For many Chinese people, chia seeds are a new thing.

This magical food, which looks a bit like sesame seeds and can expand into "frog eggs" after being soaked in water, does not even have a processing method in our recipes.

However, in foreign Internet celebrity circles, chia seeds have long been a "star food."

On social networking sites such as Instagram, many celebrity bloggers post photos of healthy food, and chia seeds are always included in them.

What the hell is chia seed, the superfood that’s all over Instagram?

What the hell is chia seed, the superfood that’s all over Instagram?

Whether it is sprinkled on or mixed with food, mixed with chia seeds and oats to make a vitality breakfast, or simply brewed with water to make a satiating drink, Chia seeds have a clever way of adapting to every occasion.

What the hell is chia seed, the superfood that’s all over Instagram?

Not only that, chia seeds also have a well-known title-superfood! This means that it is not only nutritionally balanced, but also has higher nutritional density and nutritional functions than ordinary food.

So, what on earth is such a small seed that is so popular among internet celebrities? As a “superfood,” does it live up to its name or is it just a marketing artifact? It is known as the ideal meal replacement for people who want to lose weight. Can you really lose weight after eating it? Let’s reveal the secrets one by one below!

1. Chia seeds, a kind of "sesame" that can be soaked in hair

First of all, let's get to know Chia Seeds.

It is the seed of the mint plant Chia (Salvia Hispanica L.). It is native to North America such as southern Mexico and Guatemala. It is the main food of the local Indians and has been for thousands of years. food history.

What the hell is chia seed, the superfood that’s all over Instagram?

This "foreign sesame" can expand itself 12 times when exposed to water.

Specifically like...frog eggs.

What the hell is chia seed, the superfood that’s all over Instagram?

Yes, it’s so dense! People with cryptophobia may never be able to enjoy such a "super food" in their lifetime.

Some people may say, hey, isn’t this Mingliezi (also called “Lanxiangzi”)? Indeed, they look very similar, have the same skills, and can "get fat" when exposed to water, but they are not the same thing.

Ocimum odorifera, which is very similar to chia seeds

Ocimum odorifera is a species of the genus Ocimum basilicum and is native to tropical Asia and Africa.

People who love desserts should be familiar with it. It often appears in desserts such as poplar nectar and is used to replace sago.

Minglie seeds look very much like sesame seeds, they are completely black, and their appearance is not patterned like chia seeds, they are very shiny.

It can expand itself up to 30 times after contacting water.

Chia seeds look different. They have "two faces": black chia seeds and white chia seeds.

What the hell is chia seed, the superfood that’s all over Instagram?

Black chia seeds are gray with brown patterns, and some are alternately white; white chia seeds are pure white with patterns and shiny.

It’s worth noting that there are no pure black chia seeds.

Different species, different places of birth, and different patterns create different chia seeds and chia seeds.

So don’t be confused between the two in the future~

2. Chia seeds, how super is this “super food”?

What the hell is chia seed, the superfood that’s all over Instagram?

It is said that chia seeds are a "super food", so how powerful are they? Let’s take a look at its “reputation” in the internet celebrity circle:

Ultra-high omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids, with a content comparable to salmon oil;

Contains a variety of antioxidant activities Ingredients, such as chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, myricetin, quercetin, kaempferol, etc., are more powerful than fruits and vegetables~

The calcium content is 6 times higher than milk;

Rich The soluble dietary fiber swells after soaking in water. Eating it not only greatly increases the feeling of fullness and reduces appetite, but also promotes peristalsis of the large intestine and makes defecation smoother.

Just these introductions can make many people who eat melons look at this little seed with admiration! Coupled with the promotion of Hollywood stars and Internet celebrities, chia seeds immediately jumped to an important position as a must-have for Instagram photos.

However, are chia seeds worthy of the name or a marketing product?

Let’s first take a look at the “road to popularity” of chia seeds.

Chia seeds were first popular in Europe and the United States, and then gradually spread to Japan and my country.

Although foreign scientists began to study this magical seed in the 1980s, it was the long-term guest on the "Oprah Talk Show" that really brought it into the public eye. health doctor Dr. Oz.

What the hell is chia seed, the superfood that’s all over Instagram?

In 2009, he paid attention to Mexican chia seeds and called them a "superfood" on the show.

In the show, he personally demonstrated how to add chia seeds to cool and refreshing juice shaved ice and soft and sweet muffins, and told the audience to the camera: "This super food is rich in soluble fiber Vegetarian, not only can lower cholesterol, but also help to get rid of fat and lose weight easily."

Because Dr. Oz has a very popular base, chia seeds, a magical food, immediately became popular in Hollywood after being introduced. Celebrity shopping list.

Even Australian supermodel Miranda Kerr endorsed it, saying that the secret to her ability to get back in shape immediately after giving birth was "chia seeds".

Therefore, in the past five years, the sales of food containing chia seed ingredients in European and American countries has increased by 1353%.

Not only that, but even books about chia seeds have begun to sell well in Europe and the United States.

It can be said that chia seeds have led a new diet trend.

What the hell is chia seed, the superfood that’s all over Instagram?

However, are chia seeds really as super as they say? Yes and no!

It is a bit unfair to say that chia seeds became popular due to the introduction of doctors.

After all, the nutritional value of chia seeds has long been confirmed by foreign studies.