flaxseed and Reduced Fasting Blood Glucose Levels

Research synthesisModerate evidenceModerate effect3 studies · 3 beneficial · 0 neutral · 0 harmful

Across all 3 studies, flaxseed supplementation consistently showed a beneficial moderate-sized effect on reducing fasting blood glucose levels. The strongest evidence comes from a 90-day RCT using 16 g daily in adults with type 2 diabetes and a meta-analysis in patients with coronary artery disease. The median study duration was 90 days (reported in 1 of 3 studies).

Studied populations: Patients with type 2 diabetes and patients with coronary artery disease (CAD)

Caveats: Evidence base is small (only 3 studies) — conclusions should be considered preliminary. All three studies report beneficial effects, but this homogeneity may reflect publication bias (null-result studies are less likely to be published or indexed). Only one study specified a dose (16 g daily) and all populations were clinical, so generalizability to healthy individuals is uncertain.

Generated Jul 12, 2026

Doses used in studies

g/day: 16 (median 16, IQR 16–16) — 1 study

Time to effect

Median: 3 months · IQR 3 months–3 months · Range 3 months–3 months — Reported in 1 of 3 studies

3 of 3 papersPopulation:

Flaxseed Improves Glucose and Lipid Metabolism in Mexican Subjects with Type 2 Diabetes: A Parallel Randomized Clinical Trial.
- 2025-02-17
- RCT
- Nutrients 17(4)
- - Sabina López-Toledo
  - María Cruz Pineda De la Cruz
  - Itzae Adonai Gutiérrez-Hurtado
  - Ana L Gijón-Soriano
  - Enrique Martínez-Martínez
  - Carlos Valencia-Santiago
  - José E Orellana-Centeno
  - Sergio A Ramírez-García
  - Royer Pacheco-Cruz
- PubMed: 40005038
- DOI: 10.3390/nu17040709
4 Insights on
- Reduced Fasting Blood Glucose Levels
- High evidence
- Rigorous Journal
- Clinical
Consuming 16 g of flaxseed daily for three months led to a significant decrease in glucose... levels (p < 0.001)
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate
Significant
Yes
Dose
16 g daily
Effects of flaxseed supplementation on weight loss, lipid profiles, glucose, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in patients with coronary artery disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
- 2024-01
- Meta-Analysis
- Clinical cardiology 47(1)
- - Hamid Reza Sabet
  - Mohammad Ahmadi
  - Mehdi Akrami
  - Mahsa Motamed
  - Omid Keshavarzian
  - Mozhan Abdollahi
  - Mehdi Rezaei
  - Hamed Akbari
- PubMed: 38269632
- DOI: 10.1002/clc.24211
8 Insights on
- Reduced Fasting Blood Glucose Levels
- High evidence
- Clinical
the circulating levels of fasting blood glucose (WMD = -8.35 mg/dL; 95% CI: -15.01, -1.69, p = .01) ... significantly decreased after the intervention.
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate
Significant
Yes
Flaxseed in Diabetes Management: Nutritional and Therapeutic Insights.
- 2025-09-24
- Review
- Current nutrition reports 14(1)
- - Preedhi Kapoor
  - Zubair Ahmad Parrey
  - Bilal Ahmad Mir
  - Ab Waheed Wani
  - Ritu Kumari
  - Gurseen Rakhra
  - Ridhi Joshi
  - Gurmeen Rakhra
  - Wajid Aslam Khan
  - Kasim Sakran Abass
  - Bodour S Rajab
  - Arshad Farid
  - Saad Alghamdi
- PubMed: 40991096
- DOI: 10.1007/s13668-025-00696-3
4 Insights on
- Reduced Fasting Blood Glucose Levels
- Low evidence
Flaxseed, whether consumed whole or in various processed forms, may serve as a complementary therapy alongside conventional antidiabetic medications.
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate
Significant
Yes

flaxseed and Reduced Fasting Blood Glucose Levels

Flaxseed Improves Glucose and Lipid Metabolism in Mexican Subjects with Type 2 Diabetes: A Parallel Randomized Clinical Trial.

Effects of flaxseed supplementation on weight loss, lipid profiles, glucose, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in patients with coronary artery disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Flaxseed in Diabetes Management: Nutritional and Therapeutic Insights.