Chia seed and oil: possible health benefits reviewed
What it found
Chia seeds and chia oil have been linked to lower blood sugar, smaller waistlines and weight loss in overweight adults, and to better itchy skin and endurance in distance runners.
The science on whether chia is safe is still not settled.
What they found
Studies in people
Blood sugar
Some of the articles found that eating chia lowered blood glucose.
Weight and waist
In overweight adults, some articles reported a decrease in waist circumference and weight.
Skin and endurance
Some articles reported improvements in itchy skin and in endurance in distance runners.
Other findings
How chia is used
Chia is eaten as seeds and also as oil, which is sold in dietary supplements in the U.S. market. The oil is said to bring about similar effects to the seeds.
Why chia matters in the diet
Chia seed is rich in alpha-linolenic acid, which the body cannot make and which is a building block for two other polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Safety questions
The authors say the scientific community's understanding of chia's safety is inconclusive and that more research and proper testing are needed.
What the authors conclude
“However, the inconclusive nature of the scientific community's understanding of its safety warrants further research and appropriate testing.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say the health benefits of chia must be considered within the appropriate circumstances.
- They call for further research and appropriate testing because understanding of chia's safety is inconclusive.
- They highlight the importance of quality compendial standards to support safe use.
How it was done
Heart disease, diabetes and obesity are common, and dietitians have pointed to chia as a food with possible benefits for these problems. The authors also wanted to look at concerns about harmful effects from eating chia and at the need for quality standards.
The authors searched two large research databases, PubMed and SciFinder, for published articles on chia seed and chia oil. They found hundreds of articles describing possible health benefits.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- The paper does not say how many people were in each study, how long they lasted, or how much chia they ate.
- It cannot show that chia causes any of these changes, only that some studies have linked chia to them.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflict of interest.
- Authors work at
- Auburn University, AL
The paper
- Title
- Therapeutic Perspectives on Chia Seed and Its Oil: A Review
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Parker J, Schellenberger AN, Roe AL, Oketch-Rabah H, Calderón AI (2018). Therapeutic Perspectives on Chia Seed and Its Oil: A Review. Planta medica. doi:10.1055/a-0586-4711PubMed 29534257DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error