Effects of Flaxseed on Blood Lipids in Healthy and Dyslipidemic Subjects: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Curr Probl Cardiol. 2022 Jul;47(7):100931. doi: 10.1016/j.cpcardiol.2021.100931. Epub 2021 Jul 16.

Abstract

To address hyperlipidemia, flaxseed demonstrates a great impact on experimental and clinical trials. Therefore, the effects of flaxseed on lipid profiles of healthy and dyslipidemic subjects were assayed. The literature search was performed based on English reports of randomized control trials (RCTs) up to April 2021 to seek the effect of flaxseed on lipid profiles of healthy and dyslipidemic subjects. A total of 14 RCTs with 1107 participants were evaluated. Based on results, flaxseed significantly improves the lipid profile in dyslipidemic patients comprising total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) and triglyceride (TG) in comparison with the control group. Nevertheless, no significant changes were observed in high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C). Although in healthy individual flaxseed significantly increased HDL-C, LDL-C and TG. Subgroup analysis on healthy subjects showed that flaxseed improved LDL-C on overweight subjects with BMI>25. The evidence suggests that flaxseed significantly improved TC, LDL-C and TG in dyslipidemic subjects and additionally improved the HDL-C on healthy subjects.

Publication types

  • Meta-Analysis
  • Review
  • Systematic Review

MeSH terms

  • Cholesterol, HDL
  • Cholesterol, LDL
  • Dyslipidemias* / drug therapy
  • Flax*
  • Humans
  • Lipids
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Triglycerides

Substances

  • Cholesterol, HDL
  • Cholesterol, LDL
  • Lipids
  • Triglycerides