Research synthesisLow evidenceSmall effect4 studies · 1 beneficial · 3 neutral · 0 harmful
Across 4 studies, 1 reported a beneficial moderate-sized effect of chia seed supplementation on reducing LDL cholesterol, while 3 found neutral effects. The only supportive study was a 2025 meta-analysis (n=500) showing a moderate effect (g = -0.300), but the predominant effect across all evidence is neutral and small in magnitude. The median study duration was 84 days, though only 1 of 4 studies reported duration; the most-studied dose was 50 g/day in one trial, and populations included overweight/obese adults and clinical trial participants.
Caveats: Evidence base is small (only 4 studies) — conclusions should be considered preliminary. Many of the included studies did not reach statistical significance — effect may be smaller than the predominant direction suggests. The single beneficial finding comes from a meta-analysis that pooled data, but the three larger or more recent meta-analyses and RCTs found no significant reduction, including a 2024 meta-analysis of 14 RCTs (n=835) that observed benefit only in a higher-dose subgroup. The only RCT with a defined dose (50 g/day for 84 days) found no effect on LDL cholesterol in overweight adults.
Generated Jul 9, 2026