Chia seeds are among the healthiest foods on the planet.

They are loaded with nutrients that can have important benefits for your body and brain.

Chia seeds are tiny black seeds from the plant Salvia Hispanica, which is related to the mint.

A 1 ounce (28 grams) serving of chia seeds

• Fiber: 11 grams.
• Protein: 4 grams.
• Fat: 9 grams (5 of which are omega 3 fatty acids -great for reducing (inflammation)
• Calcium: 18% of the RDA.
• Manganese: 30% of the RDA.
• Magnesium: 30% of the RDA.
• Phosphorus: 27% of the RDA.
• They also contain a decent amount of Zinc, Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Potassium, Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) and Vitamin B2.

Chia seeds are high in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and protein. All of these nutrients are essential for bone health.

Chia seeds are high in several nutrients that are important for bone health.

This includes calcium phosphorus, magnesium and protein.

The calcium content is particularly impressive… 18% of the RDA in a single ounce.

Gram for gram, this is higher than most dairy products.

Chia seeds may be considered an excellent source of calcium for people who don’t eat dairy.

 

Equine use:

 

 Good Source of Omega-3s

The perfect whole food for horses is living, healthy grass. It offers a variety of nutrients, but its fat content is especially worth noting. It contains the two necessary fatty acids – alpha linolenic acid (ALA), an Omega-3, and linoleic acid, an Omega-6 – in their proper balance, with four times more ALA than linoleic acid.

Without access to fresh grass, your horse relies on supplemented fat. Unfortunately, the fat added to most feeds comes from “vegetable oil” (another term for soybean oil), which is very high in Omega-6s. Too many Omega-6s increase inflammation. The high level of Omega-3s found in chia seeds has the opposite effect – they decrease inflammation. In fact, chia seeds benefit your horse in a variety of ways by:

• Lowering circulating insulin and glucose

• Balancing immune function

• Protecting joints and ligaments

• Reducing pain

• Decreasing nervousness • Improving heart and blood vessel integrity

• Reducing allergic reactions to insect bites

• Diminishing respiratory inflammation

• Supporting normal gastrointestinal function

• Maintaining hair and hoof health • Healing damaged skin

• Hydrating intestinal contents

 

Protein and Fiber

Chia seeds contain approximately 20% quality protein. This boosts the amino acid variety available to your horse, allowing him to produce hundreds of proteins throughout the body such as those found in muscles, bones, joints, skin, hooves, lungs, liver, kidneys and blood, as well as those which aid in digestion, immune function, water balance and nutrient transport.

Mucilages, gums and pectin are water-soluble fibers found in chia seeds, which form a gel in water. This significantly benefits your horse in two ways:

• It lowers circulating insulin by reducing glucose absorption.
•It reduces the incidence of sand colic by facilitating sand removal from the cecum.

Antioxidant Action

Antioxidants known as chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, myricetin and quercetin naturally occur within chia seeds to protect their fatty acids from rancidity. Inside your horse’s body, they act to neutralize damaging free radicals, thereby reducing pain, inflammation and vulnerability toward disease. Protection against Cushing’s and insulin resistance Horses suffering from insulin resistance (metabolic syndrome) or equine Cushing’s disease (otherwise known as pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction – PPID) require a diet low in non-structural carbohydrates (NSC). Chia seeds support this diet. They are low in NSC (less than 5%). Even more dramatic is their ability to enhance insulin sensitivityi because of their high Omega-3 content, offering a critical component in the fight to prevent laminitis. PPID affects many horses as they age, and is generally due to the oxidative stress caused by exposure to mental and physical challenges, chemicals in the environment, and a diet low in antioxidants. Free radicals target dopamine-releasing neurons in the brain, leading to the onset of PPID. The Omega-3s and antioxidants offered by chia seeds reduce free radical formation, thereby counteracting the propensity toward and severity of the disease.

How Much Chia to Feed

Feed ½ cup (120 ml) per 1,100 lb (500 kg horse) as a maintenance dose. Higher amounts may be helpful for healing purposes, but should not exceed two cups per day. Chia seeds may be fed dry, top-dressed on a meal, or soaked ahead of time and mixed in with other ingredients.

 

 

Rosemarie