Chia seeds

    Written by:
    Kamal Patel
    Last Updated: August 28, 2025

    Salvia hispanica (Chia) are seeds commonly used to supplement dietary fiber and are claimed to have other health promoting properties. Its mechanical properties may provide use during baking and the fiber content good for bowel health with health promoting effects not yet demonstrated.

    Summary

    Chia seeds (grain product, surprisingly) are seeds from the plant Salvia hispanica that are ground and used for supplemental purposes to supply dietary fiber and fatty acids. The fiber component is mostly insoluble and absorbs a large amount of water (similar to psyllium husk, comparisons between the two not conducted) while the fatty acid component tends to be mostly omega-3 fatty acids (60% overall and as alpha-linoleic acid) and some omega-6 fatty acids (20% overall and as linolenic acid). There are some phenolics in chia as well, with Myricetin being the most plentiful one.

    For all intents and purposes, currently chia supplementation is only really supported for the fiber aspect and even this is not overly well supported. Dietary inclusion of chia (assuming calories are kept the same) has mixed evidence for some health parameters and null evidence for other parameters and currently no human evidence for weight loss. A reduction in appetite has been noted once (common to dietary fiber) but this does not appear to reduce weight over longer trials where diet is not controlled.

    Dosage information

    25g of chia tends to be used once daily with a meal for the purposes of general health and intestinal motility. There is no evidence to suggest if this is the optimal dose.

    Research Breakdown

    Examine Database References

    1. Triglycerides - Nieman DC, Cayea EJ, Austin MD, Henson DA, McAnulty SR, Jin FChia seed does not promote weight loss or alter disease risk factors in overweight adultsNutr Res.(2009 Jun)
    2. Appetite - Vuksan V, Jenkins AL, Dias AG, Lee AS, Jovanovski E, Rogovik AL, Hanna AReduction in postprandial glucose excursion and prolongation of satiety: possible explanation of the long-term effects of whole grain Salba (Salvia Hispanica L.)Eur J Clin Nutr.(2010 Apr)
    3. Blood glucose - Pam P, El Sayed I, Asemani S, Jamilian P, Zarezadeh M, Ghoreishy ZThe effectiveness of chia seed in improving glycemic status: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Diabetes Metab Syndr.(2024 Jun 21)
    4. Blood Pressure - TaghipourSheshdeh F, Behzadi M, Bashiri S, Mohammadi-Sartang MThe Effect of Chia Seed on Blood Pressure, Body Composition, and Glycemic Control: A GRADE-Assessed Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Nutr Rev.(2024 Sep 3)
    5. C-Reactive Protein (CRP) - Pam P, Asemani S, Azizi MH, Jamilian PChia seed supplementation and inflammatory biomarkers: a systematic review and meta-analysis.J Nutr Sci.(2024)
    6. Total cholesterol - Vuksan V, Whitham D, Sievenpiper JL, Jenkins AL, Rogovik AL, Bazinet RP, Vidgen E, Hanna ASupplementation of conventional therapy with the novel grain Salba (Salvia hispanica L.) improves major and emerging cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetes: results of a randomized controlled trialDiabetes Care.(2007 Nov)
    7. Itching - Se Kyoo Jeong, Hyun Jung Park, Byeong Deog Park, Il-Hwan KimEffectiveness of Topical Chia Seed Oil on Pruritus of End-stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Patients and Healthy VolunteersAnn Dermatol.(2010 May)