While no food is "perfect", salba certainly appears to be a very nutritious seed product that can be incorporated with a healthy diet. Assuming that the nutritional claims are correct, salba seems to be a beneficial food to include in one's diet. It's very high in fiber (both soluble and insoluble), omega-3 fats, protein, and a good source of a number of vitamins and minerals.
As a minor hangup, the omega-3s found in grains are not identical to those found in fish. Making the claim that the product contains eight times the omega-3s as salmon is true, but don't take this to mean "8 times better than salmon", as only about 12% of the alpha-linoleic acid found in grains are converted to the fish equivalent omega-3s. Still quite a lot of omega-3s converted to DHA nevertheless.
Still, that being said, salba does seem to be wonderful. I don't think I've seen any product that is so high in fiber, quality protein and omega-3s at once like Salba. I would buy salba's claims that the product reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease because it's a whole grain, high soluble fiber and omega-3s, all factors which have been associated with reduced risk of CVD. Again, remember that there's nothing magical in Salba- the label speaks for itself.
Perhaps a Better Question: WHAT, ACTUALLY, IS SALBA?
Salba is a brand of Salvia hispanica seed - this is a plant in the mint family. But what makes it special is a unique (and tightly guarded) proprietary growing process that yields a significantly more nutritious seed than generic competitors. This process includes the following:
The Salba vs. Chia Debate
Some people think Salba is a "patented" form of a seed called chia (the seed from the infamous "Chia Pet") . This is entirely inaccurate. In fact, the botanical name of the "Chia Pet" seed is actually Salvia columbariae. (Check out the Wikipedia on Salvia columbariae for more info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvia_columbariae)
In recent years, salba has popularized the botanical and conducted a litany of scientific research and clinical studies published in esteemed journals like the American Diabetes Association's official peer-reviewed publication, called Diabetes Care (visit www.salba.com/news to read the study).
In light of this research, other companies have sought to import and distribute the black seeds from the Salvia hispanicavariety, but there is a fairly wide nutritional gap between the "chia" seeds and "salba" seeds. More on this below...
A Close Look at the USDA Facts:
Generally speaking, if you are buying salba, you are buying it for the Omega-3 benefits. According to the USDA website, chia has 2,106mg of Omega-3 in a 12-gram serving. An equivalent 12-gram serving of Salba contains 2,882mg of Omega-3 - that's about 37% more Omega-3s.
Some other nutritional highlights about salba:
The researcher who has spent the most time exploring Salba is named Vladimir Vuksan, PhD. He is one of the founders of the Glycemic Index, which is the standard scale of measurement of blood glucose. He is well-respected, and is among a handful of the world's leading diabetes researchers.
No, one is an oil and the other is a grain.
Salba is a seed that is considered to be the most nutritious. Salba has more omega 3 than what's in a fish and is considered to be gluten free, vegan, and kosher.
yes.
Why don't you google Salba and find the main company web page?
Loblaws health food section regularly marks down their salba. I paid 6 dollars for the pouch size. Lucky I guess, but check Loblaws when you are there.
Steve Alba goes by Salba.
Salba Smart is like a natural supplement. It can be found at many locations like Newegg, Sears, GNC, Vitacost, and 911 Health Shops. All Health Trends offers free shipping on the product.
Yes. 'Salba' is the brand name for white chia seeds. There is a claim that the white seeds are a super-powerhouse grain, however, studies show that the darker seeds are just as good. Use an organically grown chia.
It is not necessary to grind Salba before consuming. The shell of the seed softens in water allowing all of the nutrients to be absorbed into your system leaving behind just the insoluble fiber portion of the shell. Grinding or not grinding is a personal preference in this case.
yes, one of them grows in the wild and the other is what you put on your chia pets...
Yes. ben via gold and salba are marketing creations for the simple and highly nutritious chia seed. It is merely a way to market and sell the chia seed for a higher price. Forget about it. Buy Chia seed by looking on line for he best price. It is all the same. white chia seed is salba. No difference nutritionally. Chia seed comes with mixed white and black seed. All the same. It is just a money makers scheme. Don't believe for one minute that salba or ben via gold is better. Forget that the statement is coming from a doctor and any so called expert. i am a doctor and a nutritional "expert" also and I tell you its is the same. For your future information an expert is anyone who lectures more than 200 miles from their home. Thats me.
Health food stores (look for Chia/ Salba, yes, it is the same) and even some bulk stores.