When Post medical writer and editor Wendy Braun told us how popular her chia muffins were with her family, we knew we had a good idea for holiday baking to tell our readers. The surprise for Wendy was that after including the chia grain in her diet for several weeks, she suddenly realized she had more energy.Chia is the "too good to be true" grain that Ted Kreiter, our food editor, is researching. An upcoming article will divulge the impressive discoveries of scientists at the University of Toronto who are studying the health effects of the tiny seed of the Salvia hispanica L. plant--better known as chia, the same plant family used to grow fluffy foliage on those popular chia pets.

Their research is being conducted on a commercial variety of chia called Salba, developed to produce white rather than the original black seed and a more reliable omega-3 content. Those who research this "super-grain" report that it is the richest whole-food source of omega 3s and fiber in nature. They believe it is even a better source of iron than spinach and provides more calcium than whole milk.

With this astounding information coming from such a credible source as Dr. Vladimir Vuksan, a pioneer of the functional foods movement in Europe, we are taking notice. We are experimenting with Salba in our test kitchen and have sent samples to other leading fiber and nutrition authorities to get their opinions on this promising seed.