Psyllium husk, derived from the seed of plants in the genus Plantago, was consumed as far back as 3,000 B.C. The commonly available light-colored psyllium, P. ovata, comes from India, while the French grow a black version, P. indica. A variety of health benefits can be derived from eating psyllium husk, some of which have been confirmed in scientific studies.
Cholesterol
Psyllium husk supplementation benefits people who ate a healthy diet as well as those who ate a less healthy diet in a study conducted at the School of Public Health, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia. Participants who consumed between 31 mg and 59 mg of psyllium husk for 12 weeks showed reduced body fat, triglycerides and insulin levels. Total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein, LDL, the bad form of cholesterol, were also decreased. Researchers concluded that psyllium husk added to a normal diet provided benefits that offset risk for metabolic syndrome -- a combination of conditions that increases your risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. However, adding psyllium to a high-fiber diet provided even more risk reduction. The study was published in the January 2011 issue of the "British Journal of Nutrition."
Intestinal Health
Soluble fiber in psyllium may increase secretion of mucin -- a protective substance produced by the cells that line the intestinal tract, according to a study conducted at the Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, Japan. Researchers compared the effects of several forms of soluble fiber, including psyllium, guar gum and pectin, on mucin secretion in laboratory animals. Both guar gum and psyllium soluble fibers increased mucin secretion by increasing the number of mucin-secreting cells, known as goblet cells. The study was published in the September 2009 issue of the "Journal of Nutrition."
Inflammation
Psyllium supplementation reduced intestinal inflammation in a study conducted at the Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Spain. In the laboratory animal study, diets supplemented with 5 percent psyllium for 13 weeks resulted in decreased levels of certain pro-inflammatory and cell-damaging molecules. Psyllium-supplemented animals also had higher levels of short-chain fatty acids that are important for proper function of cells that line the colon and also contribute to decreasing inflammation. The study was published in the October 2003 issue of the journal "Clinical Nutrition."
Blood Sugar
Eating psyllium husk at breakfast may improve your blood sugar control through lunch, according to a study conducted at the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University. In the study, participants with type 2 diabetes ate either a high-sugar content breakfast or a low-sugar content breakfast that contained 6.6 g of psyllium fiber. The psyllium-containing breakfast resulted in lower blood sugar and insulin levels following the meal. The study was published in the September 2006 issue of the "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition."
References
- "British Journal of Nutrition"; The Effect of a Fibre Supplement Compared to a Healthy Diet on Body Composition, Lipids, Glucose, Insulin and Other Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factors in Overweight and Obese Individuals; S. Pal, et al.; January 2011
- "Journal of Nutrition"; Soluble Fiber Viscosity Affects Both Goblet Cell Number and Small Intestine Mucin Secretion in Rats; H. Ito, et al.; September 2009
- "Clinical Nutrition"; Intestinal Anti-inflammatory Activity of Dietary Fiber (Plantago Ovata Seeds) in Hla-b27 Transgenic Rats; M. Rodríguez-cabezas, et al.; October 2003
- "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Effects of Breakfast Meal Composition on Second Meal Metabolic Responses in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus; C. Clark, et al.; September 2006
- "Handbook of Dietary Fiber"; Sungsoo Cho; 2001
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