Salba® is the trademark for the registered varieties of Salvia Hispanic L. – Sahi Alba 911 and Sahi Alba 912 – the only two registered varieties in the world.

Chia is the common name for at least two species of Salvia (Salvia hispanica and Salvia columbariae), which are grown as wild crops (with the exception of Salba). As wild crops, the nutrition and even species can vary depending on the region grown. Common chia strains can not be registered as varieties as they have not gone through the selective and separate breeding to show a pure, distinctive, uniform, stable variety, which is required for registration.

Salba is nutritionally consistent.  Grown under strictly controlled conditions in Peru, Salba can maintain the consistency of phytonutrients from batch to batch.  Salba has been selectively bread and tested for over 15 years to ensure a standardized nutritional profile.

Chia is grown wild and/or by various farmers in Mexico, Central America and South America.  Varying climates, growing conditions, and field compositions all affect the nutritional qualities of Chia, resulting in a very inconsistent and unreliable nutrient composition.

Salba has 22.87g of Omega-3 per 100g.

Chia has 17.55g of Omega-3 per 100g on average.  Some crops may be lower or higher.

Salba has 21.2g per 100g.

Chia has 15.62g per 100g on average.  Again, this could fluctuate higher or lower.

Salba is white, blends into almost any food preparation and can therefore be seamlessly incorporated into diet.

Chia is mostly black standing out against most foods.

Salba is the only registered variety of Salvia hispanica L.  To be a registered variety means that the agricultural authorities find enough consistent and inheritable differences from other plants of the same species for it to be considered consistently unique.

Chia is any unregistered “generic” strain of Salvia hispanica.

Salba is sold by partners of the growers.  We can trace every crop back to its seeds and know step by step everything it has been subjected to from planting to your hands.  This helps to ensure that Salba is therefore clean, consistent and safe.

Chia is sold by traders who buy from other traders who buy from whichever crop is available at the time.  Who knows where your chia has been or how old it might be.

Salba is planted from seeds grown and harvested in different plots of land to prevent cross hybridization and degradation of the variety.

Chia is grown from the same seeds that are grown for selling.  This causes further variation in the consistency of the product.

Salba is talked about in the blogs as being a life changing addition to their diets.  Searching the blogs, you cannot find a bad comment about Salba except, possibly, the price.

Chia is also talked about in the blogs, but not with nearly as much enthusiasm.

Salba is grown by one grower under strictly controlled growing conditions.  As an oily crop, the oil content and fatty acid profile can change up to 30% depending on weather conditions during growth stages.  This is one of the reasons why Salba Seed is grown in Peru; the steady climate insures consistency in every harvest.

Chia is grown throughout various warmer climates around the world.  The varying climates and weather patterns that the crops are grown in means that you cannot be sure of the consistency of the harvest you are consuming.

Salba is the only variety of Salvia hispanica that has undergone intensive peer reviewed human clinical research.  Daily consumption of Salba generated significant improvement in control of Type 2 Diabetes and reduction of risk for heart disease. 

In acute and long term studies conducted on individuals with Type 2 Diabetes, Salba produced the following results:

• Lowered post-prandial (after meal) blood sugar levels 
• Significant reduction of Systolic and Diastolic Blood Pressure
• Reduction in risk factors of heart disease such as coagulation factors (blood thinning effect).
• Reduction of low grade body inflammation (C-reactive protein – CRP)

In addition, Belgium group (University of Anwerp) found reduction in blood pressure, serum triglycerides and waist circumference reduction following consumption of Salba in healthy, non-diabetic individuals in a preliminary study.

The only grain that has ever been studied and shown these results is Salba.

Salba clinical research and results have been published in Diabetes Care, Volume 30, Number 11, November 2007, title: Supplementation of Conventional Therapy With the Novel Grain Salba (Salvia hispanica L.) Improves Major and Emerging Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Type 2 Diabetes.
Read the full publication online.

Chia enjoys claiming Salba’s research as its own, but in reality, the studies that have been done on chia actually show that chia does not alter disease risk factors or promote weight loss.  Due to chia’s unreliable and variable nutrient composition, the consistent beneficial health effects exerted by nutrients and phytochemicals found in Salba will likely not manifest with Chia as a result of grain inconsistency and inferior nutrient profile.  Therefore, one can not say that the same results will be achieved with Chia and in fact, chia’s study has shown that it does not achieve the same results.  Even though chia has the same botanical origin and some similarities in nutrient composition, chia does not have the same health benefits.  Flax also has similar composition but the clinical data is very different compared to Salba's demonstrating that similar composition does not necessarily yield similar clinical results.

The question the consumer should ask the chia people is “Why don’t you do more research to prove that all chia is indeed the same as Salba’s published data and research?”

The answer is simple – They know it is not the same, and as most all already know, research will not be consistent if the dose is not consistent.