Psyllium Benefit

Psyllium has water-soluble fibers inside its husk and seed that form a gel in your intestines when combined with water. This fiber often is found in laxatives, cereals and weight-loss aids. Psyllium also may be called ispaghula or flea seed. Psyllium comes from an herb called Plantago ovate, which can produce up to 15,000 of the tiny seeds that the psyllium husk is derived from, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. The benefits you gain from using psyllium are due to its fiber.

Identification

The typical therapeutic dose of psyllium ranges from 2 to 6 g powder a day. The typical dose for psyllium seed is between 12 and 40 g a day, taken in divided amounts. You always need to take psyllium with plenty of water to gain its benefits, advise George T. Grossberg and Barry Fox in "The Essential Herb-Drug-Vitamin Interaction Guide." Overall, recommendations for dietary fiber intake are between 20 and 35 g per day, or between 10 and 13 g per 1,000 calories, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Significance

Using psyllium might head off the need to take lipid-lowering medications if you have elevated low density lipoprotein, or "bad," cholesterol levels, according to a study by Dennis L. Sprecher of the Lipid Research Center at the University of Cincinnati that was published in the "Annals of Internal Medicine." This works best if you also follow a low-fat diet, but taking psyllium will bring a "modest but significant improvement" in both LDL and total cholesterol levels whether you're consuming a high- or low-fat diet, according to the study. NIH gives psyllium an "A" rating for this use, meaning there's strong scientific evidence to support it.

Function

If your digestive system is "bound up," psyllium can help you. It's long been the chief ingredient in "bulk laxatives," according to NIH, which gives this use a "B" rating. That means there's good scientific evidence for this use of psyllium. Psyllium causes an increase in your stool weight, increases bowel movements per day and reduces gut "transit time," according to NIH.

Considerations

While often used as a laxative, psyllium also can help you if you suffer from diarrhea thanks to its stool-bulking effect, according to NIH, which gives this use a "B" rating. The fiber is particularly useful for people undergoing tube feeding. It's been studied as an aid during orlistat therapy as well. Orlistat is a drug that blocks fat absorption, with the fat being excreted in stools. Using psyllium may decrease gastrointestinal effects such as diarrhea and oily discharge, according to NIH. If you suffer moderate irritable bowel syndrome, psyllium supplements along with fluids can help you manage diarrhea, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Warning

Psyllium won't benefit everyone. Some folks suffer allergic reactions to it, including anaphylaxis, according to NIH. Others suffer side effects, including gastrointestinal distention, or flatulence, and gastrointestinal tract obstruction after using psyllium. You are especially at risk for an obstruction if you have had prior bowel surgeries or abnormalities in your digestive system. Also watch for operator error--not mixing psyllium with adequate amounts of water can cause an obstruction.

Expert Insight

Using psyllium to protect against colon cancer may not work. Early scientific studies looked promising, according to UMMC, but later studies found only a small link between higher fiber use and colorectal cancer risk.
If you want to reduce your weight by taking psyllium, know that weight loss is not associated with psyllium use in adults, according to NIH. Some scientific evidence points to psyllium improving blood sugar and lipid levels that are related to obesity in some children. However, more studies are needed before a recommendation for or against this use can be made, according to NIH. Meanwhile, if you take diabetes drugs you do need to consult with a doctor before using psyllium because it may increase risk of low blood sugar when taken along with such drugs, advise Grossberg and Fox.