Friday, July 10, 2009

Salba vs Chia Seeds

There have been a lot of discussions about the differences between chia and Salba. I have tried both and today, I would like to share my opinions with you.

Salba is a specific type of chia seed that is grown and cultivated in Peru. Most of the chia I have seen are grown in Mexico. Looking at the seeds, the Salba seeds are more pure looking (in colour) and appear to be slightly larger than regular chia seeds.

Because of the strict cultivation process of Salba, if you buy this you can be sure of the source and strict processing methods used. Salba is also now available in organic (which I haven't seen of chia seeds).

But packaging and hype aside, could I find a difference between the two? Well, yes and no.

With Salba, I did notice that I felt fuller when consuming it and when mixed with yogurt, I found my heartburn decreased substantially. With chia, I found that I was fuller, but it didn't seem to last as long and it didn't help my heartburn as much. Both products also provided me with a noticable boost in energy. After work, I had lots of energy to garden, cook or do other activities on a regular basis - this was the best benefit I found!

While I did notice that benefits seems heightened with Salba, the cost difference between Salba and chia is quite large. A one month supply of Salba online costs about $30 (US) plus shipping. Chia ranges in price between $10 and $15 per pound.

So now it comes down to a difference in price. At double the price of chia seeds, is Salba really worth it? I think this depends on you. If you care about where your food comes from and how it's grown, it's probably best to stick with Salba. It's grown with selective breeding in a controlled environment for 135 days. If the source of your food and how it's grown is NOT important to you, stick with the less expensive chia seeds - just make sure to do some research on how it's grown and where it comes from.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've seen Salba online as low as $15.99 for a 30 day supply. Also, I've seen it in natural food markets (such as Vitamin Cottage, Whole Foods, etc.) as low as $13.99.

Sharon said...

I've only tried chia seeds. I've bought organic ones...and the most recent ones I have right now are organic sprouted chia seed powder.

I have not tried salba...but apparently it is better and has more omega 3 in it. The cost...I have not investigated in it...but if it substantially more then it is a factor when deciding.

Anonymous said...

Salba is the type you should use if you have a cholesterol problem, as chia seeds may actually have an adverse reaction to your bad cholesterol, while a Salba has a cholesterol lowing effect. BIG DIFFERENCE

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