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Chia seeds promote weight loss, improved body composition in type 2 diabetes, obesity
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Adults with type 2 diabetes and overweight or obesity saw greater improvements in body weight, waist circumference and C-reactive protein levels when assigned to a diet that included chia seeds vs. those assigned to a diet with oat bran for 6 months, according to findings from a randomized controlled trial.
Vladimir Vuksan, PhD, of the Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Center at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, and colleagues analyzed data from 58 patients with type 2 diabetes and overweight or obesity. Researchers randomly assigned participants to a 6-month calorie-restricted diet along with either 30 g/1,000 kcal per day of chia seeds (n = 27) or to 36 g/1,000 kcal per day of oat bran as a control (n = 31). Both supplements were provided in two forms, with one-third baked into whole wheat bread and the remainder provided as a powder to be sprinkled onto food to reduce monotony. Participants attended the clinic at 2 weeks and then every 6 weeks for 6 months to receive one-on-one 30-minute counseling sessions with a study dietitian; 3-day food records were completed at each visit. Primary endpoint was change in body weight at 10 months; secondary endpoints included changes in waist circumference, body composition, glycemic control, C-reactive protein and satiety hormones.
Patients assigned to chia seeds saw a greater reduction in body weight at 6 months vs. controls (1.9 kg vs. 0.3 kg; P = .02), as well as a greater reduction in waist circumference (3.5 cm vs. 1.1 cm; P = .027) and C-reactive protein (1.1 mg/L vs. 0.2 mg/L; P = .045). Participants assigned chia seeds also experienced a mean 6.5% increase in adiponectin levels. There were no between-group differences in glycemic control measures.
“Results from the present study revealed that a 6-month addition of Salba-chia to a calorie-restricted diet, in conjunction with the standard medical care, resulted in small, but significant, weight loss in overweight and obese participants with [type 2 diabetes],” the researchers wrote. “Even modest weight loss, especially when accompanied with a reduction in visceral obesity, represents a clinically important achievement as weight management in this population is inherently challenging. In addition, Salba-chia improved obesity-related health outcomes, including reductions in [high-sensitivity C-reactive protein] and increased adiponectin concentrations.” – by Regina Schaffer
Disclosure: The Canadian Diabetes Association supported this study. Salba Smart Centennial of Colorado provided the Salba-chia seeds.
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