amateuraficionado
Active Member
Salvia hispanica L. is a plant of the genus Salvia in the Mint family. It originated in the central Valley of Mexico. It was largely cultivated by the Aztecs in precolombian times as one of five major plant sources of food. After the arrival of the Spaniards, the plant became almost extinct because of cultural and religious reasons. It is grown commercially for its seed, a food that is very rich in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, calcium, fiber, iron, protein, potassium and vitamin C.
Scientisits studying the plant since the 1990's have found it to be of such high nutritional value that Dr. Vladimir Vuksan, one of the developers of the Glycemic Index at the University of Toronto, conducted the first long term study of it. The study was conducted using a commercial variety of the plant called Salba, developed especially to produce white seeds, which are far superior in nutritional value than the plant's black seeds. The study concluded that just 3 1/2 oz. of Salba contained the following.....
-as much omega-3 fatty acids as 28 ounces of Atlantic salmon, making it the highest known whole food source for Omega 3's
-as much calcium as 3 cups of milk
-as much fiber as 1 1/4 cups of All-Bran Cereal, giving it the highest fiber content of any food, even wheat bran
-as much iron as 5 cups of raw spinach
-as much vegetable protein as 1 1/2 cups of kidney beans
-as much potassium as 1 1/2 bananas
-as much vitamin C as 7 oranges
"In a summary of their findings, the scientists noted that Salba 'could be considered the world's most nutritious food crop and thus can be used as a global remedy for world hunger.'"
What is Salvia hispanica L. more commonly known as? Chia.... as in Chia Pets!!! That's right! Who would've thought those stupid little fuzzy plant pets held the key to solving the hunger problems of humanity!
Scientisits studying the plant since the 1990's have found it to be of such high nutritional value that Dr. Vladimir Vuksan, one of the developers of the Glycemic Index at the University of Toronto, conducted the first long term study of it. The study was conducted using a commercial variety of the plant called Salba, developed especially to produce white seeds, which are far superior in nutritional value than the plant's black seeds. The study concluded that just 3 1/2 oz. of Salba contained the following.....
-as much omega-3 fatty acids as 28 ounces of Atlantic salmon, making it the highest known whole food source for Omega 3's
-as much calcium as 3 cups of milk
-as much fiber as 1 1/4 cups of All-Bran Cereal, giving it the highest fiber content of any food, even wheat bran
-as much iron as 5 cups of raw spinach
-as much vegetable protein as 1 1/2 cups of kidney beans
-as much potassium as 1 1/2 bananas
-as much vitamin C as 7 oranges
"In a summary of their findings, the scientists noted that Salba 'could be considered the world's most nutritious food crop and thus can be used as a global remedy for world hunger.'"
What is Salvia hispanica L. more commonly known as? Chia.... as in Chia Pets!!! That's right! Who would've thought those stupid little fuzzy plant pets held the key to solving the hunger problems of humanity!
