Skip to main content
Evidence-Based Supplement Research
Evidence-Based Supplement Research
Pillser
Search
Sign UpLog In

flaxseed and Reduced Body Weight

Research synthesisVery low evidenceMixed effect size4 studies · 2 beneficial · 2 neutral · 0 harmful

Across 4 studies, 2 reported beneficial effects on body weight, while 2 found neutral results, yielding a mixed evidence base. The top-quality meta-analysis in 1136 participants with type 2 diabetes showed a large beneficial effect (SMD 0.81), but a lower-quality systematic review in coronary artery disease found no significant weight change. The median study duration was 56 days, and the most commonly suggested dosing for benefit was ≥30 g/day for at least 12 weeks.

  • Effective dose range: ≥30 g/day
  • Studied populations: people with type 2 diabetes

Caveats: Evidence base is small (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 beneficial result was driven by studies in specific clinical populations (type 2 diabetes), and neutral findings emerged in migraine and coronary artery disease cohorts, so generalizability to other groups is uncertain.

Generated Jun 10, 2026
Doses used in studies
  • g/day: 20–30 (median 25, IQR 22.5–27.5) — 2 studies
Time to effect
Median: 8 weeks · IQR 8 weeks–8 weeks · Range 8 weeks–8 weeks — Reported in 1 of 4 studies
Safety in these studies
4 of 4 papers
Back to top