Chia seed and oil effects on weight, blood sugar and skin
What it found
Hundreds of articles report that chia lowered blood sugar, waist size and weight in overweight adults.
It also improved itchy skin and endurance in distance runners.
What they found
Studies in people
Blood sugar and weight
In overweight adults, chia was linked to lower blood sugar, smaller waist size and less body weight.
Skin and endurance
Chia improved itchy skin and boosted endurance in distance runners.
Other findings
Rich in essential fats
Chia seeds contain a lot of alpha-linolenic acid. The body cannot make this fat on its own but uses it to build other important fats.
Seeds and oil forms
People eat chia as whole seeds or as oil. The oil is also sold in dietary supplements in the U.S. market.
What the authors conclude
- They note that the reported benefits must be weighed against the right circumstances for each person.
- They call for more research and proper testing because scientists do not yet fully understand the safety of chia.
- They highlight the need for quality standards to support its use.
How it was done
Heart disease, diabetes and obesity are rising, and dieticians have pointed to chia as a food with possible benefits for these problems. Scientists do not yet fully understand its safety, so more research is needed.
The authors searched two large databases, PubMed and SciFinder, for studies on chia seeds and chia oil. They looked through hundreds of articles about how eating chia affects health.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This work gathered past articles rather than running a new trial, so it can only show links, not causes.
- The authors say the benefits depend on the circumstances, which may differ from person to person.
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 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error