Consuming chia seeds may reduce blood sugar after eating a meal (postprandial glycemia), according to a study. Salvia hispanica is an annual herbaceous plant of the Lamiaceae (mint) family. Its origin is believed to be in Central America, where the seed (historically called "chian" or "chia") was a staple in the ancient Aztec diet. The seeds of a related plant, Salvia columbariae (also called "golden chia"), were used primarily by Native Americans in the southwestern United States. The roots of another relative, Salvia miltiorrhiza (danshen), are used medicinally in China and other countries