Chia seeds are capable of producing an important amount of extractable oil, up to 60% of the oil produced by chia seeds is an Omega 3 fatty acid of the ALA (Alpha Linoleic Acid) type. As we now know, such fatty acids are quite good for optimal cardiovascular health, together with the other two main types of Omega 3, which are EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).
ALA cannot be synthesized by the body and must be provided by the diet and hence classified as “essential fatty acids”.
Benefits of ALA consumption:
- It lowers the incidence of CHD
- It reduces the risk of arrhythmia
- It reduces the levels of LDL cholesterol up to 15% and triglyceride in the blood
- It lowers blood pressure
- A high rate of ALA is associated with a decrease of stroke risk
The benefits of consuming Omega-3 in patients with CHD have been evaluated in different studies, among them the Diet and Reinfarction Trial (DRT), which showed a 29% reduction in mortality in men consuming Omega-3.
During the last two decades of the 20th century there was an explosion of research aimed at determining the relationship Omega-3 fatty acids and human health (Simopoulos, 1998; Li et al., 1999; Mantzioris et al., 2000). There is growing evidence that foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, including alpha-linolenic acid and its metabolites, EPA and DHA, provide cardioprotective effects beyond those that can be attributed to improvement in blood lipoprotein profiles.
The predominant beneficial effects include a reduction in sudden death, decreased risk of arrhythmia, lower plasma triglyceride levels, and reduced blood-clotting tendency (Okuyama, Kobayashi, and Watanabe, 1997; British Nutrition Foundation, 1999; Simopoulos, 1999a; American Heart Association, 2001).
The importance of Omega-3 fatty acids1
Fatty acids are the building blocks from which other lipids are made in the body. All fatty acids are comprised of a chain of carbon atoms to which are attached hydrogen atoms, forming a hydrogen chain.
Fatty acids are classified as short chain, medium chain or long chain. Fatty acids are also classified as saturated (lacking double bonds, monounsaturated (containing a single double bond), or polyunsaturated (containing more than one double bond).
Fatty acids stimulate and maintain life functions in humans and are considered as a macronutrient in human nutrition.
Fatty acids and their metabolic products serve three basic functions:
They act as a highly efficient energy reserve that provides protection against external agents like cold weather. (Muggli and Clough, 1994; Nettleton, 1995).
They are a fundamental constituent of cellular membranes, giving them an elastic cover that protects each cell. (Muggli and Clough, 1994; Nettleton, 1995).
They act as precursors (i.e. they are the source) from which are made an important group of hormonal compounds called prostaglandins, thromboxanes, and leukotrienes, which are involved in many psychological processes associated with the central nervous system, hormonal functions, regulation of blood pressure, cholesterol transport, immunological mechanisms, and inflammatory reactions. (American Heart Association, 1988; Welch and Borlakoglu, 1992; Muggli and Clough, 1994; Nettleton, 1995).
Essential fatty acids
Saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids can be synthesized by the human body, while Omega-3 and Omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids cannot and must be provided by the diet and hence classified as “essential fatty acids”. Commonly fatty acids are known by the initials: SFAs (saturated fatty acids), MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids), and PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids) (Bjerve, Mostad, and Thorensen, 1987; Budowski, 1988; Bruckner, 1992; Welch and Borlakoglu, 1992; Muggli and Clough, 1994).
A deficiency in PUFAs in the diet is characterized by skin damage, excessive loss of water through the skin, and disturbances in growth and hormonal balance (Welch and Borlakoglu, 1992; Muggli and Clough, 1994; Nettleton, 1995).
The main Omega-6 fatty acid is linoleic. In the body it can be metabolized into gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and arachidonic acid (AA). The main Omega-3 fatty acid is alphalinolenic acid. Its metabolites are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (Aveldaño, 1992; Mantzioris et al., 1995; Okuyama, Kobayashi, and Watanabe, 1997).
Coronary heart disease (CHD) accounts for about 681,000 deaths annually in the United States (American Heart Association, 2003a).
CHD is a major health problem in many nations and not exclusively a problem in developed countries (Nakajima, 1996: World Health Organization, 1995).
During the last thirty years science has contributed enormously to the knowledge of the risk factors associated with CHD (American Heart Association, 1990; Chavali and Forse, 1994). The most important are high plasmatic cholesterol, smoking, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, high plasmatic triglycerides, sedentarism, high homocysteine levels, and family history (Hennekens, Buring, and Mayrent, 1990; Illingworth and Ullmann, 1990; Bruckner, 1992).
The risk factor that has received the most attention in terms of its influence on CHD is cholesterol (Bruckner, 1992).
Cardioprotective effects
A close relationship between high blood cholesterol and quantities of cholesterol, SFAs, and total fat consumed has been established (Keys, Anderson, and Grande, 1965; Ershow, Nocolosi, and Hayes, 1981; Schaefer et al., 1995).
According to the Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2000 (United States Department of Agriculture, 2000), SFAs have been identified as the predominant dietary factor contributing to CHD.
During the last two decades of the 20th century there was an explosion of research aimed at determining the relationship Omega-3 fatty acids and human health (Simopoulos, 1998; Li et al., 1999; Mantzioris et al., 2000). There is growing evidence that foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, including alpha-linolenic acid and its metabolites, EPA and DHA, provide cardioprotective effects beyond those that can be attributed to improvement in blood lipoprotein profiles. The predominant beneficial effects include a reduction in sudden death, decreased risk of arrhythmia, lower plasma triglyceride levels, and reduced blood-clotting tendency (Okuyama, Kobayashi, and Watanabe, 1997; British Nutrition Foundation, 1999; Simopoulos, 1999a; American Heart Association, 2001).
- Extract from Chia, Rediscovering a Forgotten Crop of the Aztecs, Ricardo Ayerza (h) and Wayne Coates
Chia Omega 3 load seems to be a viable option to improve performance in resistance events of >90 minutes, and enables athletes to reduce sugar intake while increasing intake of Omega 3 fatty acids. Travis G. Illian, Jason C. Casey and Phillip A. Bishop; Human Performance Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology, The University of Alabama, Auburn, Alabama, J Strength Cond Res 25(1): 61–65, 2011.
Comparison of different oils rich in Omega-3 (% of ALA)
Chia Oil > 60
Linseed Oil 57
Canola Oil 11
Soya Oil 8