Psyllium entered European folk medicine in the 16th century as a remedy for
diarrhea and constipation. Seventeenth-century English herbalist Nicholas
Culpeper recommended the seeds for inflammations, gout, hemorrhoids, and
sore nipples (mastitis) in nursing mothers.
European physicians eventually adopted psyllium, but it was not widely used
on this side of the Atlantic until after World War I. Today, psyllium is
one of North America's most popular bulk-forming laxatives—the active
ingredient in Metamucil, Fiberall, Hydrocil, Naturacil, Effersyllium,
Prolax, and V-Lax.
Up to 30 percent of psyllium's seed coat is water-absorbing substance called
musilage. When exposed to water, psyllium seeds swell to more than ten
times their original size and become gelatinous. The herb's mucilage
accounts for its use in treating both diarrhea and constipation.
Psyllium's bulk-forming action increases stool volume. Larger stools press
on the colon wall, riggering the wavelike contractions (peristalsis) we
recognize as "the urge." Some cases of constipation also involve hard,
dense stools, which are painful to pass. Psyllium's water-absorbing action
decreases stool density and helps lubricate its passage. Studies show a
teaspoon of psyllium seeds thre times a day usually produces significant
relief.
Psyllium also provides some relief from the pain, bleeding, and itching of
hemorrhoids, according to a report in Diseases of the Colon and Rectum, thus
supporting Culpeper's recommendation.
But the big news is that psyllium may reduce cholesterol. People taking a
teaspoon three times a day for eight weeks experience significant decreases
in blood cholesterol levels, according to a study in Archives of Internal
Medicine. The researchers concluded cholesterol may be able to benefit from
the cholesterol-lowering action of psyllium and avoid taking prescription
cholesterol-lowering medications.
A similar 12-week study published in the Journal of the American Medical
Association shows psyllium reduces cholesterol by 5 percent. Heart disease
authorities say that for every 1 percent decrease in cholesterol, heart
attack risk drops 2 percent. So this 5 percent cholesterol reduction means
a 10 percent decrease in heart attack risk.
Psyllium is also safer than the prescription drugs typically prescribed to
reduce cholesterol. If you are taking such medication, ask your physician
about using the seeds as a substitute for or in conjunction with your
current treatment.
One study showed psyllium protects experimental animals from intestinal
damage from toxic food additives. The psyllium increases the bulk of the
animal's stools, so the toxic chemicals have less direct contact with
sensitive intestinal tissues and less opportunity to cause harm.
Researchers believe this same mechanism explains why high-fiber diet is
associated with reduced ris of colorectal cancer. No studies show that
psyllium helps prevent this cancer, the leading cause of cancer deaths among
nonsmokers, but the American Cancer Society recommends a diet high in fibers
such as psyllium to possibly help prevent cancer.
As a laxayive, cholesterol cutter, and possible cancer preventive, psyllium
does not work by itself. The seeds swell only in the presence of water. if
you take psyllium but dont drink more water, you could wind up like the man
whose intestine became completely blocked by a large psyllium plug. He
required abdominal surgery.
