White Vs. Black Chia Seeds

Chia, scientifically known as Salvia Hispanica, is a flowering desert plant that belongs to the mint family. Chia plants are indigenous to Guatemala and various parts of Mexico. This is an annual herbaceous plant which is popular for its edible seeds, known as chia seeds.

According to the lore, whole chia seeds and chia seed floor, was consumed as a superfood by the Mayan and Aztec warriors. Today, chia seeds are a commercially important product, widely grown in countries like Guatemala, Mexico, Ecuador, Argentina, Bolivia and Australia.

Naturally available in mottled color shades of black, brown and gray, chia seeds that are available on the market are either black or white in color. This color difference has created a lot of confusion amongst the people who want to use chia seeds in their daily diet.

The competition between white and black chia seeds that we see today, is mainly created by the manufacturers of chia seeds. In order to get out of the confusion, one needs to compare details about nutrition and benefits of both white and black chia seeds.

The first and the most reliable criteria to determine the winner between white and black chia seeds is the detailed study of their nutritional values. Interestingly, nutritional values of both these types of chia seeds are totally identical. You can compare both black chia seeds and white chia seeds on your own.

Once you get the packets of both the types of chia seeds, all that you need to do is to check their nutrition table which is available on their label. You will come to know that nutrition content in both the types of chia seeds is exactly the same.

According to the USDA Nutritional Data Laboratory 1 oz of dried chia seeds contain around 139 calories, 1.39g of water, 4.43g of protein, 8.72g of total fats, 12.43g of carbohydrates, and 10.7g of dietary fibers.

Along with all these nutrients, same amount of chia seeds also contain, 179mg of calcium, 45mg of potassium, 5mg of sodium, 269mg of phosphorus, and traces of copper and manganese.

Both black and white chia seeds also contain varied amounts of essential amino acids like tryptophan, threonine, isoleucine, cystine, methionine, proline, serine, arginine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, etc. Along with being a great source of omega 3 essential fatty acids, chia seeds are cholesterol free.

Now that you are aware of chia seeds nutrition facts, it is easy to guess that benefits of both black and white chia seeds will be exactly the same. Organic sources of chia seeds (black as well as white), are free from gluten, pesticides and herbicides. It is the reason why they are ideal for you, if you are health conscious.

As you can see from the above discussed points, chia seeds are one of the most nutrition dense food products that are rich with protein, calories, dietary fibers and essential fatty acids.

Interestingly, chia seeds don't have a strong flavor of their own and hence they are ideal to be included in various food sources like puddings, drinks, breads, smoothies, yogurt, etc.

There are numerous health benefits of chia seeds (irrespective of their color). Chia seeds are an excellent cure for people with high blood pressure levels, high blood sugar levels (diabetes) and arthritis. Essential fatty acids in chia seeds are excellent for brain health and its proper functioning.

Chia seeds are helpful in stabilization of metabolism and hence they are excellent for digestive health. In fact, many experts suggest that chia seeds can be used for weight loss and weight maintenance. However, since they are high in calories, one needs to consume them in a limited quantity.

As you can see, apart from their color, there is hardly any difference between black chia seeds and white chia seeds. They have the same nutrients and they apparently have the same health benefits on human body. Then an obvious question that you may ask would be, why is there a constant debate about greatness of both these types of chia seeds?

Well, there are a few things that you can consider as the possible answer to this question of yours. If you are well aware of the entire history of this debate, you must also be aware that white chia seeds are cited to be healthier than their black counterparts.

According to experts and researchers who have studied quality and benefits of both the types of chia seeds, people who manufacture white chia seeds are the main culprits. Due to the commercial competition or for some other unknown reasons, people rate white chia seeds higher, which confuses common buyers like you and me.

However, studies also claim that there might be slightest of change in nutrition in both the types of chia seeds. This difference is an effect of nutrition of the soil, in which the seeds are cultivated. They advocate that if you plant white chia seeds (that are cited to be the best) in poor quality soil, you will get low quality white chia seeds.

Well then, as you can see, the debate of white vs. black chia seeds has a definite conclusion. It also shows that consuming black and white chia seeds is really a question of personal choice. Some people may like black chia seeds, while some may like white chia seeds better. No matter which color of chia seeds you choose, you are surely in for a lot health benefits!