Specifically the benefits of increased omega 3s such as ALA. This study seems to suggest to grind your flax seeds https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18689552/ but I wonder about Chia as well. I don’t know why but this seems to just blow my mind a little. I would think that your stomach acid would have no problem breaking them down and your intestines would have no problem with absorption but data is data.
it’s better to grind them although chia isn’t as hard as flax so you can chew them better. most seeds will simply pass through your body unused if you don’t grind them, whether it’s in a grinder or in your mouth. this is why plants prefer their seeds to be eaten by birds, who swallow them, rather than by mammals, who tend to chew and make the seeds nonviable.
Here’s your answer:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7143566/
“In conclusion, milling should be applied to chia seeds prior to consumption in cases where enhancing the potential uptake of macro and micronutrients is targeted”
It’s fascinating actually - even in the presence of a dangerously acidic environment, the shell of chia and Hemp seeds are strong enough to prevent breakdown - if we eat them as is.
But- if you simply soak them for a few hours, those shells will break down enough to make the nutrients more accessible. Just as with grinding.
You will need to do one of those two.
Flax & chia are covered in phytic acid and other digestive barriers that can potentially wreak havoc on your digestive system. Grinding them doesn’t remove these barriers. Soaking/sprouting them do. If you can opt for a sprouted variety, it not only removes the digestive barriers, it also changes the composition of the seeds enhancing their bioavailability. Hope this helps.
You should grind them, to absorb most of the nutrients.
Flax- and chiaseeds (and psyllium husks) are sometimes recommended to help people with constipation, because of the high fiber content. If you eat them for this reason, you dont need to grind them, but you should soak them with enough liquid (overnight).
You don’t have to grind chia to get the benefits but you do have to grind flax. The best thing to do would be to grind it yourself just prior to use. This way your protecting the integrity of the oils in the seed. They are very susceptible to rancidity and grinding them will help avoid that issue. If you’d rather not have to do all that there are companies that sell chopped vs ground seeds. Barleans Fortiflax is a good one. They chop them because it creates less heat during processing that could potentially harm the oils. I hope that made sense!