6 Side Effects of Chia Seeds You Should Know About

It’s recommended to consume chia seeds with plenty of water or soak them before eating. This makes them easier to digest and promotes the release of nutrients. For example, soaking a tablespoon of seeds in a cup of water overnight or grinding them for use in smoothies is recommended.
2. Choking may occur.

Chia seeds can pose a choking risk if consumed improperly. A Time magazine article highlighted this risk. Consuming the seeds without soaking or toasting them can lead to complications, including esophageal obstruction, which requires emergency medical attention.

In fact, dried seeds can absorb up to 27 times their weight in water, forming a gelatinous mass that can lodge in the esophagus, causing choking. It’s therefore important to soak or toast them before consuming them.
3. They can inhibit blood clotting

Chia seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which give them natural blood-thinning properties. This can be beneficial in some cases, but if you are already taking anticoagulant medications such as warfarin, it is recommended to avoid chia seeds. Likewise, after surgery, it is best to avoid them to minimize the risk of excessive bleeding.
4. They can worsen diverticulitis

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My 9-year-old daughter baked 300 Easter cookies for the homeless — the next morning, a stranger showed up at our door with a briefcase full of cash. My daughter, Ashley, has always had a heart too big for her chest. Since my wife died, we’ve barely been making ends meet. We spent everything we had trying to save her from cancer. But when Easter came this year, Ashley told me she’d been saving up her own money to buy ingredients. “For the homeless,” she said. Her mom used to be one of them. She was thrown out by her parents when they found out she was pregnant with Ashley. When I met her, she had nothing — but she had the brightest smile and the sharpest mind I had ever seen. I fell in love with her. I took her and Ashley in. And from that moment on, Ashley became my daughter in every way that matters. So when Ashley said she wanted to help people like her mom once was… I didn’t stop her. For three nights straight, after school and homework, she baked. Her little hands worked nonstop. She found her mom’s old cookie recipe. She rolled every piece of dough herself. She decorated every cookie. She made three hundred cookies. On Easter, she handed them out one by one. She looked people in the eyes. She wished them a Happy Easter. Some of them smiled. Some of them cried. I stood there thinking it was the proudest moment of my life. I thought that was the end of it. The next morning, I was washing a mountain of dishes when the doorbell rang. I opened the door. An older man stood there in a worn-out suit, holding a scratched aluminum briefcase. His eyes were locked on Ashley. Before I could ask anything, he set the case down and opened it. I froze. Stacks of hundred-dollar bills — more money than I had ever seen in my life. “I saw what your daughter did yesterday,” he said, his voice shaking. “I want to give all of this to her.” My heart skipped. Then he added: “But you have to agree to ONE CONDITION.” My chest tightened. “What condition?” I asked. He stepped closer. He lowered his voice. And what he asked for in return made my blood run cold.