Eating Flaxseeds May Help In Weight Loss

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by

Andre Broussard, D.C.
in
JUNE 27, 2017

The effect of flaxseed supplementation on body weight and body composition: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 45 randomized placebo-controlled trials

Obesity Reviews

Mohammadi–Sartang M, et al. – Evidence reporting the impacts of flaxseed consumption on body weight and body composition was analyzed by researchers. Findings reported the benefit of whole flaxseed consumption on weight management. Especially for overweight and obese individuals, it represented a good option for weight reduction.

Methods

  • Researchers searched PubMed, Medline via Ovid, SCOPUS, EMBASE and ISI Web of Sciences databases up to November 2016 to identify RCTs assessing the effects of flaxseed consumption on body weight and body composition.
  • Mean changes in body composition indices including body weight, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference were extracted.
  • Effect sizes were expressed as weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).
  • They assessed heterogeneity between studies with the I2test.
  • They also performed publication bias and subgroup analyses.
  • Furthermore, they assessed quality of articles via the Jadad scale.

Results

  • This analysis included a total of 45 RCTs.
  • Findings obtained from meta-analyses indicated a marked reduction in body weight (WMD: -0.99 kg, 95% CI: -1.67, -0.31, p = 0.004), BMI (WMD: -0.30 kg m -2, 95% CI: -0.53, -0.08, p = 0.008) and waist circumference (WMD: -0.80 cm, 95% CI: -1.40, -0.20, p = 0.008) following flaxseed supplementation.
  • It was demonstrated in subgroup analyses that using whole flaxseed in doses ≥30 g d-1, longer-term interventions (≥12 weeks) and studies including participants with higher BMI (≥ 27 kg m-2) had positive effects on body composition.

Journal Abstract