Psyllium husk
Gold· human dataAlso known as: Ispaghula
A soluble fibre with solid evidence for regularity and lowering cholesterol.
Psyllium is a soluble, gel-forming fibre with some of the strongest evidence of any supplement here. It reliably improves regularity (in both constipation and diarrhoea) by adding bulk and water.
It also has good evidence for modestly lowering LDL cholesterol and smoothing post-meal blood-sugar rises, earning recognised health claims. Take it with plenty of water and separate it from medications, since it can slow their absorption.
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Written and reviewed by Mathew Beale, MSc Biotechnology, University of Reading.
Last reviewed: