Psyllium Fiber
A Beginner's Guide to Psyllium Fiber
If you look closely at the ingredient list of certain cereals and other foods, such as baked goods, you might see psyllium fiber, and wonder what it might be. Psyllium fiber has been around for about ten years as an additive to food products. The fiber comes from psyllium husk, which is obtained by crushing the seeds of Plantago ovate, an herb that is native to the Mediterranean and parts of Asia and North Africa. It has been used in herbal remedies and in laxatives.
Psyllium fiber is water soluble fiber, such as is found in oats or oat bran. The difference is that one hundred grams of oat bran would have five grams of soluble fiber, but one hundred grams of psyllium would have 71 grams of soluble fiber. Since it has recently been determined that soluble fiber is a good thing with many potential health benefits, you can understand how a plant with such a high concentration of soluble fiber would suddenly become very interesting to nutritionists.
Psyllium has been used for some time in certain laxatives and in dietary fiber supplements, such as Metamucil ™. Its benefits in producing softer stools have been proven, but now it is also being studied to see how it is beneficial in reducing levels of cholesterol. Although, it is recommended that soluble fibers be used in combination with a low-fat diet, psyllium husk has been shown to significantly lower cholesterol even if you consume a higher level of fat. Even in these cases, psyllium fiber has lowered levels of LDL or bad cholesterol by as much as seven percent. Psyllium, like other soluble fibers, is being studied to see if it can help people in losing weight or in lowering blood sugar levels.
Psyllium fiber has been used in capsule form by people who are on low carbohydrate diets, such as the Atkins diet. Those diets dramatically cut the consumption of cereals, whole grains and fruit. It also can make dieters feel full so that they eat less, which is healthier than substances which speed up the nervous system like many calorie-burning supplements. Psyllium fiber is used in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome because it can produce a softer stool. It has the same benefit for those suffering from anal fissures, hemorrhoids or after anal surgery.
Psyllium fiber is currently used in the treatment of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, both types of inflammatory bowel disorders. Psyllium studies have reported that psyllium is effective in reducing not only bad cholesterol levels but total cholesterol levels as well. For many people, a single capsule a day as a diet supplement with plenty of water has had these kinds of positive results.
If you are a diabetic who does not have blood sugar levels under control, you should not use psyllium fiber. Those with any kind of bowel disease or a disease that causes a narrowing of the digestive tract should also not start using psyllium. People should consult their doctor before significantly changing their intake of dietary fiber or adding psyllium to their diets.