DEAR DR. GOTT: A recent column in a magazine told of the benefits of chia seeds as related to type 2 diabetes. What is your opinion of the benefits of the chia seed and also the possible side effects?
DEAR READER: Salvia hispanica, a.k.a. chia, is a flowering plant from the mint family. It is native to central and southern Mexico and Guatemala. This annual can grow to over three feet tall and has either purple or white flowers that spike at the end of each stem. It is hardy in several parts of the United States, as well.
The product is commercially grown in the southwestern United States, Bolivia, Ecuador, Australia, Guatemala, and its native Mexico for its seeds that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, potassium, sodium, and more. [Read more...]