chia seed and Reduced Triglyceride Levels

Research synthesisModerate evidenceSmall effect5 studies · 3 beneficial · 2 neutral · 0 harmful

Across 5 studies, 3 reported beneficial small-sized effects of chia seed supplementation on reduced triglyceride levels, while 2 found neutral results. Meta-analyses with up to 835 participants showed statistically significant triglyceride reductions (effect sizes small), though one meta-analysis and one RCT reported non-significant findings. Median study duration was 70 days, and the most common doses ranged from 30 to 50 g/day, studied primarily in adults with overweight, obesity, or hypertriglyceridemia.

Effective dose range: 30-50 g/day
Studied populations: overweight/obese adults, adults with hypertriglyceridemia

Caveats: Available evidence is overwhelmingly positive — clinical literature in this area is subject to publication bias (null-result studies are less likely to be published or indexed). Many of the included studies did not reach statistical significance — effect may be smaller than the predominant direction suggests.

Generated Jul 9, 2026

Doses used in studies

g/day: 30–50 (median 40, IQR 35–45) — 2 studies

Time to effect

Median: 10 weeks · IQR 9 weeks–11 weeks · Range 8 weeks–2.8 months — Reported in 2 of 5 studies

5 of 5 papersPopulation:

A Critical Review of the Health Benefits Associated with Chia Seeds (Salvia Hispanica L.).
- 2025-10-12
- Meta-Analysis · n = 500
- Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands) 80(4)
- - Zena Kadhim Al-Younis
  - Sarmad Ghazi Al-Shawi
  - A K Kareem
  - Safia Obaidur Rab
  - Renuka Jyothi S
  - Swati Mishra
  - Ashish Singh Chauhan
  - Udaybir Singh
  - Ahmad Hossen
  - Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed
- PubMed: 41076614
- DOI: 10.1007/s11130-025-01401-z
8 Insights on
- Reduced Triglyceride Levels
- High evidence
Chia supplementation resulted in significant reductions in triglycerides (g = -0.200)
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Small
Significant
Yes
The impact of chia seeds on diabetes, blood pressure, lipid profile, and obesity indicators: Systematic review and meta-regression analysis of 14 randomized controlled trials.
- 2024-12
- Meta-Analysis · n = 835
- Prostaglandins & other lipid mediators 175
- - Hawal Lateef Fateh
  - Dyari H Ahmed
  - Maryam Sharifi Najafabadi
  - Jalal Moludi
- PubMed: 39299649
- DOI: 10.1016/j.prostaglandins.2024.106907
4 Insights on
- Reduced Triglyceride Levels
- High evidence
- Clinical
The findings revealed a notable decrease in triglyceride levels across both higher and lower doses of chia seeds, with weighted mean differences (WMD) of -8.69 mg/dL and -13.11 mg/dL, respectively.
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Small
Significant
Yes
Dose
lower doses
Chia seed (Salvia hispanica L.) consumption and lipid profile: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
- 2021
- Meta-Analysis
- Food & function 12(19)
- - Luciana de Abreu Silva
  - Bárbara Júlia Fonseca Verneque
  - Ana Paula Lucas Mota
  - Camila Kümmel Duarte
- PubMed: 34378609
- DOI: 10.1039/d1fo01287h
4 Insights on
- Reduced Triglyceride Levels
- High evidence
- Rigorous Journal
- Adults
decreasing TG (MD = -14.09 mg dL-1, 95% CI = [-33.46; 5.28])
Effect
Neutral
Effect size
Small
Significant
No
Dose
not specified in abstract
Chia seed does not promote weight loss or alter disease risk factors in overweight adults.
- 2009-06
- RCT · n = 76
- Nutrition research (New York, N.Y.) 29(6)
- - David C Nieman
  - Erin J Cayea
  - Melanie D Austin
  - Dru A Henson
  - Steven R McAnulty
  - Fuxia Jin
- PubMed: 19628108
- DOI: 10.1016/j.nutres.2009.05.011
14 Insights on
- Reduced Triglyceride Levels
- High evidence
- Mixed
Pre-to-post measures of body composition, inflammation, oxidative stress, blood pressure, and lipoproteins did not differ between CS and P for both sexes.
Effect
Neutral
Effect size
Small
Significant
No
Dose
50 g/day
Effect of chia seeds or concentrated fish oil on cardiometabolic risk markers in subjects with hypertriglyceridaemia: a parallel clinical trial.
- 2024-10-03
- RCT · n = 22
- Journal of human nutrition and dietetics : the official journal of the British Dietetic Association 37(6)
- - Mohammad Reza Shahparvari
  - Javad Nasrollahzadeh
- PubMed: 39360590
- DOI: 10.1111/jhn.13369
3 Insights on
- Reduced Triglyceride Levels
- High evidence
- Clinical
The plasma TG decreased in both the chia seed and fish oil groups in comparison to the control group (p = 0.001). However, no significant difference was observed between the chia seed and fish oil groups (change from baseline mean: 145.2 and 136.7 mg/dL for the chia seed and fish oil groups, respectively).
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Large
Significant
Yes
Dose
30 g/day

chia seed and Reduced Triglyceride Levels

A Critical Review of the Health Benefits Associated with Chia Seeds (Salvia Hispanica L.).

The impact of chia seeds on diabetes, blood pressure, lipid profile, and obesity indicators: Systematic review and meta-regression analysis of 14 randomized controlled trials.

Chia seed (Salvia hispanica L.) consumption and lipid profile: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Chia seed does not promote weight loss or alter disease risk factors in overweight adults.

Effect of chia seeds or concentrated fish oil on cardiometabolic risk markers in subjects with hypertriglyceridaemia: a parallel clinical trial.