As often happens in medical research, they were trying to improve glucose levels, and saw that blood pressure dropped significantly too after taking a regular dose of Chia seeds.
Chia seeds, which come from the desert plant “Salvia hispanica” (a member of the mint family growing in southern Mexico), are healthful, edible seeds which are a better source of omega 3 fatty acids than flax-seeds.
In a preliminary study from the University of Toronto (2006), researchers gave 21 diabetics either a supplement made from chia, or grains with similar fibre content. The results were interesting. After three months, blood pressure from the chia group dropped 10 points diastolic and 5 points systolic., while the blood pressure from the grain group remained steady.