‘Unique’ bioactive content of chia oil driving dietary supplement interest: Benexia

Sandra Gillot, CEO of Chile’s Benexia, told NutraIngredients-USA that chia is booming in both the food and dietary supplement industries. Consumer awareness of chia seeds is high in the US, with 47% of all new chia products launched worldwide in 2013 being in the US, according to Mintel. The little seeds can be used in a range of products, from yogurt to snack bars and bread.

On the other hand, awareness of chia oil is still low, said Gillot. Benexia started working with Taiyo earlier this year​ to distribute its new chia oil to North America. “Use of the oil is new,”​ she said, “but there is really strong interest from the dietary supplement manufacturers.”​

Benexia has invested heavily in R&D and the extraction technology to make the ingredient easier to include, said Gillot. “It’s a clean and natural process with no chemical solvents,”​ she said.

“The challenge was to maintain the bioactives – the tocopherols, the phytosterols, the polyphenols and other antioxidants – in the oil,” ​she said.

Technology​

Chia oil is composed of at least 60% of alpha linolenic acid (ALA), and to protect this omega-3 from oxidation Benexia developed XIA PURE Ox Blocker technology, enabling them to guarantee a longer shelf life of the product, a stable delivery of its nutraceutical properties, and a consistent fresh taste and smell, according to the company.

This proprietary technology uses a process and formulation that maintains the natural tocopherols within the oil, bringing an excellent oxidative stability to the product, up to two years at ambient temperature, while preserving its high ORAC level of antioxidants (962 umol/TE/100g), present in the specially selected chia seeds, added the company. 

While chia oil is still not considered among the mainstream nutritional oils, it is available in mainstream quantities, she said. “This is industrially-available. This isn’t small artisanal production. We have 100% control of the supply chain.”​

While the oil is more expensive than flax oil, price is a moot point when you look at the handling and stability of the oil, as well as the bioactive profile, said Gillot. “We’ve reached a very interesting price point. We have very competitive chia oil.”​

Formulation and health benefits​

Some research has looked at the potential to incorporate chia oil into products like margarine​ and chocolate milk​, Gillot told us that the majority of chia oil is sold as a nutraceutical with data supporting its role against inflammation, as well as a role in neuroprotection and benefits during pregnancy and breast-feeding.

For example, a recent study published in Nutrients (2015, Vol. 7, No. 8, pp. 6405-6424)​​ found that women consuming Benexia chia oil transferred high levels of DHA to their infants during breast-feeding. The study is reportedly the first published study of its type involving pregnant and lactating women.

“Our research has demonstrated that chia oil intake, a natural good source of ALA, allows an important modification in the EPA content of erythrocytes in pregnant mothers and an interesting increase of DHA in their milk,” ​reported researchers from the University of Chile.