Psyllium husk powder is a popular source of soluble dietary fiber found in many laxatives. In addition to being a laxative, psyllium may also help reduce cholesterol levels. While psyllium may lower your overall cholesterol levels, there is no evidence that psyllium alone can prevent heart disease. If you have high cholesterol or are at risk for heart disease, talk to your doctor about using soluble fibers such as psyllium husks to benefit your health.
Soluble Fiber
Psyllium husk powder provides an excellent source of soluble dietary fiber; 100 g of psyllium contains about 71 g of soluble fiber. Few other sources of soluble fiber match the potency of psyllium husks. For instance, oat bran, another popular soluble fiber source, only has 5 g of soluble fiber for every 100 g. As soluble fiber is thought to potentially lower cholesterol levels, psyllium may be more effective at lowering cholesterol levels than oat bran and other types of soluble fiber.
Lowering Cholesterol
The University of Maryland Medical Center explains that the soluble fiber in psyllium can lower total cholesterol levels as well as bad LDL cholesterol levels when used in combination with a low-fat and low-cholesterol diet. If you are already taking cholesterol-lowering drugs such as statins, you may also take psyllium to further reduce your cholesterol levels. Talk to your doctor to learn more about whether or not you should add psyllium to your cholesterol-lowering regimen.
Cholesterol Absorption
Psyllium acts to reduce cholesterol by decreasing your body's ability to absorb cholesterol. The soluble fiber of psyllium blocks your ability to reabsorb cholesterol from your blood and bile. This causes more of the cholesterol in your body to concentrate in the bile, which is subsequently excreted with other solid waste.
Results
Kaiser Permanente explains that taking up to 10 g of psyllium husk powder every day can lower your cholesterol levels by about 5 to 10 percent. The cholesterol-lowering effects of psyllium typically take about 7 to 8 weeks to become significant. There is some evidence that the cholesterol-reducing effects of psyllium are not as effective for people over the age of 60. Powders made from the psyllium seed may be more effective at lowering cholesterol than powders made from the psyllium husk.
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