Chia seeds come from the plant chia, salvia hispanica, which is native to Southern and Central Mexico and Guatemala. Chia seeds were a staple component in the diets of many Latin civilizations including the Aztecs. In fact, historians have argued that chia seeds were likely to be as important food sources as maize given its ubiquity and suitability to the climate of the Central Americas.
In cultures where there is emphasis on a pseudo-vegetarian diet like the Tarahumara Indians in Northwestern Mexico, chia seeds hold tremendous importance as a vital source of energy and other health benefits. The Tarahumaras have a legendary reputation as a culture of “fast running people” traversing the Mexican jungles as easily as if they were running on paved roads. They were featured in a popular running book by Christopher McDougall entitled “Born to Run” where their penchant for 200-mile runs have become the stuff of legends.
The same staple diet of the Tarahumaras have since spiraled back into the ultramarathon community in the United States and many other countries around the world, and this is where chia seeds have made their re-entry into mainstream consciousness.
As the thinking goes, if the Tarahumara Indians can live off of chia seeds and quinoa and still run their 200-mile excursions, what can the same diet do to ultramarathon runners and other endurance athletes? Thus, the relationship between veganism and running was born and along with it the role of chia seeds as a vital source of nutrition, energy, recovery and many other health benefits. Not surprisingly, the name chia actually means “strength” in the local language where the chia plant originally grew.
So what are these nutritional facts and health benefits that chia seeds offer? Here are the most important ones that you should know.