Why Chia Seeds Are Good for Diabetics?

Many studies have shown that consuming seeds, especially chia seeds, can help you manage diabetes or prediabetes.

Chia seeds have a wide range of health benefits. The seeds, which are high in fiber and protein, are known to aid in digestion, weight management, and heart health. Along with these general benefits, recent studies have shown that chia seeds may also help manage diabetes.

The British Journal of Nutrition found that consuming chia seeds can help you manage insulin resistance, which is a common problem associated with diabetes.

Another study from 2021 looked at what happened when adults with diabetes consumed 40 grams of chia seeds. This study was conducted over a period of 3 months. The results showed that, along with other factors such as healthy eating, exercise and taking medication if necessary, the group consuming chia seeds had significantly lower blood sugar levels than the group not eating chia seeds.

The right time for diabetics to drink chia seeds

Chia seeds can be used at any time of the day, but the best time is in the morning, right after waking up. At this time, the body needs to absorb energy from food to function, so it will be easier to absorb nutrients from chia seeds. In addition, chia seeds bring a feeling of fullness for a long time, helping to reduce hunger during the day, supporting weight loss.

If you do not have time to use it in the morning, you can also use chia seeds in the evening. Note to use it at least 2 hours before going to bed, to avoid indigestion, heavy stomach causing difficulty sleeping or not sleeping deeply.

Chia seeds have many health benefits, but need to be used in reasonable doses to maximize their effectiveness. Adults should use 2 - 3 teaspoons (8-10g) per day.

Chia seeds can still be mixed with hot water, but it is best to mix them with cold water because the omega-3 fatty acids in chia seeds are easily changed when exposed to high temperatures. Mixing chia seeds with hot water can also easily cause clumping. If you want to drink it warm, you can mix chia seeds with warm water at about 45 degrees Celsius.

5 groups of people who should not drink chia seeds

Although chia seeds are benign, not everyone can drink chia seeds. There are some cases where you should not use this drink, such as:
- People with digestive disorders

Because chia seeds contain a large amount of fiber, if people with digestive disorders use a lot, they will easily encounter problems such as diarrhea, bloating, constipation or abdominal pain. In particular, for people with inflammatory bowel disease and ulcerative colitis, drinking chia seeds will make the condition worse.

- People with hypoglycemia

Although chia seeds help reduce blood sugar levels, this benefit is only suitable for people with diabetes. On the contrary, for people who are prone to hypoglycemia, drinking chia seeds will cause symptoms such as dizziness and fatigue.

- People taking blood thinners

People who are taking blood thinners, or people who have just undergone surgery or have a history of hemophilia should not use chia seeds, because they will thin the blood, endangering their lives.

- People with allergies

Because when the body is allergic, it is susceptible to many ingredients in chia seeds, causing symptoms such as itchy lips, vomiting, or even anaphylactic shock.

- People with difficulty swallowing

Although chia seeds are very small in size, they have a very large ability to expand, so when drinking, they can easily get stuck in the throat and can cause suffocation.