When Is The Best Time To Drink Chia Seeds For Weight Loss?

In recent years, you may have heard of chia seeds being advertised as a popular superfood. In addition to lowering the calories consumed from food, chia seeds have additional health benefits including improved bone health, heart health, and blood sugar regulation. If you are considering using a chia seed drink to improve your health, this guide is perfect for knowing when and how to do it. Chia seeds are full of nutrients and fiber that are perfect for helping you along in your weight loss journey.
When Is The Best Time To Drink Chia Seeds?
Based on research, the best time to consume chia seeds in a drink is to do it first thing in the morning, preferably on an empty stomach. This will keep you hydrated, help reduce your cravings throughout the day, and allow the chia seeds to work to improve your health throughout the day.
Best Time To Drink Chia Seeds For Weight Loss
You can drink chia seeds for weight loss any time of day. However, the drink has the most beneficial effects on your body if you drink the chia seeds first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. By drinking it early, you are setting your body’s digestive system up for success for the rest of the day.
Starting the day with chia seed water can help reduce cravings for food later on. With less cravings, less food is consumed, and more weight is lost. The fluids also prime your digestive system to move well and keep your blood sugar levels stable throughout the day.
After starting your day with a chia seed drink, make sure that the rest of your meals are well-balanced. You can check out this guide to add walnuts to your diet. A healthy lifestyle combined with daily chia seeds is the most effective way to lose weight and improve your overall health.
Drinking Chia Seed Water For Weight Loss

Made popular by many TikTok influencers, you may have heard of chia water as a magic bullet for losing weight, reducing cholesterol, and providing other health benefits. As it turns out, chia seed water is more than just a trendy drink.
Adding chia seeds to your daily routine can have a positive impact on your overall health. For example, some people choose to add chia seeds to their protein drinks after exercising. Meal replacement drinks like Ka’Chava also contain chia seeds for added nutrients and protein.
If you want to take your healthy diet journey further, you can take a look at the PhenQ reviews to learn more about how this meal-replacement drink can improve your overall health.
How Do You Make Chia Seed Water?
Making chia seed water is very simple. Simply add one to two tablespoons of chia seeds to 8-10 oz of water. Let the chia seed mixture sit for 10-15 minutes before you drink it. With more experience, you can always modify the ratios to make a drink with your preferred consistency.
While you can soak chia seeds for several minutes before drinking them, don’t let your drink sit for too long. Chia seeds can absorb a lot of water, and your drink will turn into a thick chia seed pudding if you don’t drink it fast enough.
You may choose to add lemon juice or lime juice to your chia water, which can improve the flavor of your chia water as well as provide other health benefits from the acidity.
Nutritional Benefits Of Chia Seeds
Chia seeds have many health benefits. They are full of nutrients, antioxidants, and fiber that can all greatly improve your overall health and wellness. Here we summarize some of the notable benefits to encourage you to start consuming more chia seeds.
Weight Loss
Due to the high fiber content of chia seeds, they take longer to digest than many other foods. This means that chia seeds make you feel full for a longer amount of time, curbing your food cravings later on. Studies[1] have also suggested that chia seeds can regulate our body’s lipid metabolism, allowing it to more effectively process fats.
Remember, an effective weight loss diet does not only contain healthy foods such as chia seeds but also excludes unhealthy options such as fast food and junk food. Therefore, chia seeds alone do not lead to weight loss, but it’s a good start to restructuring your meals and snacks to live healthier.
Stable Blood Sugar
With 37.3 million Americans[2] currently diagnosed with diabetes, blood sugar regulation is an important health challenge for many individuals struggling with their weight. Type-2 diabetes arises from insulin resistance and is often linked to obesity. In one animal study,[3] obese rats that consumed chia seeds were observed to have decreased insulin resistance and more normalized blood sugar levels. These studies suggest that chia seeds potentially have beneficial effects on regulating blood sugar.
Stronger Bones
Chia seeds are full of vitamins and minerals that are essential to our bone health. Adding one serving of chia seeds to your diet each day will give you 18% of your recommended daily amount of calcium, an important mineral for your bones. Chia seeds are also a great source of magnesium potassium, and phosphorus, which are all important for a strong skeletal system.[4]
Better Cardiovascular Health
Another health target of chia seeds is your cardiovascular system, which is your heart. Chia seeds have been linked to lower cholesterol levels,[5] which decreases the likelihood of having hardened or clogged arteries, allowing your heart to pump blood throughout your body without obstruction. Additionally, omega-3 fatty acids[6] found in chia seeds have even more health benefits for the heart such as reducing the risk of sudden death and other heart-related catastrophes.
Improved Gut Health
Drinking chia seed water each day can improve your gut health. The high fiber content of chia seeds will help your bowel movements continue smoothly and maintain a healthy digestive tract. Research shows that weight loss, eating plant-based foods, and consuming enough fiber can all lower your risk of colorectal cancer,[7] which can be achieved with the help of chia seeds.
Decreased Appetite
Finally, fiber helps you lose weight by helping you feel fuller for longer. Fiber-rich foods take a long time to move through the digestive system so you shouldn’t feel any hunger pangs for at least a few hours after finishing your chia seed water.
In addition, the tiny seeds that you add to your daily drink expand when exposed to water. The seeds continue to expand in your stomach after you drink them, making you feel full.
Who Can Consume Chia Seeds For Weight Loss?
Chia seeds are completely safe for most people to eat. There are very few negative side effects to adding chia seeds to your diet. Of course, there are always exceptions. In rare instances, some people experience an allergic reaction to chia seeds. If you notice itching, hives, swelling, or a rash immediately after consuming chia seeds, seek medical care right away.
In addition, pregnant women should not attempt to drink chia seed water for weight loss. While chia seeds are not dangerous during pregnancy, extreme weight loss can be. If you need to lose weight during pregnancy, make a plan with your healthcare provider to do it in a healthy way.
Conclusion
Drinking chia seed water first thing in the morning on an empty stomach is the best way to maximize your weight loss. Chia water fills your belly and reduces cravings and hunger pangs later in the day.
The health benefits of chia seeds extend way beyond just weight loss. While many people do use chia seed water for weight loss benefits, people who are already at a healthy weight can further improve their health by adding chia seeds to their diet. Chia seeds offer antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients that can reduce cholesterol, strengthen your bones, and improve your gut health.
So, the next time that you are bored with your plain water, just add a spoonful of chia seeds to your glass and turn it into a delicious superfood drink!
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MIDSS adheres to strict procurement guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutes, and medical associations. We work mainly with peer-reviewed studies to ensure the accuracy of the information. We avoid the use of tertiary references. You can read about how we ensure the accuracy and timeliness of our content in our editorial process.
- Din, Z., M. Shahid Alam, Ullah, H., Shi, D., Xu, B., Li, H. and Xiao, C. (2021). Nutritional, phytochemical and therapeutic potential of chia seed (Salvia hispanica L.). A mini-review. Food hydrocolloids for health, [online] 1, pp.100010–100010. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fhfh.2021.100010.
- Anon, (2023). National Diabetes Statistics Report . [online] Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/data/statistics-report/index.html.
- Haiku D. J. Gómez-Velázquez, Aparicio-Fernández, X., Mora, O., González-Dávalos, L., Ericka and Rosalía Reynoso-Camacho (2022). Chia seeds and chemical‐elicited sprouts supplementation ameliorates insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and hepatic steatosis in obese rats. Journal of Food Biochemistry, [online] 46(7). doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/jfbc.14136.
- Anon, (2023). Products – Data Briefs – Number 405 – March 2021. [online] Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db405.htm.
- Bruna de Falco, Amato, M. and Lanzotti, V. (2017). Chia seeds products: an overview. Phytochemistry Reviews, [online] 16(4), pp.745–760. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s11101-017-9511-7.
- Clemens von Schacky (2004). Omega-3 fatty acids and cardiovascular disease. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, [online] 7(2), pp.131–136. doi:https://doi.org/10.1097/00075197-200403000-00005.
- Anon, (2023). Colorectal (Colon) Cancer. [online] Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/colorectal/index.htm.