Chia.

Chia

Ricardo Ayerza Jr. & Wayne Coates

University of Arizona Press

355 South Euclid Avenue, Suite 103, Tucson, AZ 85719-6654

0816525882 $14.95 1-800-426-3797 www.uapress.arizona.edu

Also available in a hardcover edition (0816524386, $50.00), Chia: Rediscovering A Forgotten Crop Of The Aztecs by agronomist Ricardo Ayerza (Associate in Arid Lands, Office of Arid Lands Studies, University of Arizona) and engineer Wayne Coates (Research Professor, Office of Arid Lands Studies, University of Arizona) focuses upon "chia", a principle Aztec food crop at the time of Columbus' appearance in the Caribbean, and which was almost wiped out by the Conquistadors because of its use in "pagan" rituals. For centuries the plant survived in only a few scattered areas and was largely unknown in the continental United States. This was a plant that the Aztecs used as raw material for medicines, and as an energy source on long journeys. In this comprehensive study, Ayerza and Coats compare chai's fatty acid profiles with those of fish oil, flaxseed, and marine algae, finding chia superior in many ways. Chia has the highest known percentage of alpha-linolenic acid, and the highest combined alpha-linolenic and linoleic fatty acid percentage of all the crops. Chia has more protein, lipids, energy and fiber (but fewer carbs) that rice, barley, oats, wheat or corn--and its protein is gluten-free. Chia is also an excellent source for calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, and copper. Chia is low in sodium (salmon has 78 times as much, tuna 237 times as much). Chia exhibits no evidence of allergic response, even in individuals with peanut and tree-nut allergies. Chia doesn't give off a "fish" flavor, unlike some other sources of omega-3 fatty acid. The need to supply omega-3 fatty acid in the human diet, combined with the imperative of finding a safe, renewable omega-3 source not dependant upon the fishing industry, chia is now documented as being one of the world's most important crops. A work of impeccable and documented scholarship, Chia: Rediscovering A Forgotten Crop Of The Aztecs is an important, seminal contribution whose agricultural value for human health we simply cannot afford to overlook. ery highly recommended, informed and informative reading!