5g of ALA Omega-3 in 25g of seed!

Of all Omega-3 fatty acid sources, Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) has the larger concentration of alpha-linolenic fatty acid known to date:  63.2%.  25 g. of Benexia™ Chia seeds contain 5.2 g of ALA-type Omega-3 fatty acid.  The world’s offer of Omega-3 is extremely scarce.

What are Chia’s advantages over other Omega-3 sources?

Chia can be compared to fish oil, canola (colza) oil, flax oil and grain, or algae oil:

 

Oil	Fish	Algae	Flax	Chía
Omega 3 (%)	30,0	37,0	58,0	64,0
Saturated Fats	27,0	50,0	7,0	9,0
Cholesterol	yes	no	no	no
Natural Antioxidants	no	very low	very low	high

 Source: Ricardo Ayerza (h)

Clearly, Chia has a competitive edge over alternative Omega-3 sources.

Some comments:

Fish oil

• Not all fish oils are beneficial: the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has identified only the Menhaden species as a good Omega-3 source.
• It contains cholesterol.
• The marine environment is polluted: fishes concentrate toxic substances that may be hazardous to human health.

Flax

• Contains potentially dangerous substances (increase in risk of cardiac conditions and myocardial infarction).
• Not recommended for pregnancy and breast-feeding periods.
• Consumption is banned in some countries (France).

Flax, algae and fish oil

• They give off a ‘fishy smell’ when deteriorating.

There are other products with Omega-3 content, such as

• Fatty fishes (herring, mackerel, tuna, sardine, salmon), shellfish.
• Tofu.
• Dry fruits (nuts, almonds).

The disadvantage of these products is their very low Omega-3 level, which requires consumption of large quantities, which in turn can cause other types of problems (excess of calories) in some cases.  In addition, their low Omega-3 content is incompatible with the required balance between Omega-3 and Omega-6.

 

 

Food	Omega 3 : Omega 6 Relation	Calories per 100 g.
Herring	1 : 3	203
Salmon	1 : 2,5	231
Trout	1 : 1,4	150
Tuna	1 : 5	128
Nut Oil	1,3 : 1	120
Final Objective	1 : 5

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