Mila is a brand of chia seeds. You have seen the relentless advertising for Chia Pets each Christmas – these are the same type of seed. Grown in southern Mexico and northern Guatemala, there are approximately 100 varieties of chia seeds, coming in colors ranging from black to yellow. They are rich in omega oils and fiber, which are nutritional similarities to flax seeds. The Mila brand also has a multilevel marketing campaign with carefully structured statements about the medical benefits of their product. Chia was likely a foodstuff for the Aztecs; its affect on Aztec health is unknown, but Mila likes the Aztec connection.
There are no published studies on any particular species of chia on humans that demonstrate unique health benefits. Among fats that are good for you – Omega – 3 and Omega – 6 primarily, and research demonstrates that the omega oils in fish are far more cardioprotective than the ones in seeds. The marketing campaign by Mila asserts that as an agricultural product, chia protects you from potential toxins, i.e. mercury, in fish oil. I subscribe to a service called Consumer Lab, which tests vitamins, supplements and herbs for purity and potency. They have not found any traces of mercury or heavy metals in fish oil for years. Chia is good source of Omega oil and fiber, but fish oil and flax seed are still my preference for nutritional supplementation.