Investigation of the effect of use of chia seeds in different quantities on body composition and biochemical parameters in adult obesic women taking medical nutritional treatment

Obesity is a chronic disease characterised by excessive adiposity that affects approximately 650 million people worldwide. This study was conducted to determine the effect of 12 weeks of chia seed consumption on body composition and biochemical parameters in obese adult women receiving medical nutrition therapy. 51 women with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 and above participated. The participants were divided into three groups: group 1 (n=17) consumed 20 g of chia seeds daily, group 2 (n=16) consumed 40 g of chia seeds daily and group 3 (n=18) did not consume chia seeds. Dietary habits, anthropometric measurements, various indices and biochemical parameters were assessed at baseline and during follow-up. Anthropometric measurements of the participants were analysed between week 0 and week 12; BMI and mean body weight decreased the most in those consuming 40 g chia seeds and the least in those not consuming chia seeds; body fat mass, body fat ratio, waist-to-height ratio, mean waist circumference decreased the most in those consuming 20 g chia seeds; mean body muscle mass increased the most in those not consuming chia seeds; mean neck circumference decreased the most in those consuming 40 g chia seeds (p<0.05). When comparing the 0. and 12. fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, TSH, HOMA-IR, ALT, AST averaged decreased in those who consumed 20 g of chia seeds, HDL cholesterol averaged increased; HDL cholesterol and HOMA-IR of those who consumed 40 g of chia seeds and HDL cholesterol of those who did not consume chia seeds did not differ significantly between groups, but there was a significant difference in other biochemical variables (p<0. 05). The use of chia seeds can potentially be evaluated in medical nutrition therapies, but the number of long-term studies with larger samples should be increased.