Where Tasty Energy Bars are a Reality!
The chia seed is a remarkable product of nature that contains highly beneficial nutrients.
Research shows that chia seed is the richest Omega-3 fatty acid source from any vegetable known. It is high in protein and calcium that helps your body absorb necessary vitamins, such as vitamin A, D, E and K, more efficiently into your body.
At Mt.-n-Man Chia BarTM we take the chia seed and transform it into a great tasting Energy Bar.
Benexia™ Chia Seed has received Novel Food status* in the EU for use in bread application at a maximum level of 5% w:w, after much persistence and investment. Plans are now underway to expand the applications permitted as well as the Chia products that can be used. Currently the only Chia seed permissible for sale in the EU, Benexia seed will stay in the forefront of approved applications and types of Chia products that can be sold.
The dossier was introduced in 2006 by the Columbus Paradigm Institute S.A. in collaboration with Functional Products Trading S.A.
The popularity of whole grains is opening up doors for more novel, flavourful and lesser known types of grain. The newest star to emerge in the world of ancient grains is Chia.
Cultivated by the ancient Aztecs as a high-energy, endurance food, Chia is one of the richest plant sources of Omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to promote cardiovascular health. It also contains high levels of fibre, easy-to-digest protein, amino acids, vitamins, calcium and other minerals. Plus, it offers outstanding antioxidant value – Chia has a higher ORAC value than fresh blueberries.
Benexia™ Chia Seed is the only quality-certified Chia on the market, grown under Good Agricultural Practices (GLOBAL-GAP), and carefully selected under GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) and has achieved HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) international quality standards.
As a partner of the Columbus Paradigm Institute, Benexia offers food companies the opportunity to upgrade their branded products to a Columbus Concept Standard product, the healthiest scientifically validated category of food products.
*Opinion on the safety of “Chia Seed (Salvia Hispanica L.)- and ground whole chia seeds” as a Food Ingredient – Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (Question No EFSA-Q-2008-008), adopted on 13 March 2009 (EFSA Journal 2009; 996:2-2).
Simple grain offers health benefits to diabetics
Updated Thu. Nov. 15 2007 10:00 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
An ancient grain that was once the staple of the Aztec diet is not only surprisingly nutritious, it can also help regulate blood pressure and other risk factors for heart disease in diabetics, Canadian researchers report in a new study in the journal Diabetes Care.
The grain is called chia. If the name sounds familiar, it's because it is the very same seed used in Chia Pets, those novelty gifts that allow you to sprout "hair" on pottery figures.
But chia has a longer history. It was once revered by ancient Aztecs, who found it a powerful food that helped fuel village runners.
Dr. Vladamir Vuksan and a team at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto have been trying to uncover the medicinal magic behind the seed that derives from the plant called Salvia hispanica.
The chia seed is either white or black-coloured. Both are considered highly nutritious. Vuksan decided to focus just on the variety that provides white seeds, which has been trademarked Salba. Vuksan's team found that the seeds contain high levels of fibre, calcium, magnesium, more antioxidants than many berries, and omega-3 essential fatty acids.
Dr. Jack Bukowski, a professor of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology at the Harvard School of Medicine is impressed with how nutritious this "super grain" appears to be.
"It has a remarkable nutrient profile. We haven't seen anything like this before," he told CTV News.
Vuksan's team calculates that 3.5 oz of Salba contain:
- the same amount of omega-3's as 28 ounces of salmon
- as much calcium as 3 cups of milk
- as much iron as five cups of raw spinach
What's more, it's rich in dietary fibre and gluten-free. Just 12 grams of Salba provides more than five grams of dietary fibre - about the same as in 1-¼ cups of All-Bran cereal.
The grain's insoluble fibre allows it to absorb many times its weight in water. By doing so, it helps provide a feeling of fullness and slows digestion, which means a steadier rise in blood sugar and steadier release of insulin.
With some studies suggesting that a high-fibre diet can help control diabetes, Vuksan decided to test Salba on diabetics.
The study tracked 20 otherwise healthy diabetic patients for 12 weeks. His team ground the Salba seeds into flour and baked it into bread, which was served to the diabetics. They were also given additional amounts to sprinkle on food they ate at home. Their total intake was approximately 37 grams or three to four tablespoons of Salba a day.
The subjects then had their blood measured for a variety of changes. The researchers noted a slight drop in blood glucose, but more importantly, the Salba:
- made blood thinner and less prone to clotting - a risk factor for heart attacks and stroke
- lowered levels of internal inflammation as measured by C-reactive protein, a protein produced by the liver.
- and reduced blood pressure, lowering systolic blood pressure, on average, by six points mmHg (millimetres of mercury).
Dr. Amir Hanna, a diabetes specialist at St. Michael's who reviewed the data from the study, was impressed with the results.
"The interesting thing was the blood pressure," he says. "That's a very important reduction in blood pressure. Actually, some pills don't lower blood pressure that much."
While the study found no ill effects on the grain on any of the 20 subjects tested, Vuksan cautions that, because of Salba's ability to thin blood, those on anticoagulants, blood thinners other blood pressure medications should consult with their doctors before taking it.
Researchers plan further studies of the grain's effects on heart disease, arthritis -- and even weight loss, because of the grain's apparent ability to suppress appetite.
"I think it's a great thing to pursue because it is a food ingredient rather than a pill or injection," says Hanna.
In the meantime, Salba has already become a popular seller in health food stores, with many embracing this ancient seed as a modern nutritional wonder grain.
With a report from CTV medical specialist Avis Favaro and producer Elizabeth St. Philip
Ten Benefits from this Power Food and Brain Food
By Christopher Westra
Source: Harmony Earth 30 Day Energy Diet
Do you want to increase your brain power and body strength with one of the most powerful foods imaginable?
Chia seed imparts power and energy to the user. I've used it for years.
Here are ten benefits to using chia seed in your life. Chia seeds are:
1. Nutritious. Chia seed provides ample calcium and protein to your tissues. The seeds are also rich in boron, which helps the body assimilate and use calcium. The nutrients also support proper brain functioning.
2. Water loving. The seed can soak up ten times its weight in water. Do this fun experiment. Put one tablespoon of chia seed in a cup of water and stir. Wait a few hours and see what happens. When inside your body, the seeds help you stay hydrated longer, and retain electrolytes in your bodily fluids.
3. Easily digestible. The shells are easily broken down, even when swallowed whole. This is an improvement over flax seed, which have to be ground up to be digested properly. If you eat flax seed whole, it will just pass through.
4. Concentrated. If I could only take one cup of food for a few days, I'd choose chia! The food value per volume is simply astounding. You don't need much.
5. Mild tasting. Unlike some seeds, the flavor is very mild. The mild taste makes it easy to put in sauces, smoothies, breads, puddings, and whatever you want. They won't really change the taste, but will add to your nutrition!
6. Energy enhancing. The health pioneer Paul Bragg did an experiment an endurance hike with friends. They divided up into a chia-eating group and another group, who ate whatever they wanted. The group eating only chia seeds finished the hike four hours, twenty-seven minutes before the others, most of whom didn't even finish at all.
7. Versatile. The seeds can be used to replace less healthy fat in just about any recipe. You can use them uncooked in salad dressings, spreads, fruit shakes, ice cream, and just about anything you want. You can also add them to cookies, cakes, muffins, and other baked goods. I usually just mix in a couple of teaspoons to my juice or water and drink them down!
8. Slimming and trimming. Yes, the seeds will help you lose weight, for two reasons. The first reason is that they are so filling that you will eat less of other foods. The second reason is that they actually bulk up and cleanse your body of old "junk" in your intestines.
9. Endurance enhancing. Chia seeds are known as the "Indian Running Food". Also, the ancient Aztec warriors used chia seed during their conquests. I'm a runner, and I've used chia seed to enhance stamina and endurance on my mountain runs, some of which are several hours long!
10. Regenerating. After eating, the nutrients travel to the cells very quickly due to the ease in digestion and assimilation. Use them when you want to build or regenerate healthy body tissue.
History
"There is evidence that chia seeds were first used as a food as early as 3500 B.C., and served as a cash crop in central Mexico between 1500 and 900 B.C. Chia seeds were eaten as a grain alone or mixed with other seed crops, drank as a beverage when dissolved in water, ground into flour, included in medicines, and pressed for oil and used as a base for face and body paints..."
Health
"An Ancient Food Source Recently Rediscovered. Chia seeds have been a staple food source for the American Native people for centuries (long before the Chia Pet hit the market). Aztec warriors would eat chia during... "
CTV.ca Article - Simple grain offers health benefits to diabetes by Phillip, Elizabeth S.
"An ancient grain that was once the staple of the Aztec diet is not only surprisingly nutritious, it can also help regulate blood pressure and other risk factors for heart disease in diabetics, Canadian researchers report in a new study in the journal Diabetes Care..."
Helium Article - Are chia seeds more beneficial to health than flax?
"Could it be true? Could the Chia Seed be healthier than the Flax Seed? With the popularity of Flax Seed Oil and the sales of all Flax products soaring in health food stores across America, the flax market has some new competition. Look out flax; there is a new seed in town..."
Querycat - Frequently Asked Questions
"The omega-3 daily intake recommended is 4 grams. Approximately 0.7 ounces (20 grams or 2 tablespoons) of chia seed provides 4 grams of omega-3. A 1 gram chia oil capsule contains approximately 0.6 grams of omega-3, so 7 capsules provide 4 grams of omega-3..."