Chia Seeds and Acid Reflux: Benefits and Tips for Better Digestion
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The Impact of Chia Seeds for Acid Reflux or GERD

The Impact of Chia Seeds for Acid Reflux or GERD
Everyday Health
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Updated on July 31, 2025
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Ch-ch-ch-chia! Those little chia seeds are for more than growing Chia Pets. These ancient grains may have a place in a modern healthy diet, even, if not especially, if you have acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux (GERD). Here's the scoop on chia seeds for acid reflux.

According to Julie Stefanski, RDN, CDCES, a registered dietitian-nutritionist based in Baltimore, Maryland, and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: "If we look at the overall guidelines for managing GERD, chia seeds can fit into them quite well," though she notes she's not aware of any large human studies linking the use of chia seeds with helping GERD.

Fiber to the Rescue

When you have reflux, digestive juices go in the wrong direction: backing up the esophagus rather than digesting down. "This backup of stomach contents can often be aggravated by constipation," Stefanski says. Chia seeds provide fiber that can help with constipation. Just 1 ounce provides about 10 grams of fiber.

Fiber also makes you feel fuller, which can stop you from overeating.

 When you overeat, your stomach remains extended, and it makes it harder for your stomach to digest all the food that's in it. If eating chia seeds (a fiber-rich food) helps you manage your appetite and stop overeating, it may help reduce the frequency of your reflux symptoms.

But if you're new to chia seeds, start small, Stefanski says. More fiber should be added into your diet gradually, starting with small amounts. "It's important to work your way up, starting with a teaspoon in yogurt for example, or some chia pudding," Stefanski says. And, she adds, like any high-fiber food, excess can lead to bloating and gas. In addition, drinking more water can help reduce bloating and gas when adding more fiber into your diet.

Chia for Fighting Inflammation

Excess weight, particularly around the abdomen, can exacerbate GERD.

 In addition to fiber, chia seeds also contain several substances that support your body's efforts to fight inflammation, including omega-3 fatty acids and the antioxidants myricetin and quercetin.

Another benefit of chia seeds is how heart-healthy they are. They may help lower cholesterol and blood pressure, which, when high, can be risk factors for heart disease.

Who Shouldn’t Eat Chia Seeds

One surgical treatment option for GERD is fundoplication. It's done when the muscle at the end of your esophagus is too loose to keep gastric juices down. If you've undergone fundoplication, you'll want to avoid all seeds (including chia) while you're recovering.

After fundoplication surgery, it typically takes 4 to 6 weeks to gradually return to a normal diet.

 If chia seeds are a regular part of your diet, speak with your doctor about when you can add them back into your routine.

How to Eat Chia Seeds

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggests eating chia seeds raw by sprinkling whole or ground chia seeds on your cereal, yogurt, or vegetables.

Chia seeds absorb liquids easily, so soaking them makes it easier to add them to cooked cereal and other dishes as a gelatinous component. Fun fact: Their sprouts are also edible and can be added to salads, sandwiches, and other dishes.

But Stefanski cautions that if you have swallowing issues or narrowing of the esophagus, you may want to soak the chia seeds first so they expand (chia seeds can absorb many times their weight in water). Alternatively, they can be eaten with a moist food, like yogurt or oatmeal.

And general best practice is that if you have GERD, you don't want to eat any food, including chia seeds, too close to bedtime.

 If you eat soon before lying down, the food can back up and cause a burning-like pain in your esophagus, Stefanski says.

The Takeaway

  • Chia seeds are rich in fiber and may benefit individuals with acid reflux or GERD by helping reduce constipation and promoting a feeling of fullness to prevent overeating.
  • Introduce chia seeds slowly into your diet to avoid potential side effects like bloating and gas, especially if you’re new to consuming them.
  • People recovering from certain surgeries, like fundoplication for GERD, should avoid chia seeds until cleared by their healthcare provider, as these seeds can interfere with the healing process.
  • While chia seeds have anti-inflammatory properties and are heart-healthy due to omega-3s and antioxidants, it's important to wait 2 to 3 hours after eating them (or any food) before lying down.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Chia Seeds, Dry, Raw. United States Department of Agriculture. October 31, 2024.
  2. GERD Diet: Foods That Help with Acid Reflux. Johns Hopkins Medicine. January 2, 2025.
  3. GERD and Obesity. University of Chicago Medicine.
  4. Banaszak M et al. Role of Omega-3 Fatty Acids Eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic (DHA) as Modulatory and Anti-Inflammatory Agents in Noncommunicable Diet-Related Diseases – Reports From the Last 10 Years. Clinical Nutrition ESPEN. October 1, 2024.
  5. Klemm S. What Are Chia Seeds? Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics – Eat Right. July 18, 2024.
  6. Ignite Healthwise, LLC Staff. Fundoplication Surgery: What to Expect at Home. My Health Alberta. July 31, 2024.
  7. 7 Tips for Nighttime Heartburn Relief. Hartford Healthcare. May 4, 2023.
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Reyna Franco, RDN

Medical Reviewer
Member of American College of Lifestyle Medicine

Reyna Franco, RDN, is a New York City–based dietitian-nutritionist, certified specialist in sports dietetics, and certified personal trainer. She is a diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and has a master's degree in nutrition and exercise physiology from Columbia University.

In her private practice, she provides medical nutrition therapy for weight management, sports nutrition, diabetes, cardiac disease, renal disease, gastrointestinal disorders, cancer, food allergies, eating disorders, and childhood nutrition. To serve her diverse patients, she demonstrates cultural sensitivity and knowledge of customary food practices. She applies the tenets of lifestyle medicine to reduce the risk of chronic disease and improve health outcomes for her patients.

Franco is also a corporate wellness consultant who conducts wellness counseling and seminars for organizations of every size. She taught sports nutrition to medical students at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, taught life cycle nutrition and nutrition counseling to undergraduate students at LaGuardia Community College, and precepts nutrition students and interns. She created the sports nutrition rotation for the New York Distance Dietetic Internship program.

She is the chair of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine's Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist Member Interest Group. She is also the treasurer and secretary of the New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, having previously served in many other leadership roles for the organization, including as past president, awards committee chair, and grant committee chair, among others. She is active in the local Greater New York Dietetic Association and Long Island Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, too.

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Beth Orenstein

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Beth W. Orenstein is a freelance medical writer based in Northampton, Pennsylvania. A magna cum laude graduate of Tufts University, Orenstein has written for EverydayHealth.com, and the National Psoriasis Foundation and is a regular contributor to American Legion Magazine's Living Well and Radiology Today.

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