Chia Seed as The Food of The Century : A Review Dwi Susilo Utami (a), and Paramita Maris (b*)
a) Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Tunas Pembangunan, Manahan, Surakarta, Central Java 57139
b) Indonesian Spice and Medicinal Crops Research Institute, Indonesian Agency for Agricultural Research and Development, Cimanggu, Bogor 16111, West Java
*paramitamaris[at]yahoo.com
Abstract
There has been a lot of research of chia seed that has been done lately. Nowadays people are increasingly aware of the importance of health and the issues around it. How to improve the life expectancy by consuming super foods is a way that is currently being taken by many people. One of the super foods that is currently being discussed a lot is chia seed. This seed is mainly produced in several countries like Peru, Mexico, Bolivia and Ecuador. The crop is gaining popularity in all over the world because its benefits to human and is often referred to as the food of 21st century. It has beneficial effects related to obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some type of cancer. It contains high concentration of essential fatty acids, dietary fibre, antioxidants, flavonoids, anthocyanins, vitamins, carotenoids, and minerals. Apart from its nutrient rich content, chia seed can be classified as food ingredients, functional food or even a medical medicine. It has rich nutritional content which can improve the nutritional content of food products when they are mixed or blended. This paper covers the latest research on the identified active ingredients, the health benefit, and potential market of chia seed
Keywords: Healthy Diet, Nutrient, Salvia hispanica
