Salba seed is white-colored Chia seed. Chia seed is the seed spread over those ceramic cartoon sculptures at Christmastime and marketed as Chia Pets. Even though Chia Pets and salba seed seems like a gimmick, it is, in fact, regarded as a superfood in Central and South America.
Aztec & Mayan Food
Salba seed has been around for centuries. Aztec and Mayan tribes used salba seed as a travel snack because less than a handful of seed provided a day's amount of nutrients and it curbed hunger for 24 hours. Other Native American tribes used the gel of salba seed in water as a poultice to treat infected wounds.
Packed With Nutrients
This white Chia seed is packed with fiber and antioxidants. The gel forms when seeds are submersed in water for more than half of an hour. When consumed, the gel separates carbohydrates from digestive enzymes in the stomach. This is what curbs hunger for travelers. The reaction also helps people who monitoring their blood sugar levels to maintain an even blood sugar number.
Salba seed is also full of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. It is an ideal alternative for those who do not like fish or are allergic to fish. It is provides an ample supply of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus and is also full of B-vitamins, iron, zinc, copper, molybdenum, manganese, vitamins A and C. It is rich in folate, which is necessary for pregnant and nursing mothers. It has more antioxidants than blueberries and eight times more omega fatty acids than salmon fish. The antioxidants help destroy free radicals and therefore prevent the damage of tissue in the body.
Salba Daily
Take 2 tbsp. a day of salba seed to provide the daily recommended allowance for all vitamins and minerals needed. It has fat, but it has good fat. It will raise good cholesterol and lower bad cholesterol. Two tbsp. of salba seed yield 100 grams and 383 calories. It is gluten-free, which makes salba seed available to persons allergic to wheat and wheat products.
Sprouts, Grounds & Gel
Salba seed is grown in the southwestern United States, Mexico, Central and South America. The harvested and shelved version can be taken home and planted to grow Chia sprouts. These sprouts will germinate in only three days. If you leave the sprouts long enough, they will grow into the plant that will yield more seeds. The seeds can be ground into a meal or flour for baking. The gel made from seeds and water is a suitable substitute for eggs and a healthful alternative for those with egg allergies.
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