Many people have been asking about chia seeds lately. They’ve been receiving attention on social media and their benefits are well documented in studies. My main focus is educating people on blood pressure. Therefore, let’s answer the question, are chia seeds good for lowering high blood pressure?

Chia seeds are good for lowering high blood pressure. Studies have shown people consuming chia seeds decreased their systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Chia seeds contains nutrients good for high blood pressure like omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, magnesium and calcium.

This blog post will explain in detail how much chia seeds have lowered high blood pressure. In addition, I’ll inform you how it’s nutrients are effective at battling the silent killer. In addition, it can be so effective, there’s some warnings you have to be aware of, especially if you’re on BP medication.

Smoothie Tip: Add chia seeds to your smoothie. In addition, adding frozen fruit instead of ice increases the nutrient density. The blender I recommend has a 6 blade, multi-tiered shaft in the center. Check it out on Amazon by clicking right here, Nutri Ninja BL685 with Auto-iQ Technology.

Disclaimer: Some links in this article are affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon associate and eBay partner I earn from qualifying purchases.

Chia Seeds For Blood Pressure

Saying chia seeds is good for high blood pressure without some scientific data to back it up wouldn’t be worth much. Let’s see what some studies found about chia seeds and blood pressure.

The aim of a study released in 2014 was to investigate the effect of chia seed supplementation on blood pressure. The participants were divided into the following three groups:

1. People with high blood pressure and receiving BP medication.
2. People with high blood pressure and did not receive BP medication.
3. A placebo group.

The participants in group 1 and 2 were given 35 g of chia flour per day and group 3 received a placebo containing no chia flour. A placebo is a substance with no therapeutic effect.

After 12 weeks the placebo group showed no change in blood pressure. Group 2 reduced systolic BP from 146.8 to 137.3. Group 1 showed a reduction in mean clinical blood pressure from 111.3 to 100.1 ¹.

In another study researchers examined whether the addition of chia seeds is associated with the improvement of cardiovascular risk factors including blood pressure. The participants were given 37 grams of chia per day for 12 weeks. Their systolic pressure lowered 6.3 mmHg ².

Chia seeds are good for those on a keto or low-carb diet. If you’re interested in lowering BP with a keto diet plan, many people I know love this 28-day plan. Check it out by visiting their website here, Keto Diet Plan.

Why Chia Seeds Are Good For High Blood Pressure

Chia seeds lowered blood pressure in studies because of their nutrients. They contain omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, magnesium and calcium which are all beneficial for high blood pressure. A one ounce serving of chia seeds contains the following:

• Dietary fiber – 35% DV
• Calcium – 14% DV
• Magnesium – 23% DV
• Omega-3 fatty acids – 8.2 grams

Chia seeds have many antioxidants which are known to fight free radicals, reduce cell damage and disease ³.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Chia seeds are the richest plant source of omega-3 fatty acids. A study published in 2015 found patients who received omega-3 for eight weeks reduced systolic blood pressure 22.2 mmHg and diastolic 11.96 mmHg ⁴.

The omega-3 in chia seeds are mostly ALA which may not be as beneficial as EPA and DHA. The Nurses healthy study found women who ate the highest amounts of ALA omega-3 reduced the risk of sudden cardiac death by 40% ⁵.

Fiber

Just one ounce of chia seeds contains 9.8 grams of fiber which is 35% of the daily recommended amount ⁶. This is important because research has shown only one out of four people consume the recommended amount. 

A recent study, which included 200 people with high blood pressure, found a link between a diet high in fiber and a reduced risk of high blood pressure. The high fiber diet reduced systolic blood pressure by 15% after six months ⁷.

Calcium

A one ounce serving of chia seeds contain 14% of the daily recommended amount. Calcium is a mineral needed for proper muscle contraction, nerve transmission and influences blood pressure. 

Calcium helps control the blood vessel functioning of relaxing and tightening. In addition, it’s helpful with the release of hormones and enzymes required for most body functions ⁸.

In one study, 75 adults without high blood pressure supplemented with calcium everyday for one month. Their blood pressure levels reduced from 116.5/77.1 to 115/72.2 ⁹. Another study showed an association between high blood pressure and low calcium intake. Their high BP reduced with calcium supplementation ¹⁰.

While real food like Chia Seeds is the best way to obtain calcium, it’s not always possible everyday. This is where the Blood Pressure Optimizer can benefit you on those days.

It contains calcium, potassium, magnesium, vitamin C and eight other nutrients proven in studies beneficial for BP. Check it out by visiting their website here, Blood Pressure Optimizer.

Magnesium

Magnesium helps to keep blood vessels from stiffening and prevents blood clotting. It can help with those issues because of its anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, magnesium helps regulate calcium and potassium, which are both vital to healthy blood pressure.

A study published in the Journal Hypertension researched 34 past studies involving over 2,000 people ¹¹. They found the following:

• Magnesium supplementation for three months reduced both systolic and diastolic pressure.
• Higher magnesium levels were associated with increased blood flow, a factor related to blood pressure.
• Supplementing with magnesium daily for one month resulted in lower blood pressure.

I recently wrote about more foods high in magnesium which you may want to read about in my blog post, 35 Foods To Help Reduce Blood Pressure (Proven By Science).

Chia Seeds and High Blood Pressure Medication

As I’ve covered in this article, chia seeds may be beneficial in lowering high blood pressure. However, chia seeds may enhance the effectiveness of high blood pressure medications which can lead to low blood pressure. 

Therefore, always check with your physician prior to changing any of your nutritional habits. It’s possible, they may have you limit your chia seed intake to prevent hypotension or negative interactions.

A common intake of chia seeds is approximately 1.5 tablespoons twice per day. They are easy to incorporate into your daily meals. Some people sprinkle them into their oatmeal, cereal, vegetables, salads or rice.

Chia seeds are available on Amazon at affordable prices. Check them out by clicking here, chia seeds.

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1. National Center for Biotechnology Information: Chia flour supplementation reduces blood pressure in hypertensive subjects[↩]
2. National Center for Biotechnology Information: Supplementation of conventional therapy with the novel grain Salba (Salvia Hispanic L.) improves major and emerging cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetes: results of a randomized controlled trial[↩]
3. National Center for Biotechnology Information: Nutritional and therapeutic perspectives of Chia (Salvia Hispanic L.): a review[↩]
4. National Center for Biotechnology Information: Effect of Omega-3 fatty acids on blood pressure and serum lipids in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients[↩]
5. Harvard: Chia Seeds[↩]
6. Nutrition Value: Chia Seeds[↩]
7. The American Association for the Advancement of Science: High fiber diet associated with reduced CV risk in hypertension, type 2 diabetes patients[↩]
8. Harvard Health: Key minerals to help control blood pressure[↩]
9. National Center for Biotechnology Information: The effect of supplementary calcium on blood pressure in healthy adult women aged 18-30 years in Tehran, Iran[↩]
10. National Center for Biotechnology Information: Daily calcium intake and its relation to blood pressure, blood lipids, and oxidative stress biomarkers in hypertensive and normotensive subjects[↩]
11. Hypertension: Effects of Magnesium Supplementation on Blood Pressure[↩]