Can drinking chia seed water help you lose weight?

Odds are that if you're looking for healthy diet tips, you've probably seen chia seeds pop up time and time again.

This nutrient-rich seed feels like a staple of recipe blogs, lifestyle magazines, and wellness influencer reels and TikToks, and that's for good reason!

Adding chia seeds to your diet has been found to be a shortcut to healthier living and a vital source of fibre, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and other essential nutrients that have your body working, feeling, and looking better.

While these health benefits are well documented, their relationship to weight loss has been a relatively new conversation, and the concept of chia seeds in water for weight loss specifically is even newer.

So, what does drinking chia seed water have to do with losing weight, and what are the other health benefits chia seeds can bring to your life and your body? To answer these questions, let's first take a look at what chia seeds are.

What are chia seeds?

In a lot of ways, chia seeds are exactly what they sound like. They are small black or white seeds stemming from the Chia plant, otherwise known as the Salva hispanica plant.

This makes them a part of the mint family native to Southern Mexico and Central America, and it’s there that they have been a part of the human diet for over 5,000 years, having been a staple food for ancient Aztec and Mayan peoples [1].

Chia seeds can be consumed in a variety of ways, but generally speaking, you don’t eat them on their own.

Rather, you add them to baking, breakfast or, in a way that’s becoming increasingly popular, you can soak chia seeds in water to drink them.

Health benefits of chia seed water

As a nutrient-rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, fibre, protein, antioxidants and various vitamins and minerals like calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus, chia seeds can play an important and positive role in your diet.

You'll find many articles on the role in heart health chia seeds play, as well as the role in bone health chia seeds can take, but even beyond that, they've been found to [1]:

• Assist in reducing blood pressure
• Lower cholesterol levels
• Support digestive health and overall gut health
• Support skin health, particularly around acne, dry skin, and wrinkles
• Reduce inflammation
• Protect against chronic disease
• Improve mental health

Adding chia seeds to water is a great way to support your body in all of these respects, but it’s also been found to potentially help with weight loss due to the effect chia seeds in water have on reducing your appetite [2].

Can chia seed water help with weight loss?

Chia seeds absorb water, with some studies finding that the seeds can grow up to 12 times their size when taking in liquid, and the effect creates a large gel and increases the overall density [3].

This effect continues in the stomach, with chia seeds absorbing other liquids and gastric juices in your body, which creates the feeling of fullness.

In that sense, while there haven’t been any studies yet specifically exploring the relationship between consuming chia seed water and weight loss, there have been numerous other studies that have found that chia seeds on their own, or in other foods such as yoghurt or eggs, can help to reduce appetite and create a sensation of fullness which in turn helps with weight loss [2].

These are in addition to the many other health benefits that chia seeds offer.

Are there any risks?

As with any food, consuming too much of it too quickly or too exclusively can lead to health risks.

The human body is designed to consume a wide variety of foods as a part of a balanced diet, and while the nutritional benefits of chia seeds are high, they are not reflective of a complete, healthy diet.

They should be consumed as a part of a broader balanced diet to ensure you stay healthy and happy.

The high fibre content of chia seeds too can cause an upset stomach or constipation if you are not drinking enough water or are used to a lower fibre diet [3].

If you're finding that you're experiencing constipation or other digestive health issues when consuming chia seeds, or if you know that you've previously had a lower dietary fibre lifestyle, introducing chia seeds in smaller doses may help you to transition them into your diet in a way that causes less stomach upsets.

Chia seeds can also interact with certain medications, particularly blood pressure medications, so speaking to your doctor or a medical professional before adding chia seed water to your diet is recommended.

What time should you drink chia seed water?

There’s no right or wrong time to drink chia seed water, so it’s entirely up to you.

It can be a good idea to time it with periods where you know you’re likely to get the munchies, whether that be mid-morning or mid-afternoon, or — if you’re prone to midnight snacking — right before bed.

This means you’ll get all the benefits of that feeling of fullness at the times you might normally be heading for the fridge or pantry.

Can you drink chia seed water every day?

When it comes to drinking chia seed water, you can do it daily, but you should really try to limit that to 1 glass of chia seed water a day.

While there’s no official limit on how many chia seeds you can consume, most sources agree that between 1 and 3 tablespoons a day is best to avoid any risks of constipation or stomach upsets.

How to make chia seed water

To make chia seed water, all you need is a glass, a spoon, access to water, and your preferred brand of chia seeds.

Gently mix 1-2 tablespoons of chia seeds into roughly 1 cup of water. Give them a stir, and watch as the chia seeds begin to soak in the water.

The chia seed water will change in both density and consistency fairly quickly — usually within about 2 minutes — so keeping an eye on it to ensure you’re able to drink it at the right volume for you (some might prefer it thicker than others) is ideal.

Chia seeds are relatively flavourless, so don’t be afraid to add a twist of lime or lemon juice, some mint, or even some berries to the water to make your chia seed water more enticing.

Other ways of consuming chia seeds

Chia seeds are a versatile source of nutrients that can be added to drinks, baking and breakfast alike, giving you lots of ways to boost your dietary intake, but also new and exciting ways to mix up your meal planning.

In particular, why not add chia seeds to a protein-rich beverage like a banana and almond smoothie or green fruit juice?

Chia seeds also go excellently with yoghurt and oats or in pancakes, muffins, and cookies.

You can also make a chia seed pudding by soaking chia seeds in water, almond milk or coconut milk, and adding an array of healthy fruit, nuts, wet seeds, and buckwheats such as kasha too.

For more tips and guidance on ways to eat chia seeds or other ways to maintain a balanced diet and manage weight loss, check out Juniper's Weight Reset Program.

This medical professional-led, community-supported program explores more than just the health benefits of drinking chia seed water.

It provides a personalised lifestyle plan complete with therapeutic treatments to help you not just achieve your weight loss goals, but maintain a healthier lifestyle long term.

Image credit: Pexels/Jubair Bin Iqbal