Salvia hispanica: Nutritional and Functional Potential

Abstract

Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) was a basic food in several ancient Mesoamerican civilizations. Unlike most other cereals, it is not limiting in any of the essential amino acids. It also stands out for its high levels of linolenic acid, a fatty acid essential in nutrition. Almost 90 {\%} of the carbohydrates from chia is fiber and the remainder is starch and when are ingested acts as a physical barrier between consumed carbohydrates and digestive enzymes. Including chia in functional foods can provide them a better fatty acid composition, potentially preventing undesirable changes in consumer plasma lipids and lipoproteins levels. Also the water and methanol extracts produced by oil extraction from chia seed exhibit strong antioxidant activity.