‘Chia seed challenge' comes with serious warning as expert wants against ‘internal cleanse’
Chia seeds are sometimes talked about as one of the 'superfoods' that's really good for you, and while it is a healthy option for consumption there are people taking on a 'chia seed challenge' which has been warned against.
The tiny seeds are bursting with fibre, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, as well as various vitamins and minerals, which means they've got a lot of what your body needs.
Researchers have found they're a good way to get lots of things in your diet that many people aren't getting enough of, and could also help your brain chemistry in a way that helps you dodge overeating.
However, according to the Mail people are taking on a challenge where they drink a glass of water with two tablespoons of chia seeds every day for a period of time ranging from a week to over a month.
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Health experts apparently consider this to be a bit dangerous as while such a concoction ought to be decently good for you the people doing it are branding it an 'internal cleanse' when it might be having the opposite effect.
While fans of the superfood think you can lose lots of weight from the 'chia seed challenge', experts have warned that consuming too many in too short a time could actually cause blockages in your body.
Nutritionist Rob Hobson told the Mail that suddenly adding loads of chia seeds to the diet could 'cause bloating, wind or digestive discomfort, especially in people with IBS or sensitive digestion'.
But the real danger is from their ability to absorb lots of moisture from around them, 12 times their own weight in fact, which means they can expand quickly and become either a choking hazard or a potential blockage in your digestive system if you eat them dry and follow them with water.
Put them in the water first, then have them or risk less of an internal cleanse and more of an internal clog.
The nutritionist said a tablespoon or two was fine, and to beware of social media trends if they tried to push you further than that.
What happens to your body when you drink chia seeds?
According to Dr Karan Raj, a tablespoon of chia seeds contains around 5g of fibre which is good, but he compared believing it'll produce quick results to thinking you'll get a 'Greek god physique after a single press up'.
That fibre is feeding the microbes in your gut and giving you a healthier digestive tract, but as the doctor explained 'those positive shifts are only temporary' unless you keep the microbes well fed.
So, within the first 24 hours what happens to your body on the chia seed water trend is that your gut health improves thanks to the extra fibre in the diet but then drops down again unless you sustain it.
Instead, he said it would be 'months of habitual high fibre intake' for you to see proper results.
Like many things health related it's something you'll have to make a routine out of rather than taking them once and calling it a day because you aren't suddenly having the smoothest toilet time of your life.
Benefits of eating chia seeds
Unlike some other health trends, which doctors urge you not to try, the chia seed one got some approval from Dr Raj as he said that boosting your fibre intake by around eight grams means you enjoy a '22 percent reduction in all cause mortality', which is spectacularly good.
On top of that, your risk of type 2 diabetes drops by 16 percent, your risk of a stroke falls by 18 percent and the chances of heart disease tumble by 15 percent.
That all sounds pretty damn good.
Dr Raj pushed against the fears of some that their daily dose of chia seeds was 'useless', instead extolling the benefits of such a healthy investment in one's microbiome.
Drinking chia seed water for a week might feel like it's doing nothing, but if you stick with it you should eventually become glad you started down this path.
Topics: Lifestyle
Joe Harker