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Chia

Scientific Name(s): Salvia columbariae Benth., Salvia hispanicaI L.
Common Name(s): Chia, Salba

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Nov 29, 2022.

Clinical Overview

Use

Results from small clinical studies evaluating the effects of chia seed supplementation on cardiovascular risk factors, including in type 2 diabetes, are equivocal. Evidence is lacking to support use as a weight-loss supplement in the absence of other dietary restrictions. Therefore, chia cannot be recommended for any use.

Dosing

Clinical studies are lacking to determine dosing guidelines. Chia seed (S. hispanica) 50 g/day (in 2 divided doses) for 12 weeks was used to evaluate effects on weight and disease risk factors in a study of overweight patients; a similar study in overweight postmenopausal women used 25 g/day for 10 weeks. Another trial evaluating effects on cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetes used S. hispanica 37 (±4) g/day for 12 weeks. A lower amount of chia seed (about 15 g) has been proposed as the recommended daily intake by the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes.

Contraindications

Contraindications have not been identified, aside from allergy to chia or related species.

Pregnancy/Lactation

Avoid use. Information regarding safety and efficacy in pregnancy and lactation is lacking.

Interactions

Caution is warranted if used concurrently with anticoagulants (eg, warfarin) or antiplatelet agents (eg, aspirin, clopidogrel, prasugrel) due to case reports of enhanced anticoagulation and bleeding with ingestion of species related to chia.

Adverse Reactions

Case reports of allergy exist, and Salmonella-infected sprouted chia seed powder has been documented. GI adverse effects are the most commonly reported adverse effect in clinical studies.

Toxicology

Information regarding toxicity of chia is limited.

Scientific Family

Botany

Chia is an annual herb growing up to 1 m in height that thrives in arid conditions. The flowering part of the plant is at the end of the stem, with purple or white fused flowers developing in clusters. The seeds are small and oval in shape (1 to 2 mm in diameter) and are mottled brown, gray, black, and white.Mohd 2012, USDA 2019 The chia species S. hispanica L. and S. columbariae Benth. are related to Salvia miltiorrhiza (danshen) and Salvia officinalis (sage) (see also Danshen and Sage monographs).

History

Chia seed was part of the ancient Aztec diet and considered an energy food used by messengers and runners. More recently chia has gained popularity as a functional food.Adams 2005, Marcinek 2017, Ulbricht 2009, Valdivia-Lopez 2015 Chia has been used as an egg and oil replacement in cakes.Borneo 2010

Chemistry

Chia seeds are a source of carbohydrates, dietary fiber, protein, and fat. The seeds contain approximately 250 to 390 g of oil/kg, the majority being polyunsaturated omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid, with smaller amounts of omega-6 linoleic acid as well as monounsaturated and saturated fat. Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C, and E, as well as calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, sodium, and zinc have been identified. Chia seeds do not contain gluten.Capitani 2013, Ixtaina 2008, Mohd 2012, Oliveira-Alves 2017, Olivos-Lugo 2010, Sandoval-Oliveros 2013 The composition of the seeds varies under differing environmental conditions.Ayerza 2009 Phenolic compounds, including myricetin, quercetin, kaempferols, and caffeic acid, have been identified.Oliveira-Alves 2017, Ullah 2016 Chia roots are reported to contain tanshinones.Adams 2005

Uses and Pharmacology

Athletic performance

Clinical data

A study evaluating chia seed as a source of energy found enhanced endurance, but not performance, among athletes(Illian 2011); however, another small study in male and female long distance runners (N=24) reported no effect on run time to exhaustion, respiratory exchange ratio, or cortisol or inflammatory outcome measures with chia seed oil consumption. Elevations in plasma alpha-linolenic acid were noted.(Nieman 2015)

Cancer

Animal data

Chia oil inhibited growth and metastasis of adenocarcinoma in mice, possibly due to the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid content.(Espada 2007) Further studies suggest chia mucilaginous polysaccharide extract may enhance the effects of medicines used in chemotherapy, such as vinblastine, via activity on efflux pump transport systems.(Rosas-Ramirez 2017) Findings regarding effects of chia on proinflammatory cytokines and anti-inflammatory processes related to tumor development are equivocal.(Carnier 2018, Ferreira 2018) Antioxidant activity has been described.(Marcinek 2017, Marineli Rda 2015)

Cardiovascular effects

Clinical data

Small clinical studies evaluating effects of chia on cardiovascular disease risk factors have been conducted and tend to report positive findings.(Nieman 2009, Parker 2018, Toscano 2014, Vuksan 2007)

A systematic review of studies published through 2014 and evaluating effects of S. hispanica consumption on cardiovascular risk factors, and another meta-analysis of 12 clinical trials published through December 2016 and evaluating use of chia seed for a wide variety of conditions reported no effect of chia seed supplementation on cardiovascular- or diabetes-related outcome measures.(de Souza Ferreira 2015, Teoh 2018) Subgroup analysis suggested higher doses of chia seed may have a positive impact on postprandial blood glucose, high-density lipoprotein, and diastolic blood pressure.(Teoh 2018)

Cognitive effects

Animal data

In senescence-accelerated mice under aging and metabolic stress via a high-fat diet, cognitive function was not enhanced with chia seed supplementation.(Rui 2018) In a series of neurobehavioral tests, administration of S. hispanica water extract in mice resulted in significantly improved responses compared to the control. Results suggested that the responses were likely due to improvements related to memory, learning, anxiety, and stress that may also reflect antidepressant effects.(Adel 2019)

Dermatological effects

Clinical data

Topical chia seed oil (4%) administered for 8 weeks acted as an emollient in a small study of patients with pruritus (N=10).(Jeong 2010)

Diabetes

Animal data

Studies in rodents generally report positive findings, including decreased insulin resistance and improved glucose metabolism.(Creus 2017, Fortino 2017, Marineli Rda 2015, Oliva 2013)

Clinical data

Small studies conducted by a limited group of researchers have produced equivocal findings.(Marcinek 2017) A meta-analysis of 12 clinical trials published through December 2016 and evaluating use of chia seed for a wide variety of conditions reported no effect of chia seed supplementation on cardiovascular- or diabetes-related outcome measures. Subgroup analysis suggested higher doses of chia seed may have a positive impact on postprandial blood glucose, high-density lipoprotein, and diastolic blood pressure.(Teoh 2018)

In a small study in healthy female volunteers (N=24), chia seed added to yogurt reduced short-term food intake (thus reduced postprandial glycemia) and increased satiety, effects attributable to the high fiber content of chia seed.(Ayaz 2017) In another small clinical study among healthy participants (N=15), chia seed demonstrated the ability to convert glucose into a slow-release carbohydrate and affect satiety to a greater extent than flax.(Vuksan 2017)

The American Diabetes Association updated guidelines on the standards of medical care in diabetes (2021) recommends individualized medical nutrition therapy program as needed to achieve treatment goals for all people with type 1 or 2 diabetes, prediabetes, and gestational diabetes (level A), with dietary fats supplied by eating foods rich in long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, including seeds containing alpha-linolenic acid, to prevent or treat cardiovascular disease (level B).(ADA 2021)

Dyslipidemia/Obesity

Animal data

Studies conducted in rodents and rabbits suggest positive effects on lipid profile, with equivocal findings reported for obesity.(Ferreira 2018, Fortino 2017, Marcinek 2017, Oliva 2013)

Clinical data

In a small clinical study in postmenopausal women (N=10), consumption of chia seed 25 g/day for 7 weeks resulted in an increase in plasma alpha-linolenic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid.(Jin 2012) In a study of 90 overweight participants who supplemented their diet with chia seed 50 g daily for 12 weeks, no change in lipid profile, body mass, or composition occurred.(Nieman 2009) Similarly, a study in overweight women by the same researchers showed improvements in alpha-linolenic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid levels but no changes in body composition, markers of inflammation, blood pressure, or lipoprotein levels with chia seed supplementation (25 g/day for 10 weeks).(Parker 2018)

A meta-analysis of 12 clinical trials published through December 2016 and evaluating use of chia seed for a wide variety of conditions reported no effect of chia seed supplementation on cardiovascular- or diabetes-related outcome measures. Subgroup analysis suggested higher doses of chia seed may have a positive impact on postprandial blood glucose, high-density lipoprotein, and diastolic blood pressure.(Teoh 2018)

Long-term intake

Animal data

A study evaluating long-term dietary intake of chia seed in rodents demonstrated several potential benefits, including differences in bone mineral content and densitometry analysis compared to controls.(Montes Chani 2018)

Vegetarian diet

Clinical data

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' updated position paper on vegetarian diets (2016) states that adequate nutrition can be provided by a well-planned vegetarian diet that includes seeds. Therapeutic vegetarian diets are useful in maintaining a healthy weight and body mass index and are associated with a reduction in cardiovascular disease risk and type 2 diabetes. Chia seeds and their oil are one of the most concentrated plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids, and seeds, in general, are a source of protein and zinc.(Melina 2016)

Dosing

Clinical studies are lacking to determine dosing guidelines. Chia seed (S. hispanica) 50 g/day (in 2 divided doses) for 12 weeks was used to evaluate effects on weight and disease risk factors in a study of overweight patientsNieman 2009; a similar study in overweight postmenopausal women used 25 g/day for 10 weeks.Parker 2018 Another trial evaluating effects on cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetes used S. hispanica 37 (±4) g/day for 12 weeks.Vuksan 2007 A lower amount of chia seed (about 15 g) has been proposed as the recommended daily intake by the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes.Jones 2012 The oil has also been evaluated in limited clinical settings.Nieman 2015

Pregnancy / Lactation

Avoid use. Safety and efficacy in pregnancy and lactation have not been established. Related S. officinalis (sage) exhibits emmenagogue and abortifacient effects; however, S. miltiorrhiza has been used for pregnancy-related hypertension.Ernst 2002

Interactions

Cases reports cite enhanced anticoagulation and bleeding in patients receiving long-term warfarin who consumed related S. miltiorrhiza (danshen). A similar effect might occur with the root of S. hispanica and S. columbariae due to the presence of tanshinones. Therefore, caution is warranted if chia is used concurrently with anticoagulants (eg, warfarin) or antiplatelet agents (eg, aspirin, clopidogrel, prasugrel).(Adams 2005, Cheng 2007, Ernst 2002, Hu 2005)

Adverse Reactions

Case reports of allergic reactions exist.Parker 2018, Tomas Perez 2018 Salmonella-infected sprouted chia seed powder led to an outbreak of foodborne infection in the United States and Canada in 2013 and 2014.Harvey 2017

According to a meta-analysis of chia use for a variety of conditions, GI adverse effects were the most commonly reported, with no differences in incidence of other adverse effects observed between participants receiving chia seed and control subjects.Teoh 2018

A case report of complete distal esophageal obstruction by a gel of hydrated chia seeds exists.Rawl 2014

Toxicology

Information regarding toxicity of chia is limited. In a 90-day study in chickens, a decrease in egg production among white hens receiving diets containing chia seed in amounts greater than 140 g/kg was observed.Ayerza 2002

References

Disclaimer

This information relates to an herbal, vitamin, mineral or other dietary supplement. This product has not been reviewed by the FDA to determine whether it is safe or effective and is not subject to the quality standards and safety information collection standards that are applicable to most prescription drugs. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to take this product. This information does not endorse this product as safe, effective, or approved for treating any patient or health condition. This is only a brief summary of general information about this product. It does NOT include all information about the possible uses, directions, warnings, precautions, interactions, adverse effects, or risks that may apply to this product. This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. You should talk with your health care provider for complete information about the risks and benefits of using this product.

This product may adversely interact with certain health and medical conditions, other prescription and over-the-counter drugs, foods, or other dietary supplements. This product may be unsafe when used before surgery or other medical procedures. It is important to fully inform your doctor about the herbal, vitamins, mineral or any other supplements you are taking before any kind of surgery or medical procedure. With the exception of certain products that are generally recognized as safe in normal quantities, including use of folic acid and prenatal vitamins during pregnancy, this product has not been sufficiently studied to determine whether it is safe to use during pregnancy or nursing or by persons younger than 2 years of age.

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