Don't think that Chia Pets are just another pretty face covered with crazy green "hair." Oh no, sir. The classic go-to kitschy gift may also have the power to make you thinner and healthier.

A new study shows that adding a little Chia Pet to your cake in place off eggs and oil helps reduce fat and cut calories, reported Reuters. The key ingredient is a gel made from Chia seeds, that same magical ingredient that grow the "hair" on terracotta sheep/pigs/bunnies/Abraham Lincolns and a confusing mix of other items such as frogs and turtles that don't have any business growing hair.

Using chia gel in place of 25 percent of oil in a cake cut its calories from 335 to 317 per piece and reduced fat from 10.7 grams to 8.7 grams, Reuters said, citing the research published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. What's more, chia cake tastes pretty good too, said those in the study.

Chia seeds also have other health benefits such as anti-inflamatory properties, said Dr. Rafael Borneo, a researcher at the Center of Excellence in Products and Processes Córdoba in Argentina where the study was conducted.

Rather than looking at Chia seeds and thinking "this could make an excellent Garfield," Aztecs saw it as food of the champions.

"The Aztec warriors carried chia seed on their campaigns," Dr. Wayne Coates, an agricultural engineer, told Reuters."That was their food, basically."

Perhaps it's worth considering ch-ch-ch changing your diet?

To read more Body Odd posts, click here. You can also find us on Twitter and on Facebook.

Want more weird health news? Find The Body Odd on Facebook.