A freelance medical writer and consultant specializing in diabetes, David Mendosa, wrote several important articles about role that chia seed can play in controlling diabetes.
According to Mendosa, "chia’s soluble fiber has a much higher viscosity than other dietary fibers such as beta-glucan and guar. This means that it has significantly increased intestinal transit time, delayed gastric emptying, and a slower rate of glucose absorption."
He discusses the research of Vladimir Vuksan showing the effect of Salba, the white-seeded variety of chia, in reducing after-meal blood glucose, plasma insulin, blood pressure and inflammation.
See this December, 2007 article, which includes a lengthy and provocative interview with chia pioneer, Wayne Coates.
The article is also published at HealthCentral.
Mr. Mendosa's readers' comments are generally informative, interesting, and worth reading.