Add Chia Seeds To Your Water To Boost Hydration

Staying properly hydrated is vital to living a healthy life. Dehydration can cause headaches, nausea, lightheadedness, drowsiness, lower blood pressure, and a slew of other medical issues if you don't intake enough H20. Although there are plenty of drinks out there that help you stay hydrated, whether artificial or natural, one superfood does an exceptional job at not only keeping you hydrated but also helping you live a healthier life — chia seeds. 

While some other drinks and foods help you stay hydrated, such as coconut water, chia seeds are among the only foods that come with other significant health benefits. Adding chia seeds to your water may improve your hydration, as well as boost your health in other ways, from reducing blood pressure, inflammation, and possibly even helping with weight loss (via Fleet Feet). Not only that, but chia seeds also contain many essential minerals and nutrients your body needs to function.

Chia seeds are harvested from the Salvia hispanica plant, and no, not the hallucinogenic type of salvia traditionally used in shamanic practices by the Mazatec people. They come from the Central American region and have been historically consumed by the Aztecs, but they are still a part of many diets worldwide. Chia seeds can be eaten by themselves, used in recipes, or mixed in water. The seeds contain many minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and B vitamins.

Chia seeds help you stay hydrated by absorbing so much water, that they can expand more than 10 times their original size. When you consume chia seeds and water together, the chia seeds slowly dissolve the water in your system as you digest the superfood, causing you to stay hydrated for extended periods. Many people combine chia seeds, water, lemon or lime juice, and honey to create a tasty drink that's also good for your health.

According to Harvard University T.H. Chen's School of Public Health, chia seeds also contain an exceptional amount of omega-3 fatty acids, which are responsible for properly regulating blood clotting, inflammation, and the contraction and expansion of your cells' artery walls. Research suggests that omega-3 fatty acids also help prevent heart disease or the risk of arrhythmic heart palpitations, which can be deadly.

Although a lot of people associate fish oils or salmon with omega-3 fatty acids, chia seeds contain more omega-3 fatty acids per serving than salmon, although the type of omega-3 acids in salmon is easier for your body to convert into energy. Still, two tablespoons of chia seeds will give you 4,000 milligrams worth of omega-3 fatty acids, which well exceeds your recommended daily intake. However, if you want to test how chia seeds improve your health and hydration, health experts recommend that you slowly introduce the food to your diet to see how it makes you feel (via Fleet Feet). Taking a swig of chia seed-infused water before a marathon may not be a good idea if you've never tried it out before, and finding what your body responds to is the best way to get the results you are looking for.