Psyllium fiber
Plantago ovata or p. psyllium or Ispaghula
Mucilage or soluble fiber
Bulking laxative – bulk in the intestine – reflex response – increased peristalsis (movement of the intestine/musculature)
Risk of bloating in some
- Erdogan A, Rao SS, Thiruvaiyaru D, Lee YY, Coss Adame E, Valestin J, O'Banion M. Randomized clinical trial: mixed soluble/insoluble fiber vs. psyllium for chronic constipation. Food Pharmacol Ther. 2016 Jul;44(1):35-44. doi:10.1111/apt.13647. PMID: 27125883; PMCID: PMC4891216.https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/apt.13647
Relieves constipation more effectively than Docusate (stool softener) (5.1g 2 times daily vs 100mg 2 times daily)
- McRorie JW, Daggy BP, Morel JG, Diersing PS, Miner PB, Robinson M. Psyllium is superior to docusate sodium for treatment of chronic constipation. Food Pharmacol Ther. 1998 May;12(5):491-7. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2036.1998.00336.x. PMID: 9663731. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1046/j.1365-2036.1998.00336.x
Relief in some people with IBS
- Shulman RJ, Hollister EB, Cain K, Czyzewski DI, Self MM, Weidler EM, Devaraj S, Luna RA, Versalovic J, Heitkemper M. Psyllium Fiber Reduces Abdominal Pain in Children With Irritable Bowel Syndrome in a Randomized, Double-Blind Trial. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2017 May;15(5):712-719.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2016.03.045. PMID: 27080737; PMCID: PMC5064811. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5064811/
Prebiotics – soluble fiber helps feed certain beneficial bacteria in the gut
increased production of butryrate – beneficial for the mucosa and intestinal health
- Jalanka J, Major G, Murray K, Singh G, Nowak A, Kurtz C, Silos-Santiago I, Johnston JM, de Vos WM, Spiller R. The Effect of Psyllium Husk on Intestinal Microbiota in Constipated Patients and Healthy Controls. Int J Mol Sci. 2019 Jan 20;20(2):433. doi:10.3390/ijms20020433. PMID: 30669509; PMCID: PMC6358997. https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/20/2/433
Lowers blood sugar after meals (in diabetics), lowers bad cholesterol and increases good HDL
- Noureddin S, Mohsen J, Payman A. Effects of psyllium vs. placebo on constipation, weight, glycemia, and lipids: A randomized trial in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic constipation. Ther Med supplement. 2018 Oct;40:1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2018.07.004. PMID: 30219432. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S096522991830133X
Cholesterol and lipids
- Jovanovski E, Yashpal S, Komishon A, Zurbau A, Blanco Mejia S, Ho HVT, Li D, Sievenpiper J, Duvnjak L, Vuksan V. Effect of psyllium (Plantago ovata) fiber on LDL cholesterol and alternative lipid targets, non-HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2018 Nov 1;108(5):922-932. doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqy115. PMID: 30239559. https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/108/5/922/5098499
Weight loss and appetite suppressant? We'll come back to that.
- Pal S, Ho S, Gahler RJ, Wood S. Effect on body weight and composition in overweight/obese Australian adults over 12 months consumption of two different types of fiber supplementation in a randomized trial. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2016 Nov 17;13:82. doi:10.1186/s12986-016-0141-7. PMID: 27891167; PMCID: PMC5114742.
Dosage
About 5g 2 times a day is the recommended dose
For some people, the dose will be higher
For health, to increase fiber content, 5g per day is sufficient
Make sure you drink enough
General references
- McRorie JW Jr, McKeown NM. Understanding the Physics of Functional Fibers in the Gastrointestinal Tract: An Evidence-Based Approach to Resolving Enduring Misconceptions about Insoluble and Soluble Fiber. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2017 Feb;117(2):251-264. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2016.09.021. PMID: 27863994. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221226721631187X
- Plantago ovata. (Psyllium). Altern Med Rev. 2002 Apr;7(2):155-9. PMID: 11991795.
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