergic response to chia, even in individuals with peanut and tree nut allergies.

• Super-Hydration and Electrolyte Balance. Chia’s soluble fiber (hydrophilic colloids) massively retains water...keeps you well-hydrated and maintains your electrolyte balance.

• Supports Healthy Elimination and Detoxification—healthy oils and fiber contribute to greater regularity and comfort...beneficial effects not to be underestimated!

• Uniquely Balanced. Chia offers an amazingly balanced ratios of macronutrients...better balanced than most grains, seeds, and many other foods.

• Much, Much More! Guaranteed!

In fact, chia is most nutritious seed available anywhere, and among the best health-building superfoods or nutritional supplements around...both because of all its incredible benefits, and because it promotes health in everyone who takes it!

More Outstanding Benefits

 

• Convenience. Among seeds and grains, chia is a nutritional marvel—an ideal superfood for anyone, especially for individuals “on-the-go”…who desire a stellar source of balanced essential fatty acids that also provides more complete nutrition—that’s quick, convenient, and cost-effective!

• Built-In Antioxidant Protection for long-lasting freshness. Chia’s powerful antioxidants protect its heart-healthy oils, keep it fresh, and significantly boost nutritional value. Even after you grind or cook it, chia’s antioxidants keep it fresh!

• Vitamins and Minerals. Chia contains important micronutrients (including B-complex vitamins) all readily assimilated because chia is a whole food. Imagine that!

• Supports Intestinal Health. Chia’s super high levels of fiber also sweeps clean the digestive tract. Many recognize a clean, healthy gut as a cornerstone in nutrition and health-building programs.

• Raw and Unprocessed...plus naturally full of health-building plant enzymes.

• Sustainably-Grown. No Pesticides, Herbicides, Chemical Fertilizers, or Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) Used! Guaranteed.

• Tasty, Fresh, and “Ready-To-Eat”!! Whether you eat the seeds right from the container, grind them, roast them, bake them, or drop them into your drinks or smoothies, these fresh seeds add texture and just taste great!

• Spill-Reducing Container. Packaged in strong, convenient 1 lb (454 g), white plastic containers with screw-top lids (plus complementary plastic scoop included). No messing around with flimsy bags that rip and spill. No muss, no fuss. Handsome container looks good on your kitchen table or countertop. Recyclable.

• Money-Back Guarantee! Satisfaction Guaranteed Or Your Money Back. We Always Offer High Quality, Excellent Service, and Absolute Dedication to Customer Satisfaction.

A Brief History of Chia

The chia plant (Salvia hispanica L.) is native to the Americas—historically cultivated by Aztecs and other Pre-Columbian Nahua peoples in what is now Mexico. Chia was first used as a food as early as 3500 BCE, and grown by the Toltec and Teotiahuán civilizations before the arrival of the Aztecs in Mexico. Chia was a major food crop along with corn, beans, and amaranth. In fact, these peoples considered chia a sacred food and medicine, and tribal kings, rulers, and royalty greatly prized its seed, which was also used in religious ceremonies. A different variety of chia (Salvia columbariae B.) was not cultivated, but gathered wild by the ancient peoples living in what today is the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. The peoples of this arid region relied upon chia as a staple food, and it’s still gathered today by their descendants.

Chia’s Resurgence...500 years later!

After Christopher Columbus landed in 1492, Native Americans introduced chia to European settlers. Yet, modern European and American cultures did not widely adopt its cultivation. Chia subsequently disappeared as a major crop. Fortunately for everyone, native peoples continued growing chia, and preserved knowledge of it during the 500 years since European arrival.

Despite the 500-year “disappearance” of chia, the Native Americans continued using chia for many good reasons—in fact, for the very reasons its rediscovery is so exciting—its astonishing health benefits!

The culinary and medical literature of Native Americans and colonial Europeans indicate chia’s extensive use both as food and medicine. For example, one major Aztec dietary staple was tzoalli, made from roasted chia and amaranth seeds mixed into a dough, then combined with agave syrup and corn. Aztecs used flour made from roasted chia seeds in a variety of energizing gruels, beverages, and food bars. Soldiers would drink a hearty mixture of chia and corn flour for rapid, yet lasting energy. Aztec and other Nahua natives used chia whole, ground, raw, and roasted for a variety of ailments. They also combined chia with many other herbs for medicinal purposes. And they used chia oil as an emollient for skin.

Benefit from Aztec Wisdom—Today!

500 years after its disappearance, chia suddenly is gaining attention from scientists, nutritionists, herbalists, athletes, plant lovers, health-enthusiasts, and individuals interested in optimal nutrition. The reasons are clear—chia is a “world-class” seed...a nutritional powerhouse all by itself. So while it’s hard to believe this miracle seed could be “lost” for half a millennium...it’s harder yet believing it will be forgotten anytime soon. It’s just too good to forget!

Chia’s Rediscovery Offers You
Improved Nutrition and Health

Chia Rewards Your Heart

One of the most exciting benefits of chia lies in its abundance of heart-healthy oils (polyunsaturated fats or PUFAs). Chia contains a remarkably high level of omega-3 fatty acids. In fact, chia has the highest-known percentage of omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid among plants! Research shows that consumption of omega-3 fatty acids correlates with greater levels of cardiovascular health.

Chia seeds contain up to 64% alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the omega-3 fatty acid that has been shown to protect the cardiovascular system. This is more than flax or hemp and far more than either fish or marine algae (e.g., almost double the levels found in fish). Moreover, you’ll never get a “fishy” flavor from chia, unlike some sources of essential fats.

Humans need to obtain enough omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) from a high-quality source not only because it’s important that it be fresh, but also because the body converts alpha-linolenic acid into other needed fats, including EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaneoic acid), which both are heart-healthy and serve other critical functions in the body (such as brain development and function). Chia is an ideal source for omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid.

Chia incredibly also contains significant amounts of the essential fatty acid linoleic acid (omega-6). This makes chia an extremely balanced source of essential fats. While chia does not contain gamma-linoleic acid (GLA), the linoleic acid (omega-6) in chia may be converted to GLA in the human body. In this regard, chia (once again!) provides one of the crucial raw materials required for optimal health.

Balanced Essential Fats

Brought To You In A Whole Superfood

The great advantage of chia lies not simply in its super-high omega-3 content, but in its very balance of omega-3 fats and omega-6 fats. Because the typical American diet is deficient in alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3) relative to linoleic acid (omega-6), most fatty acid supplements (capsules or liquid) contain only (or preponderantly) omega-3. And much of the nutritional advice currently available emphasizes getting enough omega-3...and rightly so. But the intake of omega-3 and omega-6 must be balanced. Too much omega-3 without sufficient omega-6 oil creates challenges for the body. Linoleic acid (omega-6) is necessary for human health, and too much alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3) actually blocks the body’s uptake of omega-6 and its conversion into GLA (gamma linoleic-acid). When GLA is not present in sufficient amounts, it cannot be converted into DGLA (dihomo-gamma-linoleic acid), which is a precursor in the production of prostaglandins, many of which have anti-inflammatory effects. The key here is balance…and chia provides it!

Simply put, while western diets typically lack omega-3s and their intake is correlated with heart-heath, omega-6 is absolutely necessary because its effects balance the effects of omega-3s. When there is an overabundance of omega-3, this balance is lost, and a variety of adverse effects can follow (related to inflammation, blood vessel function, immune modulation, etc.), and especially because omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids compete for enzymes that break them down into their subcomponents (e.g., EPA, DHA, GLA, and various eicosanoids). This means that too much omega-3 can block the uptake of the omega-6 (and vice versa), thereby preventing conversions to other substances required by the body…and creating imbalances in the body. Optimal health depends on a proper balance between omega-3 and omega-6 fats...balance you get when you eat chia seeds.

How balanced is chia? Chia offers an astoundingly balanced 3:1 ratio of alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3) to linoleic acid (omega-6) oil, and provides good amounts of both oils. A ratio of 3:1 is an ideal ratio both for correcting the imbalances typically found in western diets, and for preventing deficiencies created when these essential fatty acids are not present in balanced amounts.

The benefits of consuming balanced amounts of essential fats go far beyond heart health. The full-range of benefits provided by omega-3 and omega-6 oils include boosting brain function, improving mood, immune enhancement, and supporting healthy skin, hair, nails, and mucous membranes. And there’s more.

 

Antioxidant Protection—
The Secret of Chia’s Freshness

Chia Sustains Freshness for Your Health and Nutrition

It’s no secret that heart-healthy Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) are sensitive to heat, light, and oxygen. These natural oils are easily damaged and can become rancid if unprotected by antioxidants. But chia is very different than most other sources of these essential fats. In fact, it’s much better.

The major advantage of chia is that it contains powerful antioxidants that protect delicate essential fatty acids from oxidation. Unlike other sources of omega-3 oils (e.g., flax, hemp, or fish), chia won’t require the artificial or added antioxidants such as vitamins in order to remain fresh. Because chia is an antioxidant-rich, whole food that naturally protects itself from oxidation. So chia remains fresh far longer.

The Aztecs would store chia flour for extended periods because it always remained fresh (unlike other grains and seeds). You’ll benefit, too…and not just from chia’s long-lasting freshness.

 

Chia’s Super-Antioxidant Punch (as in “Ka-Pow”)

The same strong antioxidants that protect chia and keep its oils fresh for your consumption also protect you. When you eat chia, you’ll take in powerful antioxidants that function inside your body…to keep you healthier, stronger, and more youthful. The widely accepted antioxidant theory of aging proposes that we age as a result of oxidation…by the same processes that create oxidation (i.e., spoilage) in foods. By increasing our consumption of antioxidant-rich foods like chia, we thereby increase antioxidant activity in our bodies, and slow the aging process.

Chia contains the antioxidant substances chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, myricetin, quercetin, and kaempferol flavonols. These compounds both act individually and synergistically. Quercetin has been shown to prevent oxidation of lipids, proteins, and DNA. Caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid exhibit strong free radical and superoxide radical scavenging abilities and inhibit lipid peroxidation. These natural antioxidants in chia are quite powerful, showing greater antioxidant activity than many common antioxidants, including vitamin C and ferulic acid. Simply put, eating chia packs a powerful antioxidant punch, and can provide you with significant amount of potent anti-aging nutrients.

Beyond the anti–aging effects of antioxidants, research shows that consumption of antioxidants has been associated with a variety of beneficial effects, including but not limited to maintaining cardiovascular health, strong immunity, and proper cellular tissue growth. It is especially notable that the effects of chia’s antioxidants complement the effects of its essential fatty acids, especially in relation to heart heath. That is, chia’s antioxidants support your heart’s health, too (even while providing protection to chia’s heart healthy oils).

 

A Functional Food...And Much More

Legendary Energy Levels

Chia’s ability to provide energy is legendary. Chia holds a unique position among foods as an energy source. Native American runners, soldiers, and athletes for centuries have consumed chia for energy, endurance, and go power. Aztec soldiers took a mixture of chia flour and corn flour during military exercises. Athletes from around the world now include chia in their nutritional regimens during training.

Chia provides energy in several ways. Chia’s healthy oils provide for the body’s need for energy both in the form of easily usable, rapidly assimilated calories, and as a highly efficient energy reserve that provides protection from external stress (e.g., cold weather). Chia’s balanced polyunsaturated oils simply are a tremendous source of energy. In addition, chia provides the raw materials for building flexible cell membranes that effectively let in oxygen and nutrients for energy and heat, and provide easy outlet for carbon dioxide and other cellular wastes. This improves your energy efficiency and makes you healthier. Then, too, chia is a nutrient-dense, whole food, complete with protein, complex carbohydrates, healthy oils (as discussed above), vitamins, minerals, and fiber. You practically could live on it (history shows that some Native Americans at times did live on chia). And because of its complete nutrient profile and its portability, this tasty, light, and easy-to-eat seed already would be an optimal food for athletes and individuals “on the go.” But there’s more to chia’s super-energizing power than you might ever guess.

Mucilage: The Chia Gel Advantage

Did I say “Mucilage”!? Absolutely, I did. Chia contains 5% soluble fiber (which is significantly more than oats, wheat, barley, corn, or rice). When placed in water, chia can absorb more than twelve times its weight in water due to the expansion of the soluble fiber, which appears as clear mucilage surrounding the seed. This degree of swelling resembles the “popping” of popcorn, relative to the size of the seed. Notably, this mucilage remains tightly bound to the seed and exhibits a large molecular weight (basically, it’s super thick!). This high-viscosity chia mucilage produces greater metabolic benefits than low-viscosity dietary fibers (e.g., beta-glucan, guar, etc.), including significantly increased intestinal transit time, delayed gastric emptying, and a slow rate of glucose absorption. Swollen, water-laden chia seeds form a gel that creates and prolongs hydration in your body. The gel also causes a slow release of carbohydrates and a correspondingly slow conversion of carbohydrates into sugar for energy. This means more energy for you...of the even, steady kind. (By the way, see our recipe for “Chia Gel” below. Chia gel makes a fantastic hydration drink in the morning, after exercise, or anytime. Plus, you’ll get all the benefits of chia right in the drink.)

Simply put, chia mucilage allows for super-hydration, a slow release of carbohydrates, and an equally slow conversion of sugars. This translates into long-term energy provided to your body at a steady pace—the kind of energy needed by athletes for long-distance racing, swimming, and triathlons. It’s also the kind of energy that’s useful for anyone whether at work or at play...energy that is as usable for brainwork as it is for physical exercise. In this age of quick “pick-me-ups” from double-latte espresso to caffeinated herbal drinks…who wouldn’t benefit from an absolutely natural energy booster that works with your body…instead of against it!? Unlike caffeine-laden energy drinks or even most “regular” foods (e.g., grains), chia is a functional food that acts both as a food and offers specific therapeutic value. That is, chia “feeds” your body…and continues feeding it over many hours, increasing your nutritional status, reducing both the feelings of hunger and the need to eat...leaving you with a feeling of satisfaction.

Chia gel is one of Nature’s greatest secrets. Chia’s gelling capacity combined with its superb nutrient profle shows why it’s a complete nutritional package...in fact, a true superfood for the 21st century.

 

 

Reduce Cholesterol

And if energy-boosting, endurance-enhancing, and overall performance-improving effects aren’t impressive enough…chia offers yet another huge benefit…lowering your cholesterol. After consumption, the soluble fiber in chia has been shown to decrease both total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol concentrations. Due to its high viscosity and large molecular weight, chia’s soluble fiber (which takes the form of a delightful mucilage having unique properties for food preparation) offers distinct benefits to lowering cholesterol levels, especially when compared to other, lower-viscosity dietary fibers.

When you consider the advantages of chia’s heart healthy essential fatty acids for improving or maintaining your cardiovascular health…and then see how chia’s high level of soluble fiber acts to lower your cholesterol…you may also see how chia’s constituents act synergistically and why chia is not only a functional food, but also a superfood. What else would you call a complete food whose oils can improve cardiovascular health and that contains a unique type of fiber that reduces blood sugar and lowers cholesterol. In many ways, chia defines the term “functional food” and sets a standard by which to assess the therapeutic value of other functional foods. There’s no food quite like chia. For all these reasons, chia has been called a “magic” food. Can you see why? Yet wait…there’s more….

Stabilize Blood Sugar

The same mucilaginous soluble fiber enabling chia to lower your cholesterol levels (total and LDL) and allows for the slow release of carbohydrates that produces long-term sustained energy…also offers another significant therapeutic benefit: stabilizing blood sugar levels.

Destabilization of blood glucose levels, including prolonged elevation of blood glucose is related to blood sugar problems, as seen in hypoglycemia and diabetes. Chia stabilizes blood sugar by slowing down both the release of carbohydrates for digestion and the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar for energy. This points to the value of chia for preventing sudden increases (or spikes) in blood sugar not only for prolonged-release of sugars (after eating chia by itself or with other foods) for greater energy, but also for nutritional support in conditions where blood-sugar control mechanisms may be compromised, as in hypoglycemia and for use in managing blood-sugar levels in diabetes.

What’s amazing is how chia’s soluble fiber produces complex, interrelated, beneficial effects. What’s equally amazing are the health benefits themselves…available for you and your health right now…from one of nature’s “seriously” perfect foods.

More Nutrients…For Greater Health

High-Quality, Gluten-Free Protein (as in 0% Gluten!!)

Chia seed is 19%–23% protein. This is a higher percentage than wheat, rice, corn, oats, barley, and many other traditional cereals. Unlike most cereal grains, chia protein is gluten-free (and appropriate for use by celiac patients and individuals having gluten sensitivity). In comparison to cereal grains, chia not only has more protein, but also fewer carbohydrates…and far more healthy oils and dietary fiber. This completes a picture of chia as a whole food, more balanced than cereal grains and many other foods. The amino acid profile of chia protein compares favorably with those of other oily seeds (flax, hemp, etc.). However, chia does not contain the toxic cianogenic compounds (e.g., limarin) or other antinutritional factors found in flax seeds. In addition, chia is not a significant source of heavy metals such as mercury, unlike many ocean fish. Such factors make chia an optimal choice as a source of essential fatty acids.

Vitamins And Minerals (yes, it’s got these, too!)

Chia is a good source for certain vitamins, especially the B-complex vitamins, such as thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), and niacin (B3). Chia is also excellent source of certain minerals, notably calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, and copper. Chia contains more of these minerals than are found in common grains, such as wheat, rice, corn, oats, and barley. In addition, chia contains high levels of iron (among seeds)…even more than traditional iron-rich sources, such as spinach, lentils, or beef liver.

Low Sodium Content

Chia offers a very low sodium content. Chia contains less sodium than other sources of omega-3 fatty acids…less sodium than flax, fish (e.g., tuna or salmon), and most marine algae. Chia is for this reason an ideal source of essential fatty acids for anyone on a low-sodium or sodium-restricted diet, or individuals who simply want to consume less sodium in their diets.

 

From Nature to You

Easy to Eat, Every Day

Get Creative in the Kitchen...Or Eat Chia Seeds Plain!

When you consider all the the amazing benefits of chia...you’ll want to include chia in your life. And when you consider that chia can be consumed raw, ground, cooked, sprouted, or as a gel...you’ll want to start using it right away. It’s easy to mix in cereal or in with shredded coconut...or put into smoothees, salads, soups, desserts, or when baking. My favorite is blending a teaspoon or two into fruit smoothies. Be creative...use chia seeds where you might normally use flax seeds or sesame seeds. Also, see our recipe page for a few ideas on using chia in your kitchen (and feel free to send us your chia recipes—if we like them, we’ll post them). After you see how easy it is to use chia, you’ll see how easy it is to gain chia’s benefits—right in the foods you normally eat...and you’ll feel so good about it.

 

HPDI’s Featured Superfood:
Get ‘em While They’re Hot

(...before our overseas customers buy us out!)

This year our international customers caught chia fever early...and since then we’ve done our best to keep up with consistently high demand. Despite a virtual tidal wave of orders (from places like Japan), we’ve stocked enough of our fresh chia seeds so they’re still available to all of our customers at our great low price.

Our delicious, health-building chia seeds are currently available in sturdy 1 lb (454 g) recyclable plastic containers. Our low regular price remains only $12.95 per container...so please take advantage of this special price now!

Order today and save. Your satisfaction is guaranteed. For fastest orders, click any button above to order online. If you prefer, call 1-800-228-4265, or e-mail orders or inquiries to support@integratedhealth.com. We accept all credit cards, personal checks, and money orders. Your order will be processed immediately.

We love our natural chia seeds...because they love us. We’re absolutely sure you will love them, too. Try some today!

Fred Liers, PhD
Vice President
Health Products Distributors, Inc.

1-800-228-4265

P.S. Remember to check out our recipes for great ideas on how to use chia seeds for making easy, delicious, healthy meals and snacks.

P.P.S. Try our new Chia Gel Smoothie recipe for a refreshing and energizing pick-me-up beverage!

 

 

 

Selected References:

Ricardo Ayerza Jr. and Wayne Coates. Chia: Rediscovering a Forgotten Crop of the Aztecs. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 2005.

James F. Scheer. The Magic of Chia. Revival of An Ancient Wonder Food. Berkeley: Frog/North Atlantic Books, 2001.

 

 

 

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