Psyllium Health Information

1) Conditions Studied:

Psyllium has been studied for conditions including:

• Constipation
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Colon cancer prevention (limited evidence)

2) Efficacy in Treating Conditions:

• Constipation: Effective in increasing stool frequency and softening stools.
• IBS: May provide relief by improving bowel regularity and consistency.
• High cholesterol: Can help lower total and LDL cholesterol when used alongside a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol.
• Diabetes: Helps in controlling blood sugar levels by slowing down digestion and absorption of carbohydrates.
• Obesity: Its fiber content may aid in weight management by promoting a feeling of fullness.

3) Health Benefits:

• Acts as a natural laxative.
• Helps maintain bowel health and regularity.
• Supports heart health by reducing cholesterol.
• Assists in regulating blood sugar levels.
• May contribute to weight loss efforts by reducing appetite.

4) Downsides:

• Psyllium can cause bloating, gas, and abdominal discomfort, especially when first starting its use or taking high doses.
• There is a risk of choking for those who do not take it with enough water, as it expands rapidly.
• May interact with certain medications by affecting their absorption.
• Some individuals may experience allergic reactions.

5) Genetic Variations:

There is limited research on the interaction between psyllium and specific genetic variations. Certain individuals with genetic variations affecting carbohydrate or bile acid metabolism may experience differing effects from psyllium supplementation, but conclusive evidence is not currently available. Always consult with a healthcare provider for personalized advice.

Summary of Research on Psyllium

Cholesterol and Sterol Metabolism

Psyllium seed may be more effective than husk in reducing serum cholesterol, as indicated by a study with normal subjects and ileostomy patients. Psyllium seed supplementation was shown to reduce total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in normal subjects, but not in ileostomy subjects. An increase in bile acid output was noted in ileostomy subjects with seed supplementation, suggesting a possible mechanism for cholesterol management.

Metabolic Effects in Obese and Diabetic Patients

Psyllium husk supplementation in obese and diabetic individuals may lead to reductions in serum lipid levels, blood glucose levels, and body weight, suggesting potential benefits for managing obesity and diabetes.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Treatment

Psyllium fiber supplementation showed patient-perceived improvement in global IBS symptoms, although evidence for the improvement of abdominal pain and other symptoms such as flatulence was inconsistent.

Chronic Constipation in the Elderly

Various laxative treatments, including psyllium, were reviewed for their effectiveness in managing chronic constipation in elderly patients. Psyllium was found to increase stool frequency more than some other laxatives.

Functional Foods and Health Benefits

Psyllium's strong water-absorbing and gelling properties were noted, with an emphasis on improving its functionality in food products. The review provided insights into its health advantages and potential side effects.

Stool Output and Bile Acid Excretion

Psyllium seed husk (PSH) and its fractions were studied in rats, and fraction B, a viscous gel-forming component, was identified as the active component contributing to increased excreta moisture and bile acid excretion.

Laxative Effect of Psyllium

In a study on healthy adults, psyllium increased stool moisture and weight and produced a very viscous component that aided bowel movements. Psyllium remained partially unfermented, acting as a lubricant in the colon.

Properties of Ispaghula Husk

Ispaghula husk (IH) was studied for its molecular weight, structure, interaction with water, and behavior in the colon. IH can absorb significant amounts of water, forming a stiff gel that is beneficial for digestive health.

Management of Metabolic Syndrome

Psyllium husk was recognized for its potential role in managing metabolic syndrome, through the reduction of blood pressure, improvement of cholesterol levels, and control of blood sugar levels.

Occupational Asthma and Allergy

Studies on healthcare workers and pharmaceutical employees revealed psyllium as a potential allergen, causing asthma and other allergic reactions upon inhalation and ingestion.

References:

1. Effect of Plantago ovata (psyllium) husk and seeds on sterol metabolism: studies in normal and ileostomy subjects
2. Decrease in serum lipids, glycemia and body weight by Plantago psyllium in obese and diabetic patients
3. The role of psyllium fibre supplementation in treating irritable bowel syndrome
4. A review of laxative therapies for treatment of chronic constipation in older adults
5. Beneficial health properties of psyllium and approaches to improve its functionalities
6. A poorly fermented gel from psyllium seed husk increases excreta moisture and bile acid excretion in rats
7. An unfermented gel component of psyllium seed husk promotes laxation as a lubricant in humans
8. Molecular weight, tertiary structure, water binding and colon behaviour of ispaghula husk fibre
9. The right fiber for the right disease: an update on the psyllium seed husk and the metabolic syndrome
10. Effects of psyllium on metabolic syndrome risk factors
11. Plasma cholecystokinin is associated with subjective measures of satiety in women
12. A psyllium fiber-enriched meal strongly attenuates postprandial gastrointestinal peptide release in healthy young adults
13. Correlation between echographic gastric emptying and appetite: influence of psyllium
14. Dietary energy density and weight regulation
15. Relationship of satiety to postprandial glycaemic, insulin and cholecystokinin responses
16. Carbohydrate and fiber recommendations for individuals with diabetes: a quantitative assessment and meta-analysis of the evidence
17. The effect of a Plantago ovata seed containing preparation on appetite variables, nutrient and energy intake
18. Effects of amount and type of dietary fibre (soluble and insoluble) on short-term control of appetite
19. The threshold for satiating effectiveness of psyllium in a nutrient base
20. Anti-obesity effects of chitosan and psyllium husk with L-ascorbic acid in guinea pigs
21. The effects of a supplement of dietary fibre on faecal excretion by human subjects
22. Lipid- and glucose-lowering efficacy of Plantago Psyllium in type II diabetes
23. The effects of psyllium on lipoproteins in type II diabetic patients
24. Psyllium supplementation in adolescents improves fat distribution & lipid profile: a randomized, participant-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover trial
25. Time- and dose-dependent effect of psyllium on serum lipids in mild-to-moderate hypercholesterolemia: a meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials
26. Cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity is increased by dietary modification with psyllium hydrocolloid, pectin, cholesterol and cholestyramine in rats
27. Dietary psyllium increases expression of ileal apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter mRNA coordinately with dose-responsive changes in bile acid metabolism in rats
28. Changes in plasma and hepatic lipids, small intestinal histology and pancreatic enzyme activity due to aging and dietary fiber in rats
29. Effect of oat bran on plasma cholesterol and bile acid excretion in nine subjects with ileostomies
30. Mechanism of serum cholesterol reduction by oat bran
31. Dietary protein and soluble fiber reduce ambulatory blood pressure in treated hypertensives
32. The effects of 12-week psyllium fibre supplementation or healthy diet on blood pressure and arterial stiffness in overweight and obese individuals
33. Therapeutic effects of psyllium in type 2 diabetic patients
34. Dietary fiber in the management of diabetes
35. Ultrahigh-viscosity hydroxypropylmethylcellulose blunts postprandial glucose after a breakfast meal in women
36. Dietary fibres, fibre analogues, and glucose tolerance: importance of viscosity
37. Dietary treatment of diabetes mellitus
38. Effect of method of administration of psyllium on glycemic response and carbohydrate digestibility
39. Reduction of glycemic and lipid levels in db/db diabetic mice by psyllium plant fiber
40. A diet supplemented with husks of Plantago ovata reduces the development of endothelial dysfunction, hypertension, and obesity by affecting adiponectin and TNF-alpha in obese Zucker rats
41. Effects of psyllium on glucose and serum lipid responses in men with type 2 diabetes and hypercholesterolemia
42. Effects of dietary fiber and low glycemic index diet on glucose control in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus
43. The acute effects of psyllium on postprandial lipaemia and thermogenesis in overweight and obese men
44. Different effect of psyllium and guar dietary supplementation on blood pressure control in hypertensive overweight patients: a six-month, randomized clinical trial
45. Psyllium decreased serum glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin significantly in diabetic outpatients
46. Viscosity rather than quantity of dietary fibre predicts cholesterol-lowering effect in healthy individuals
47. A study to assess the effect of dietary supplementation with soluble fibre (Minolest) on lipid levels in normal subjects with hypercholesterolaemia
48. Influence of sibutramine, orlistat and Ispaghula in reducing body weight and total body fat content in obese individuals
49. Soluble dietary fibre improves insulin sensitivity by increasing muscle GLUT-4 content in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats
50. Comparison between physiological effects of konjac-glucomannan and propionate in baboons fed "Western" diets
51. Gene expression analysis of the liver and skeletal muscle of psyllium-treated mice
52. In vitro fermentation of arabinoxylan oligosaccharides and low molecular mass arabinoxylans with different structural properties from wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) bran and psyllium (Plantago ovata Forsk) seed husk
53. The active fraction of psyllium seed husk
54. Primary structure of arabinoxylans of ispaghula husk and wheat bran
55. In vitro batch fecal fermentation comparison of gas and short-chain fatty acid production using "slowly fermentable" dietary fibers
56. Colonic fermentation of ispaghula, wheat bran, glucose, and albumin to short-chain fatty acids and ammonia evaluated in vitro in 50 subjects
57. Fermentation of dietary fibre by human colonic bacteria: disappearance of, short-chain fatty acid production from, and potential water-holding capacity of, various substrates
58. Wheat dextrin, psyllium, and inulin produce distinct fermentation patterns, gas volumes, and short-chain fatty acid profiles in vitro
59. Fermentation of fenugreek fiber, psyllium husk, and wheat bran by Bacteroides ovatus V975
60. Randomized clinical trial of Plantago ovata seeds (dietary fiber) as compared with mesalamine in maintaining remission in ulcerative colitis. Spanish Group for the Study of Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis (GETECCU)
61. Effects of increased dietary fibre on intestinal transit
62. Bulk laxative efficacy of a psyllium seed hydrocolloid and of a mixture of cellulose and pectin
63. Comparison of the effects of psyllium and wheat bran on gastrointestinal transit time and stool characteristics
64. Investigation of normal flatus production in healthy volunteers
65. Flatus emission patterns and fibre intake
66. Inhibitory actions of a high fibre diet on intestinal gas transit in healthy volunteers
67. Excretion of breath and flatus gases by humans consuming high-fiber diets
68. Guar, but not psyllium, increases breath methane and serum acetate concentrations in human subjects
69. Digestibility and bulking effect of ispaghula husks in healthy humans
70. The relation of passage of gas an abdominal bloating to colonic gas production
71. Effect of dietary fiber on intestinal gas production and small bowel transit time in man
72. Components of fiber bind iron in vitro
73. Components of fiber impair iron absorption in the dog
74. Effect of dietary fiber on iron absorption in man
75. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-period crossover clinical trial of psyllium fiber in children with hypercholesterolemia
76. Cholesterol-lowering effects of psyllium hydrophilic mucilloid for hypercholesterolemic men
77. Cholesterol-lowering effects of soluble-fiber cereals as part of a prudent diet for patients with mild to moderate hypercholesterolemia
78. Effects of two fermentable carbohydrates (inulin and resistant starch) and their combination on calcium and magnesium balance in rats
79. Effects of oligofructose-enriched inulin on intestinal absorption of calcium and magnesium and bone turnover markers in postmenopausal women
80. Availability of calcium for absorption in the small intestine and colon from diets containing available and unavailable carbohydrates: an in vitro assessment
81. Dietary fibers affect viscosity of solutions and simulated human gastric and small intestinal digesta
82. Formulation and evaluation of floating tablets of liquorice extract
83. Development of sustained release gastroretentive drug delivery system for ofloxacin: in vitro and in vivo evaluation
84. Novel sustained release, swellable and bioadhesive gastroretentive drug delivery system for ofloxacin
85. Preparation and evaluation of novel metronidazole sustained release and floating matrix tablets
86. Preparation and evaluation of gastroretentive floating tablets of Silymarin
87. Psyllium shifts the fermentation site of high-amylose cornstarch toward the distal colon and increases fecal butyrate concentration in rats
88. Psyllium: keeping this boon for patients from becoming a bane for providers
89. Prevalence of occupational asthma and immunologic sensitization to psyllium among health personnel in chronic care hospitals
90. Occupational asthma in nurses handling psyllium
91. Respiratory symptoms in ispaghula-allergic nurses after oral challenge with ispaghula suspension
92. Occupational allergy in nurses to a bulk laxative
93. Workplace allergenicity of a psyllium-containing bulk laxative
94. Ispaghula sensitization in workers manufacturing a bulk laxative
95. Antigenic and allergenic analysis of psyllium seed components
96. Psyllium-associated anaphylaxis and death: a case report and review of the literature
97. Anaphylactic reactions to a psyllium-containing cereal

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