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Background Lignan supplementation may be associated with blood lipids improvement; however, the current evidence from clinical trials is inconsistent. The present study aimed to systematically review and analyze clinical trials assessing the effects of lignan supplementation on blood lipids. Methods We searched the databases SCOPUS, PubMed, ISI Web of Science, and Google Scholar until August 10 th, 2025. The effect sizes were expressed as weighted mean difference (WMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results A total of 10 eligible trials (13 effect sizes) with a total sample size of 448 participants were included in this meta-analysis. Lignans used in these trials were secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG), sesamin, sesamolin, and flaxseed-derived lignan. Our analysis showed that lignan supplementation significantly decreased serum total cholesterol (TC) (WMD: −11.01 mg/dL, 95% CI: −18.67, −3.35, P = 0.005) and LDL cholesterol (LDL-c) (WMD: −8.71 mg/dL, 95% CI: −14.49 to −2.94, P = 0.003), with no significant effect on triglycerides (TG) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) levels. Subgroup analyses showed that lignan administration with dosage less than 500 mg/day, intervention periods less than 10 weeks, BMI less than 25 and 25–29 kg/m 2 and in hypercholesterolemic subjects was more likely to decrease TC and LDL-c. Conclusion Evidence suggests that lignan supplementation is associated with reductions in TC and LDL-c in adults. Therefore, lignan may play a significant role in reducing the risk of dyslipidemia/hyperlipidemia.
Ebrahimi et al. (2026) studied this question.