Medical Reviewed by Ashwathy V. Pillai, Postgraduate Degree in Dietetics & Applied Nutrition
Sabja or Tukmaria or Sweet Basil Seeds belong to the same family as chia seeds do, which is the mint family. Weight loss through sabja seeds is one of the most searched questions.
While chia seeds are widely known for their weight loss properties including appetite control, sabja seeds are not that widely popular and here in this article, we bring to you the various utilities of sabja seeds for weight loss.
Table of Contents
From being rich in dietary fibers to being low in calories, weight loss through sabja seeds is indeed a good idea.
For guidance on sustainable and healthy weight loss through the right foods and the right diet, our Possible Nutritionists are always there for you!
1. Essential Fatty Acids in Sabja Seeds Promotes Weight Loss
Sabja seed oils contain approximately 50% linoleic acid, 22% linolenic acid, 15% oleic acid and 8% unsaturated fatty acids. Scientifically, this is a good blend of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids.[1]
The 50% content of linolenic acid in the sabja seeds offers it a good content of omega 6 fatty acids which are considered good fatty acids and also offer anti-inflammatory properties which help in curbing inflammation and obesity in the human body.
A review as published in Molecular Nutrition and Food Research says that conjugated linoleic acid cast an anti-obesity effect by reducing energy intake, increasing basal metabolic rate, inhibiting the development of fat cells and suppressing fat production and stimulating breakdown of fats.[2]
Evidence Proving the Role of Essential Fatty Acids in Weight Loss
Also, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2004 revealed that daily supplementation with Conjugated linoleic acid for 1 year resulted in the fat loss of 6-9% in healthy overweight individuals.[3]
Furthermore, another study published in the same journal talks about CLA supplementation that can bring about modest weight loss.
Thus, it is a proven fact that consuming sabja seeds for weight loss daily will provide you with an excellent mixture of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids which will help you steer clear of inflammation and thus help in weight loss.
Want to know how sabja seeds look like?
They are oval in shape and black in colour. Their looks are similar to poppy seeds and they are larger than chia seeds & swell faster.
2. Dietary Fibre of Sabja Seeds for Weight loss
Research, as published in Nutrition Reviews, have studied the effect of dietary fiber intake that clearly indicates that fiber intake is directly proportional to weight loss.[4].
This means that greater the fiber intake a person follows, more is the weight loss they can achieve. For weight loss, sabja seeds’ content of dietary fibers promotes the feeling of satiety along with decreasing the absorption of fats and carbohydrates in the body.
It also promotes proper functioning of the gut hormones while aiding healthy and consistent weight loss. Along with weight loss, sabja seeds fiber content are also found to improve metabolic and cardiovascular health.
Research also suggests that sabja seeds contain around 80g of dietary fiber per 100g of seeds.[5] The dietary fiber under discussion is found to be soluble which helps in controlling appetite, slowing of the digestion of food and regulation of bowel movement.
3. Sabja Seeds helps in controlling appetite
As already discussed, sabja seeds are rich in soluble dietary fiber and around 100g of sweet basil seeds provide 80g dietary fiber.
Sabja seeds soaked in water absorbs approximately 4 times the amount of water as unsoaked seeds. When soaked, sabja seeds swell to around 20-40% their original size and convert in the form of a gel-like substance.
Consuming this gel before meals help in appetite control thereby reducing calorie intake. It slows down the activity of digestive enzymes, improves blood sugar control and regulates gut hormones to send satiety signals to the brain.
4. Sabja Seeds Normalizes Blood Sugar
We all know that serious health conditions like diabetes and insulin resistance are aftermaths of obesity, which when developed affect the blood sugar making it a never-ending process.
The gel formed by sabja seeds which we discussed in the above section is known to slow down the action of carbohydrate degrading enzymes, which leads to slow breakdown of carbohydrates in the diet which subsequently releases glucose slowly in the bloodstream.
According to research published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, showed that sabja seeds have the potential to lower the blood sugar levels in the body.[6]
5. Sabja Seeds are Low Cal & High Nutrient Substance
Another highly attractive aspect of sabja seeds is that they are low in calories and high on vital nutrients. They are rich in carbohydrates most of which are soluble dietary fibers that are not digested in the body and enhance the level of satiety.
Sabja seeds are an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin B-complex, vitamin E & K, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and iron – all nutrients being essential for weight loss and management.
So rather than using weight loss supplements (fat burner) and face the after-effects of their usage, it is always better to go for natural weight loss aiding substances which do not pose any ill effects and provide other health benefits also.
Did you know?
Like other seeds, sabja seeds also secrete essential oils and these oils contain more than almost 200 therapeutic compounds rich in flavonoids, phytosterols, polyphenols, triterpines, alkaloids.
Let us also tell you that each of these compounds contributes to the medicinal properties of sabja seeds.
Sabja seeds also contain planteose, mucilage, polysaccharides and oil rich in linoleic acid, linolenic acid and unsaturated fatty acids.
How to Consume Sabja Seeds?
Instead of trying to chew unsoaked sabja seeds, it is always better to soak them in water and then consume.
Just take 1 teaspoon of sabja seeds and soak them in a glass of water. Wait till they swell and form a gel-like consistency. Consume this water and gel mix half an hour before meals.
Doing this will control your appetite thus reducing your calorie intake during your meals.
Interesting Sherbet Recipe Using Sabja Seeds
Ingredients
- 2 tsp sabja seeds
- 2 glasses of chilled water and ice cubes
- 6 tbsp Rooh Afza/rose syrup/strawberry syrup
- 2 tsp lemon extracted juice
- 5-6 mint leaves
Method
- Wash the sabja seeds thoroughly in running water.
- Soak 2 tsp sabja seeds in a glass of water for about 2 hours.
- Once soaked, they will appear swollen and 20-40% larger than their original size.
- Now strain the excess water from the soaked seeds.
- In a glass, add 3 tbsp Rooh Afza/rose syrup/any other flavored syrup of your choice.
- Add chilled water into the glass.
- And stir well by adding a tablespoon of soaked sabja seeds into it.
- Add in some lemon extracted juice and mint leaves.
- Serve chilled with an ice cube.
You can use any flavor of your choices like orange, raspberry, mango, litchi, lemon and the likes to prepare your choice of sabja sherbet. This sherbet (sweet drink) along with being healthy, aids in weight loss too. Also, it acts as a body coolant during summers. So try this today!
So this was all about sabja seeds and their role in weight loss. If you know more about sabja seeds and ways to make these elements interesting for consumption, please send in your thoughts and recipes in the comment section below.
Hi,,,
Nice Information you share.
Belly fat is undoubtedly aesthetically displeasing. It also affects your long-term health.
You writen really a great article thanks for sharing
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If we stop using sabja seeds.. weight will bounce back or remain the same weight..
Hi Sangeetha, Weight loss happens when we eat healthily and keeps a healthy lifestyle. Just taking sabja seeds will not make you lose weight or gain weight
Sabja seeds! I didn’t know much about these. Thanks, this is good information.
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Nice tips!
Thank you for your feedback. Keep following our blog for more such articles.
Hey,
Loved the blog post about Sabja Seeds, unfortunately, it’s my first time hearing about them. I will definitely be trying them out.
Thank you for your valuable feedback.
This blog will give you an unfiltered view of my struggle with weight loss in the past and the path to reach my goals. From my experience, It is very important to feel motivated during your weight loss journey. If you have set impossible goals, then you are guaranteed to fail. Weight loss becomes hard to achieve if you feel like constant failure. It is obvious that no one is going yo feel very motivated if he/she feels like a failure every time.
hi Aleksandr, We appreciate your feedback. Thanks for writing to us.