Psyllium Husk

Psyllium husk is a soluble fiber that has been found beneficial in lowering cholesterol, relieving constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, hemorrhoids, and other intestinal problems.

When psyllium is in contact with water, it swells into gelatinous mass that stimulates the transport of waste products through the intestinal tract.

This effect of controlled higher dietary fiber intake has been suggested beneficial in studies for colon cancer, but the research is conficting in some aspects, especially when it comes to the protection against the recurrence of colorectal cancer in people who have already been treated for the condition.

In terms of cancer, a diet high in fiber has been suggested beneficial by scientists in helping protect against the development of certain types of cancer such as prostate, breast, and lining of the uterus.

The reason why many in anti aging regimens use psyllium to increase fiber intake instead of wheat bran and some other fiber supplements, is that psyllium generally does not cause excessive gas and bloating.

Psyllium Husk - Studies

Alabaster O, Tang ZC, Frost A, Sivapurkar N. Potential synergism between wheat brain and psyllium: enhanced inhibition of colon cancer. Cancer Lett. 1993;75:53–58.

Alberts DS, Martínez ME, Roe DJ, et al. Lack of effect of a high-fiber cereal supplement on the recurrence of colorectal adenomas. N Eng J Med. 2000;342(16):1156-1162.

Anderson JW, Allgood LD, Lawrence A, et al. Cholesterol-lowering effects of psyllium intake adjunctive to diet therapy in men and women with hypercholesterolemia: meta-analysis of 8 controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000;71:472-479.

Anderson JW, Allgood LD, Turner J, Oeltgen PR, Daggy BP. Effects of psyllium on glucose and serum lipid responses in men with type 2 diabetes and hypercholesterolemia. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999;70:466-473.

Appel LJ. Nonpharmacologic therapies that reduce blood pressure: a fresh perspective. Clin Cadiol. 1999;22(Suppl. III):III1-III5.

Ashraf W, Park F, Lof J, Quigley EM. Effects of psyllium therapy on stool characteristics, colon transit and anorectal function in chronic idiopathic constipation. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 1995;9:639–647.

Blumenthal M, Goldberg A, Brinckmann J. Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E Monographs. Newton, MA: Integrative Medicine Communications; 2000: 314-321.

Burke V, Hodgson JM, Beilin LJ, Giangiulioi N, Rogers P, Puddey IB. Dietary protein and soluble fiber reduce ambulatory blood pressure in treated hypertensives. Hypertension. 2001;38(4):821-826.

Chandalia M, Garg A, Lutjohann D, von Bergmann K, Grundy SM, Brinkley LJ. Beneficial effect of high dietary fiber intake in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. N Eng J Med. 2000; 342:1392-1398.

Etman MA. Effect of a bulk forming laxative on the bioavailability of carbamazepine in man. Drug Dev Ind Pharm. 1995;21(16):1901-1906.

Ettinger AB, Shinnar S, Sinnett MJ, Moshe SL. Carbamazepine-induced constipation. J Epilepsy. 1992;5(3):191-193.

European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy (ESCOP). Psyllii semen: Psyllium seed. Monographs on the Medicinal Uses of Plant Drugs. 1997.

Fernandez-Banares F, Hinojosa J, Sanchez-Lombrana JL, et al. Randomized clinical trials of Platago ovata seeds (dietary fiber) as compared with mesalamine in maintaining remission in ulcerative colitis. Am J Gastroenterol. 1999;94:427–433.

Hayes RB, Ziegler RG, Gridley G, et al. Dietary factors and risks for prostate cancer among blacks and whites in the United States. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 1999;8(1):25-34.

Heyka R. Lifestyle management and prevention of hypertension. In: Rippe J, ed. Lifestyle Medicine. 1st ed. Malden, Mass: Blackwell Science; 1999:109-119.

Jänne PA, Mayer RJ. Chemoprevention of colorectal cancer. N Engl J Med. 2000;342(26):1960-1968.

Krauss RM, Eckel RH, Howard B, Appel LJ, Daniels SR, Deckelbaum RJ, et al. AHA Scientific Statement: AHA Dietary guidelines Revision 2000: A statement for healthcare professionals from the nutrition committee of the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2000;102(18):2284-2299.

Lantner RR, Espiritu BR, Zumerchik P, Tobin MC. Anaphylaxis following ingestion of a psyllium-containing cereal. JAMA. 1990;264(19):2534-2536.

Le Marchand L, Wilkens LR, Hankin JH, Kolonel LN, Lyu LC. Independent and joint effects of family history and lifestyle on colorectal cancer risk: Implications for prevention. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prevent.1999;8:45-51.

Liu S, Manson JE, Stampfer MJ, et al. A prospective study of whole-grain intake and risk of type-2 diabetes mellitus in women. Am J Pub Health. 2000;90:1409-1415.

Ludwig DS, Pereira MA, Kroenke CH. Dietary fiber, weight gain, and cardiovascular disease risk factors in young adults. JAMA. 1999:282(16):1529-1546.

McRorie JW, Daggy BP, Morel JG, Diersing PS, Miner PB, Robinson M. Psyllium is superior to docusate sodium for treatment of chronic constipation. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 1998;12:491–497.

National Cholesterol Education Program. Executive summary of the third report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) expert panel on detection, evaluation, and treatment of high blood cholesterol in adults (Adult Treatment Panel III). JAMA. 2001;285(19):2486-2497

Rodrigues-Moran M, Guerrero-Romero F, Lazcano-Burciaga G. Lipid- and glucose-lowering efficacy of Plantago Psyllium in type II diabetes. J Diabetes Complications. 1998;12:273–278.

Schatzkin A, Lanza E, Corle D, et al. Lack of effect of a low-fat, high-fiber diet on the recurrence of colorectal adenomas. N Engl J Med. 2000;342(16):1149-1155.

Tariq N, Jenkins D, Vidgen E, et al. Effect of soluble and insoluble fiber diets on serum prostate specific antigen in men. J Urol. 2000;163:114-118.

Toutoungi M, Schulz P, Widmer J, et al. Probable interaction of psyllium and lithium. Therapie. 1990;45(4):358-360.

Turnbull WH, Thomas HG. The effect of a Plantago ovata seed containing preparation on appetite variables, nutrient and energy intake. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1995;19:338-342.

Vaswani SK, Hamilton RG, Valentine MD, Adkinson NF Jr. Psyllium laxative-induced anaphylaxis, asthma, and rhinitis. Allergy. 1996;51(4):266-268.

Wursch P, Pi-Sunyer FX. The role of viscous soluble fiber in the metabolic control of diabetes. A review with special emphasis on cereals rich in beta-glucan. Diabetes Care. 1997; 20:1774-1780.


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