But a new study suggests that you might need to grind the seeds first for the most nutritional benefits.
If you do want to grind the seeds, Cowley added, only grind them right before eating them.
Both ground and whole chia seeds offer nutritional benefits.
Photo Illustration by Amelia Manley for Verywell Health; Getty Images.
What Are the Health Benefits of Chia Seeds?
Do Chia Seeds Help With Weight Loss?
The study only included 20 women and lasted 90 days so the evidence may not be conclusive.
What This Means For You
Chia seeds are a good source of fiber and omega-3 fatty acids.
Whole chia seeds are still easy for the body to digest.
Ang ME, Cowley JM, Yap K, et al.Novel constituents ofSalvia hispanicaL.
(chia) nutlet mucilage and the improvedin vitrofermentation of nutlets when ground.Food Funct.
): an overviewphytochemical profile, isolation methods, and utility.Molecules.
2023;42(4):403-410. doi:10.1080/07315724.2022.2056773
