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Can You Put Chia Seeds In Coffee? Here’s What Experts Say
Chia seeds and coffee–two seemingly different foods with similar health benefits. Chia seeds have been used for weight loss and coffee can also help you lose weight. And did you know, they go surprisingly well together?
Chia seeds expand and become gelatinous when mixed with liquid. Oftentimes people mix them with water to make chia seed water or milk to make chia seed pudding. However, there’s no rule that says you can’t soak them in coffee to make a healthy coffee-flavored pudding. It’s a great addition to other morning drinks that can help you lose weight.
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Can You Put Chia Seeds In Coffee?
If you are a coffee lover, you’ll be pleased to know that you can boost your morning drink by putting a spoonful of chia seeds in your coffee. When chia seeds are added to liquid, including coffee, they expand and create a gel-like consistency.
Chia seeds have many nutritional offerings; they are an excellent source of dietary fiber, protein, healthy fats, and carbohydrates. Putting them in coffee creates a fun, healthy, and delicious alternative to regular coffee.
Why Would You Put Chia Seeds In Coffee?
There are many reasons to add chia seeds to coffee. One is convenience. Chia seeds have many nutritional benefits, however, taking them on their own can be challenging. Chia seeds are small and dry, and may not be easy to ingest in raw form. That’s why many people grind them and use ground chia seeds in baked goods, oatmeal, and smoothies. If you add chia seeds to coffee, it’ll make them easier to consume.
Many people fall into meal ruts which can compromise their nutrition–they tend to limit themselves to the same foods or food preparations over and over again. But variety is the spice of life, so rather than drink that same old boring cup of coffee, add chia seeds to create a coffee flavored pudding!
Benefits Of Chia Seeds In Coffee
Chia seeds are healthy, and so is coffee. Combining them together creates a powerful punch of nutrition.
Helps With Weight Loss
Chia seeds provide all three macronutrients–protein, fat, and carbs–along with fiber, which all help stabilize blood sugar and increase satiety[1]. Stable blood sugar and consistent feelings of fullness help weight loss efforts by preventing cravings and overeating.
Coffee can also aid in weight loss[2]. Coffee is a diuretic, increasing urinary frequency, which helps to reduce water retention. Coffee can also boost metabolism in certain individuals.
Provides Fiber
Coffee has some dietary fiber. Chia seeds provide even more dietary fiber, so putting them in coffee helps increase the overall fiber content. Fiber is one of the most important nutrients humans need for their health–digestive health to heart health to immune health. However, many people don’t get enough[3] in their diets. Putting chia seeds in a cup of coffee is an easy way to increase daily fiber intake.
Provides Antioxidants
Both chia seeds and coffee have powerful antioxidants[4], compounds that fight free radicals that can damage our cells. Antioxidants are crucial to health because they protect us from and help reverse disease, so combining chia seeds with coffee provides more benefits than ingesting them separately.
Supports Brain Function
The brain is made up of 60% fat and requires adequate dietary fat to stay healthy. Chia seeds are an excellent source of this dietary fat, containing roughly 9 grams of fat in one ounce.
The caffeine in coffee also provides the brain with a health boost. It increases alertness, focus, cognitive performance, and even mood, and may prevent cognitive diseases such as Parkinson’s Disease[5].
Heart Health Benefits Of Coffee & Chia Seeds
Coffee has several benefits for heart health[6]. Studies suggest that it may reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. The antioxidants and polyphenols in coffee play a significant role in these protective properties, including improving blood vessel function.
Chia seeds also have protective mechanisms for the heart, thanks to its fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants. Consuming chia seeds can help regulate blood sugar and lower blood pressure[7].
Recipes For Chia Seeds With Coffee
Just like coffee can offer a different experience depending on the milk or seasoning you add, chia seed coffee can vary depending on what ingredients and preparation you choose. From a great coffee chia pudding recipe to a delicious iced chia seed coffee recipe, let’s explore a few options.
Coffee Chia Seed Pudding
For a simple chia seed coffee pudding, brew yourself your favorite cup of coffee, decaf or regular. Soak chia seeds (about one third the amount of liquid) in the coffee, then mix thoroughly. The seeds will clump together, so continue stirring every few minutes. In 15-20 minutes, you’ll have a creamy, hot cup of coffee flavored chia seed pudding.
Coffee Chia Seed Oatmeal
Soak chia seeds in coffee, as described above, then mix with a bowl of dried oats or oatmeal. You can pre-make the oatmeal with almond milk, rice milk, or another milk of your choice.
You’ll want to stir the mixture and adjust according to taste–add more coffee, water, or milk if it’s too thick, or add more oats or chia seeds if you want a thicker consistency. Add berries, bananas, maple syrup, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and seeds as desired.
Cinnamon Or Pumpkin Spice Chia Seed Coffee
Every autumn, people get excited for pumpkin spice and cinnamon flavored coffee from their local coffee shops. But when you make your own coffee at home, you don’t have to wait for this once-a-year event–you can enjoy these flavors year-round. It’s as simple as getting pumpkin spice and/or cinnamon from the spice aisle at the grocery store, then adding it to your chia seed coffee. Sprinkle liberally for more pungency, or lightly for just a hint of spice.
Chia Seed Ice Coffee
There’s no rule that says you have to enjoy chia seed coffee hot. In the summertime especially, people may prefer a cool, soothing iced coffee. There are a few ways to approach making chia seed iced coffee.
One way to make chia seed iced coffee is to use pre-cooled coffee and add the seeds. The second option is to make chia seed coffee with hot coffee, then let it cool off and store it in the fridge until it gets cold. A third way to make iced coffee is to make coffee and then add ice cubes to the cup. Top with whipped cream, if desired.
What If I Drink Chia Seeds Every Day?
Drinking chia seeds daily is perfectly safe and healthy, as long as portion sizes are monitored. Have no more than two tablespoons of chia seeds daily. If you’re unsure of your tolerance to chia seeds, start with one teaspoon a day, and work your way up to two tablespoons. If you have a low tolerance for coffee, factor this in if you plan to mix your chia seeds into coffee.
Conclusion
Chia seeds absorb any liquid they are mixed with. This will turn the liquid into a pudding or gel-like consistency. Doing this can make chia seeds easier and more pleasant to eat as well as to add to other dishes. While many people choose water or milk as their preferred liquid, coffee–hot coffee or iced coffee–is an equally valid choice. Not only that, coffee offers its own nutritional benefits, along with chia seeds. Combined, chia seeds and coffee can be beneficial for digestive, heart, and brain health.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s possible for anyone to have a reaction to either chia seeds or to coffee. If you have a bad reaction to chia seed coffee, you should test each ingredient on their own (coffee and chia seeds) to see which ingredient disagrees with you.
Coffee can make some people anxious or hyper. If coffee has this effect on you, reduce the amount of coffee, or consider adding chia seeds to herbal tea instead.
Of course. Decaf is a nutritious alternative to regular brewed coffee. If decaf coffee is better for you than regular coffee, choose decaf.
You certainly can. Firstly, choose your favorite milk (cow’s milk, almond milk, oat milk, etc.), then add it to the mixture. You can add it to the coffee before you add the chia seeds, or after the seeds have been added. Keep in mind that chia seeds expand in liquid, so adding milk will increase the liquid content–you may need to add more chia seeds to get the consistency you desire.
It only matters in terms of preference. The nutritional benefits of cold coffee are the same as hot coffee.
+ 7 sources
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- CDC (2022). Fiber: The Carb That Helps You Manage Diabetes . [online] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/library/features/role-of-fiber.html#:~:text=Specifically%2C%20fiber%20can%20help%3A,sugar%20in%20your%20target%20range.
- Tabrizi, R., Parvane Saneei, Lankarani, K.B. and Zatollah Asemi (2018). The effects of caffeine intake on weight loss: a systematic review and dos-response meta-analysis of… [online] ResearchGate. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328378300_The_effects_of_caffeine_intake_on_weight_loss_a_systematic_review_and_dos-response_meta-analysis_of_randomized_controlled_trials.
- Quagliani, D. and Felt-Gunderson, P. (2016). Closing America’s Fiber Intake Gap. [online] 11(1), pp.80–85. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827615588079.
- Yashin, A., Yashin, Y.I., Wang, J.-Y. and Nemzer, B. (2013). Antioxidant and Antiradical Activity of Coffee. [online] 2(4), pp.230–245. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox2040230.
- Hu, G., Siamak Bidel, Pekka Jousilahti, Riitta Antikainen and Jaakko Tuomilehto (2007). Coffee and tea consumption and the risk of Parkinson’s disease. [online] 22(15), pp.2242–2248. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/mds.21706.
- Chieng, D. and Kistler, P.M. (2022). Coffee and tea on cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention. [online] 32(7), pp.399–405. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcm.2021.08.004.
- Eman, Ebaa Al-Ozairi, Zafar, T.A. and Sharifa Alkandari (2021). Chia seed (Salvia hispanica L.) supplementation to the diet of adults with type 2 diabetes improved systolic blood pressure: A randomized controlled trial. [online] 27(2), pp.181–189. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/0260106020981819.