Psyllium Husk 100g

Psyllium Husks are a form of fibre that comes from the husks of psyllium seeds of the Asian Plantago plant genus. The husks can be ground into a powder and provide a rich source of soluble fibre. Within the digestive system, soluble fibre absorbs water to help slow down digestion and the absorption of various nutrients contained within your food.

Psyllium is clinically used as a laxative, it also provides many other health benefits which include both short and long-term glucose control, weight loss, improvements in cardiovascular health and reductions in gastrointestinal issues such as constipation. Furthermore, psyllium is gluten-free, making it suitable for those with coeliac disease.

Psyllium Husk Benefits

• Psyllium husk may help glucose control – Controlling blood sugar levels is essential for good health. Adding psyllium husk to the diet has been shown to control spikes in blood sugar following a meal by reducing the rate of carbohydrate absorption. This helps to reduce the common energy crash following a meal. In addition, psyllium husk helps to improve long-term glucose control.

Psyllium husk can improve heart health

• The gel-like fibre created when psyllium absorbs water may also play an important role in lowering our “bad” LDL (low-density lipoproteins) cholesterol without having any effect on our “good” HDL (high-density lipoproteins) cholesterol via a similar mechanism to that of cholesterol-lowering drugs.

This mechanism involves psyllium binding to bile acids in the gut and preventing their re-absorption. This has important implications for our health as studies have suggested that high LDL cholesterol is associated with various cardiovascular diseases.

Psyllium husk may aid weight loss

• Feelings of hunger after meals are all too common when dieting and can completely ruin a well-structured programme.
  The high fibre content of the psyllium husk can be a great tool to have in your weight loss belt as its addition has been demonstrated to help slow the digestion of food within the stomach and increase feelings of fullness following a meal.

With this in mind, studies have demonstrated significant weight loss with the addition of psyllium husk to the diet. Whilst this is impressive in itself, these studies also demonstrate sustained, progressive weight loss over time and no weight regain during the latter months of the programme.

Promotes natural bowel movements

• When compared with other dietary fibre sources, psyllium appears to be one of the most effective for bowel-related issues whilst also being associated with fewer side effects such as bloating and gas.

Psyllium Husk dosage

• There is no general consensus on the optimal dosage, the majority of beneficial effects are seen when taking 3.5 – 5g (mixed with 250-500 ml water) one to two times per day before meals. It’s advised, when consuming higher doses of psyllium, to increase the amount of water it’s mixed with.

When using psyllium husk, it is best to start at a low dose and work your way up to between 3.5 and 5g per day, typically divided into two doses. It needs to be taken with lots of water.