Psyllium Husk Powder Is Amazing

[barefooter]

I don't visit the forums much anymore, but I just wanted to post about something new I'm doing that is working amazingly for my digestive issues, in case it helps anyone else. Every morning I've been replacing my normal breakfast with a mixed fruit smoothie that has a tablespoon or two of psyllium husk powder. This simple change has made a dramatic reduction in my bloating, gas, and burping, which I had thought might be SIBO. It's also greatly increased the quality of my poops, and I pretty much don't even have to wipe anymore (that's a first for me).

Also, I'm not sure if it matters, but I've been using frozen peaches as the base for my smoothies, usually with a bit of mango and a small amount of berries. I feel like the peach has a very good fiber type that is easy on the guts. I've had digestive issues for years and literally spent thousands and tried all sorts of things with poor results until this. If you are in a similar boat and haven't tried psyllium let, give it a try and let us know how it works out.

 

[James IV]

This is timely since it matches exactly the post I just made in the recent SIBO thread.

May I ask how long you have been doing this? I worry that mechanical laxatives could help short term, but cause problems in the long run. Thank you.

 

[barefooter]

I've been doing this for just a few weeks, so I also have a worry in the back of my mind that it's not a good long term solution. However, the research on psyllium husk being useful for digestive issues does seem to be pretty strong, so I'm not too worried about it. Also, I feel like once I've done it for a while, I'll be able to use it less frequently, as I'll have eliminated the excess bacterial buildup and gotten my digestion back to normal. Anecdotal, but my mom has used metamucil (made form psylium husk) for as long as I can remember, and she is the only one in my family who doesn't have digestive problems, and despite being over weight also seems to be in the best health. I used to think it was bad that she seemed dependent on it, but now I'm wondering if it's her secret to good digestive health.

I also forgot to mention above, that I can really feel some systemic improvements from this beyond just less bloating and gas. I just generally feel a lot better. I wonder if a lot of that has to do with a greatly reduced endotoxin burden on the liver.

 

[James IV]

I've been doing this for just a few weeks, so I also have a worry in the back of my mind that it's not a good long term solution. However, the research on psyllium husk being useful for digestive issues does seem to be pretty strong, so I'm not too worried about it. Also, I feel like once I've done it for a while, I'll be able to use it less frequently, as I'll have eliminated the excess bacterial buildup and gotten my digestion back to normal. Anecdotal, but my mom has used metamucil (made form psylium husk) for as long as I can remember, and she is the only one in my family who doesn't have digestive problems, and despite being over weight also seems to be in the best health. I used to think it was bad that she seemed dependent on it, but now I'm wondering if it's her secret to good digestive health.

I also forgot to mention above, that I can really feel some systemic improvements from this beyond just less bloating and gas. I just generally feel a lot better. I wonder if a lot of that has to do with a greatly reduced endotoxin burden on the liver.

Thanks for the info. I absolutely believe cleaning out the gut will help with almost all other health issues. I do hope the psyllium husk continues to work for you. If it doesn't, please drop in and let us know. Thank you.

 

[ecstatichamster]

I think it's not safe in the long run. Peat has said it is probably a mild carcinogen. I got off it. I was dependent on it for 25 years. Now I get great results with ground cooked mushrooms or grated carrot.

 

[Lurker]

It "works" for sure, in that it is a bulk forming fiber. It will push things along and certainly it's better to go than not go. However I'm not convinced it's good for daily use for long term gut health. There should be other ways to get the bowels moving. From my experience with a few years of daily Metamucil, don't need to take a full dose three times a day like it says on the label. I used a teaspoon once a day and it was more than enough bulk. If that doesn't work then you have other issues. If you desperately need to go, a couple tablespoons of coconut oil and/or a couple grams of magnesium oxide will be 100% effective unless there is a mechanical blockage. I believe Peat has recommended casacara which to me has been more subtle compared to psyllium.

Also it might be useful to read some counterpoints to fiber from another source that others have posted here before:

You deserve to be free of the dread of going (or not going) to the bathroom!

[TMI] A quick anecdote about psyllium. Many years ago I was in Vegas for a week for a conference. Drinking, all you can eat buffets, staying up late, etc but every morning I was keeping the routine with a spoon of Metamucil with a spoons of greens powder. I didn't really notice but with all the activity I wasn't having any movements. After 5 days of mayhem, the last night as things were settling down it finally hit me. It was colossal OMG fill the bowl experience the likes of which I'd never seen before or since. So the moral of the story is there is more to a good daily dump than bulk. [\TMI]

 

[raypeatclips]

Any update on this @barefooter Do you still do it?

 

[johnwester130]

What about masa harina ?

Some people need the "fibre in the gut " feeling

 

[EIRE24]

Would psyllium husk work like charcoal to an extent? I may start adding this to smoothies with fruit to see if it helps?

 

[ecstatichamster]

i don't think it is anything like charcoal. It forms a gel which is not the case with charcoal. It may work added to smoothies.

 

[EIRE24]

i don't think it is anything like charcoal. It forms a gel which is not the case with charcoal. It may work added to smoothies.

It is similar to slippery elm then? I have had good success with slippery elm actually. I am guessing these types of fibers do not tear the gut lining like other fibers and act as a mucous?

 

[ecstatichamster]

No they don’t tear the linings. And I think they bind with bile salts very effectively May want to take it in a glsss of water so it retains its own mass as it migrated through the gut.

 

[Peata]

I've had success with psyllium to stop chronic diarrhea in 2016, I think it was. I talked about it in a post. It was a true lifesaver.

Recently, I had another bout of the chronic diarrhea with awful cramps. I took a teaspoon stirred into 1/2 c. milk for a few days, or however long it took to stop having the diarrhea. I think at first I took 1 t. then the next day took it a few times per day, and then the third day another teaspoon, and it finally stopped all diarrhea. Might've even had one day without a bowel movement before they started being normal again.

So for me, psyllium is awesome for diarrhea, but I wouldn't use it regularly, just as needed. If I feel like diarrhea is even starting to come back, I would take 1 t. again. Might work out to using it 1 x week or 1 x month, but I wouldn't use it daily if I didn't have diarrhea. The way I understand it to work is that it forms a gel that absorbs the excess water in your gut. Bulks it up so you go like a normal person. Reduces inflammation for me, and gas, pain, etc.

 

[jet9]

Every morning I've been replacing my normal breakfast with a mixed fruit smoothie that has a tablespoon or two of psyllium husk powder. This simple change has made a dramatic reduction in my bloating, gas, and burping, which I had thought might be SIBO. It's also greatly increased the quality of my poops, and I pretty much don't even have to wipe anymore (that's a first for me).

I had similar experience with inulin (chicory root). Adding it to fruits helped me handle fruits much better.

 

[Owen B]

I found the psyllium powder products (Yerba Prima, e.g.) to be toxic.

I used them for a couple of years thinking that I was "cleaning myself out". It's totally indigestible and will fester in your SI and make your problems worse. I got hives as well in the inside of my thighs. Terrible sore throats, too, that looked like candida. The doctor disagreed but I came to realize that my SI was producing fungus and bacteria to fight the putresence from the all the fiber. All the fungus and bacteria had backed up into my throat.

I think something like this could be used as an emergency. But no more than once a month. I threw all mine out.

It's very hard to fight through the ever-present fog of advertising and marketing. People come to wear them like a second skin.

 

[tomisonbottom]

I've had success with psyllium to stop chronic diarrhea in 2016, I think it was. I talked about it in a post. It was a true lifesaver.

Recently, I had another bout of the chronic diarrhea with awful cramps. I took a teaspoon stirred into 1/2 c. milk for a few days, or however long it took to stop having the diarrhea. I think at first I took 1 t. then the next day took it a few times per day, and then the third day another teaspoon, and it finally stopped all diarrhea. Might've even had one day without a bowel movement before they started being normal again.

So for me, psyllium is awesome for diarrhea, but I wouldn't use it regularly, just as needed. If I feel like diarrhea is even starting to come back, I would take 1 t. again. Might work out to using it 1 x week or 1 x month, but I wouldn't use it daily if I didn't have diarrhea. The way I understand it to work is that it forms a gel that absorbs the excess water in your gut. Bulks it up so you go like a normal person. Reduces inflammation for me, and gas, pain, etc.

So did the pepto bismol stop working? What made you switch to psylliym?

 

[hierundjetzt]

If tolerated psyllium husks are fine, I guess...but if you are allergic to pectin, etc. (soluble fibres), then psyllium can really screw up your digestion since it is a soluble fibre. I am talking about my own personal experience.

 

[Can]

I use it for baking sometimes, and it works like a charm in adding size and gluing everything together. Stools are good if eaten in those baked goods too. I only bake very rarely though, and don't use it besides then.

 

[abruzzi]

I've started using Psyllium because I just can't get into the habit of grating a carrot daily. I found it much easier to mix a couple of teaspoons (sometimes 3) in a glass of water, with some OJ for taste and then chase it with another tall glass of water.

I basically got this idea from following an amatuer bodybuilder by teh name of Joel Therien. He swears by it and calls it his secret to maintaining leanness. In the relative short time I've been doing this, maybe a month, I have noticed that my waistline is shrinking. I still have a few inches to lose, but it has finally started to budge.

I've also dramatically increased my protein, which I'm sure factors into it.
I got on here looking for advice on if psyllium is healthy long term. It seems as if it is, although some have had negative experiences and others have chosen to quit after very long usage.

I'm roughly a 34-35 inch waist now down from 36 to 38. In a perfect body, I could get down to about a 28 to 30 inch waist (what I was when I was in shape).

I have had gas etc, ut I'm hoping to stick with it to see if I can continue to shrink my waist. I'm finding that the reduction has also motivate dme to move around a bit more, exercise a bit more. I'm by no means a workout warrior, but I'm doing a little more.

I wish I could get into the habit of doing carrots, but they just sit in the fridge.

 

[toolhead]

I've started using Psyllium because I just can't get into the habit of grating a carrot daily. I found it much easier to mix a couple of teaspoons (sometimes 3) in a glass of water, with some OJ for taste and then chase it with another tall glass of water.

I basically got this idea from following an amatuer bodybuilder by teh name of Joel Therien. He swears by it and calls it his secret to maintaining leanness. In the relative short time I've been doing this, maybe a month, I have noticed that my waistline is shrinking. I still have a few inches to lose, but it has finally started to budge.

I've also dramatically increased my protein, which I'm sure factors into it.
I got on here looking for advice on if psyllium is healthy long term. It seems as if it is, although some have had negative experiences and others have chosen to quit after very long usage.

I'm roughly a 34-35 inch waist now down from 36 to 38. In a perfect body, I could get down to about a 28 to 30 inch waist (what I was when I was in shape).

I have had gas etc, ut I'm hoping to stick with it to see if I can continue to shrink my waist. I'm finding that the reduction has also motivate dme to move around a bit more, exercise a bit more. I'm by no means a workout warrior, but I'm doing a little more.

I wish I could get into the habit of doing carrots, but they just sit in the fridge.

How do you suppose the psyllium works to reduce the waistline?