Psyllium husk fiber powder is the most widely used edible colloid fiber. Similar to chia seeds,
Psyllium husk powder has the properties of swelling after absorbing water and prebiotic properties (it can absorb more than 3 times its volume of water).
In clinical practice, psyllium husk fiber is regarded as a bulk-forming laxative, which can increase the volume and water content of stool to promote defecation (characterized by non-irritation and non-addictiveness).
In addition to promoting defecation, current studies have also found that psyllium may also have the potential to improve diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, diabetes and hypercholesterolemia.
Psyllium comes from the Plantaginaceae plant, which originated in India and Iran and is now widely planted around the world.
What Is Psyllium Husk?
Currently, the psyllium health products on the market are made from the seed husk part that is processed and ground, and are commonly available in filamentous, powdered and liquid forms.
What Are the Recommended Empirical Effects (Benefits) of Psyllium?
1. Psyllium is beneficial for blood pressure regulation
Blood pressure is defined as the product of cardiac output and peripheral resistance, and hypertension is caused by increased cardiac output or increased peripheral resistance, and is a potential risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
A large amount of epidemiological data shows that systolic blood pressure is a far more important determinant of cardiovascular risk than diastolic blood pressure. Systolic hypertension is the most common type of hypertension, which increases the risk of coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, stroke (ischemic and hemorrhagic), renal failure and peripheral arterial disease.
A systematic literature review and meta-analysis (including 11 randomized controlled trials with a total of 592 participants) pointed out that the intake of psyllium can help lower systolic blood pressure (-2.04 mmHg).
In addition, meta-regression analysis emphasized that the blood pressure-lowering effect of psyllium was more obvious in subjects with higher baseline blood pressure (systolic and diastolic blood pressure).
2. Psyllium helps with weight loss
Obesity is one of the most common and expensive chronic diseases in the world.
It is estimated that in the United States alone, obesity affects one-third of adults and accounts for one-third of total mortality. It is an important factor in pathological processes such as diabetes, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, hypertension and atherosclerosis.
At the most basic level, the pathogenesis of obesity seems simple, with calorie intake exceeding sustained energy expenditure.
However, increasing evidence shows that the pathogenesis of obesity is far more complicated than passive accumulation of excess calories. This complexity is the core reason why obesity is difficult to treat.
A systematic literature review and meta-analysis (including 22 randomized controlled trials with a total of 1,458 adult participants) pointed out that oral psyllium husk fiber had a significant effect on body weight, body mass index and waist circumference compared with control subjects.
In addition, the effect of duration of psyllium husk fiber on body mass index and waist circumference was nonlinear.
3. Psyllium is good for blood sugar control
Type 2 diabetes is mainly related to abnormal insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity. The triggering factors can be divided into controllable (body mass index, central obesity and sedentary lifestyle) and uncontrollable (age, race and genetics).
Studies have found that for every 1% increase in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease mortality will increase by 30% and 40% respectively.
A meta-analysis (including 35 randomized controlled clinical trials) pointed out that taking psyllium before meals can significantly improve fasting blood sugar and glycated hemoglobin, especially in subjects who are receiving diabetes treatment (the use period is between 2-52 weeks, and the daily dose is about 10.2 g).
4. Psyllium increases satiety and reduces hunger
Overweight and obesity are the biggest problems in human health at present, so effective weight loss methods are often sought after, and common weight loss principles include: regulating energy consumption, suppressing appetite, and blocking fat/sugar absorption.
In terms of implementation difficulty, appetite control is the most difficult, because appetite is affected by a variety of physiological, behavioral and environmental factors.
According to two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies, supplementing with psyllium before meals can reduce hunger, increase satiety, and reduce the desire to eat snacks between meals.
The underlying mechanism is related to the delayed gastric emptying and slowed small intestinal transit time brought about by psyllium colloidal fiber.
5. Psyllium regulates cholesterol
Cholesterol has multiple roles in the human body. In addition to being a precursor for the formation of hormones (gonadal and adrenal), vitamin D and bile acids, it is also an important component of cell membranes.
The total amount of cholesterol is mainly related to dietary intake, absorption efficiency, metabolism, enterohepatic circulation and excretion rate. If it is too high, it is easy to cause atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.
A meta-analysis of literature (including 21 clinical controlled trials, with 1717 patients with mild to moderate hypercholesterolemia) pointed out that the intake of psyllium has the effect of lowering serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (and the effect is most significant when the use period is greater than 2 weeks and the daily dose is between 3 and 20.4 g).
6. Psyllium is beneficial for constipation improvement
The term constipation refers to the disorder of intestinal peristalsis, which is defined as less than 3 bowel movements per week, but sometimes any form of bowel difficulty can also be called constipation, including hard stools, feeling that the stool is not completely discharged, and the desire to defecate but cannot come out.
It is estimated that the global prevalence of constipation is between 2% and 27%, with a female to male ratio of about 2 to 1, and the incidence increases with age, with a high incidence of nearly 50% for those over 65.
A controlled study (4 weeks, subjects included 22 patients with idiopathic constipation) showed that oral psyllium not only helps increase bowel movement frequency and stool weight, but also improves stool hardness and defecation pain.
Another randomized controlled double-blind trial (4 weeks, subjects included 72 patients with constipation who met Rome III criteria) showed that psyllium and mixed fiber both help improve constipation symptoms and quality of life.
7. Psyllium improves fecal incontinence
Fecal incontinence is mainly defined as uncontrollable stool or mucus discharge that lasts for more than 1 month. The prevalence rate of the population can reach 0.4% to 18%, which often seriously affects the patient's quality of life (sleep, work and social activities).
There are many main causes of fecal incontinence, including: anal sphincter abnormalities (such as birth trauma, hemorrhoidectomy, stretching injury), structural abnormalities (fistula, rectal prolapse, perineal descent syndrome), inflammatory diseases (Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, radiation proctitis), diarrhea (cholecystectomy, irritable bowel syndrome), etc.
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial (4 weeks, subjects: 80 patients with fecal incontinence) pointed out that whether it is oral psyllium or therapeutic medication: loperamide, both have the effect of reducing the number of attacks, the severity of symptoms, and improving the quality of life, but the side effects of the drug are greater (such as headache, constipation).
8. Psyllium reduces inflammatory indicators: C-reactive protein
C-reactive protein is an acute phase protein produced by the human body when it produces an inflammatory response, mainly synthesized by the liver.
Numerous evidences indicate that high C-reactive protein levels are often associated with coronary heart disease events, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, malignant tumors, metabolic syndrome, depression, and cognitive decline.
A randomized controlled trial (3 months, subjects included 162 overweight or obese adults) pointed out that compared with the unsupplemented control group, supplementation with psyllium fiber powder failed to significantly improve C-reactive protein and related inflammatory indicators (such as interleukin-6 concentration, fibrinogen level, white blood cell count).
