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Flx6.5
Flaxseed Research
Mostly mechanism / observational
6 peer-reviewed studies
Our research database did not respond in time, so this list covers only our curated studies. It refreshes automatically.
What the evidence says
Mostly mechanism / observational
Most Flaxseed studies are mechanism or observational rather than RCTs that measure a clinical effect — keep findings provisional.
Based on 6 studies · 4 meta-analyses · 2 RCTs · 1,502 total participants
Confidence
High confidence
By outcome
Heart & blood pressureRoughly 2-3 mmHg lower systolic/diastolic blood pressure and modest LDL reduction with whole/milled flaxseed · 8-12 weeks
Mostly mechanism / observational3 studies
Glucose & metabolicSmall reductions in fasting glucose and insulin resistance (whole flaxseed only; no HbA1c change) · 12 weeks
Too few graded studies2 studies
Women's healthWeak, inconsistent effect on climacteric symptoms via lignan phytoestrogens · Up to 6 months
Too few graded studies2 studies
Active research area
2 studies in the last 5 years · Latest meta-analysis: 2025
201220182025
1Meta-AnalysisCited 72×n=1,302 · large study2016
In plain English: Meta-analysis of 15 RCTs found significant reductions in systolic (-2.85 mmHg) and diastolic (-2.39 mmHg) blood pressure with flaxseed, with larger effects for trials lasting 12 weeks or more and for flaxseed powder rather than lignan extract.
Ursoniu S, Sahebkar A, Andrica F, Serban C, Banach M; LBPMC Group · Clin Nutr (2016)
15 trials (19 treatment arms), 1302 participants
Systolic BP reduced by -2.85 mmHg (95% CI -5.37 to -0.33, p=0.027)
Diastolic BP reduced by -2.39 mmHg (95% CI -3.78 to -0.99, p=0.001)
In plain English: In peripheral artery disease patients, 30g/day of milled flaxseed lowered systolic BP by ~10 mmHg and diastolic BP by ~7 mmHg versus placebo over 6 months, with the largest effect in those who started hypertensive.
In plain English: Across 25 RCTs, flaxseed modestly reduced fasting glucose, insulin, and HOMA-IR — but only whole flaxseed (not oil or lignan extract) helped, and there was no effect on HbA1c.
Mohammadi-Sartang M, Sohrabi Z, Barati-Boldaji R, Raeisi-Dehkordi H, Mazloom Z · Nutr Rev (2018)
25 RCTs (30 treatment arms)
Fasting glucose reduced by -2.94 mg/dL (95% CI -5.31 to -0.56, p=0.015)
Insulin and HOMA-IR significantly reduced; insulin sensitivity (QUICKI) increased
In plain English: In postmenopausal women, flaxseed intake significantly lowered total cholesterol, LDL, and HDL cholesterol, suggesting a favorable effect on the lipid profile.
Błaszczuk A, Barańska A, Kanadys W, et al. · Nutrients (2022)
Systematic review and meta-analysis in postmenopausal women
Total cholesterol reduced (WMD -0.26 mmol/L, p=0.0001)
In plain English: Flaxseed meal and extract showed a trend toward reduced Kupperman menopausal symptom scores, but ANOVA found no significant between-group difference, so the menopausal benefit remains uncertain.
Colli MC, Bracht A, Soares AA, et al. · J Med Food (2012)
90 menopausal women randomized to flaxseed extract, flaxseed meal, or placebo, 6 months
Paired t-tests showed symptom reduction within flaxseed groups (p<0.01)
ANOVA of change scores found no significant between-group difference (p=0.084)
In plain English: Flaxseed supplementation effectively reduces anthropometric indices and triglyceride levels in type 2 diabetes but shows no benefit on blood pressure or other lipid profile parameters.
Musazadeh V et al. · Diabetes & metabolic syndrome (2025)
Meta-analysis of 16 RCTs with 1136 diabetic participants, searched through June 2024