A recent study revealed that consuming chia seeds can protect the brain and body from the harmful effects of following diets rich in processed foods.
Highly processed foods, which are high in fats and sugars, are linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and brain inflammation.
Brazilian researchers from the Federal University of Vicução studied the effect of consuming chia flour and seed oil on the brains of mice, and tested the possibility of reversing the damage caused by following Western diets. Chia seeds contain omega-3 fats and provide all the essential amino acids the body needs.
To arrive at these results, the researchers in their study published in the journal "Nutrition" fed the majority of mice foods that mimic unhealthy human diets, with the aim of bringing about metabolic changes that would make the mice more like humans.
The control group received a normal healthy diet. During the next ten weeks, one group continued to eat a diet high in fats and sugars without change, another group received the same diet plus chia oil, and a third group followed a high-fat diet along with chia flour.
After taking samples of brain tissue from these mice, the results showed clear differences between the effect of chia flour and chia oil on indicators of satiety and inflammation.
Mice that consumed chia oil showed greater activity in genes associated with appetite suppression, suggesting that chia promotes feelings of fullness and satiety. The researchers concluded that feeding mice chia products restored normal brain function and reduced the urge to overeat.
The researchers also found that chia helped protect brain cells from inflammatory damage caused by following Western diets.
Based on its effect, chia seeds can be compared to the effect of weight loss drugs such as Ozembek , Wegovi and Monjaro.
The team concluded that "consuming finely ground chia oil with a diet rich in fats and fructose modifies gene expression associated with satiety mechanisms and inflammatory response, making it a potential strategy for controlling metabolic diseases associated with unbalanced diets."
But despite these positive results on brain activity, the researchers pointed out an important detail: none of the animals lost weight.
This may be because she was consuming a very high-calorie diet, which may have obscured the potential benefits of chia in weight loss .
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