What is Psyllium Husk, and What are its Benefits?
You may have heard of psyllium husks and wondered what on earth they are. You certainly won’t find them cropping up as an ingredient on Masterchef or The Great British Bake Off. So what are they, and what can they do for us?
The plantago ovata grows wild in Asia, North America and the Meditteranean regions of Europe, and it’s this which is the source of psyllium. Each plant can produce up to 15,000 tiny little gel-coated seeds, from which psyllium husk is derived.
Psyllium husks are available to buy in their whole form or as a powder. Psyllium husks aren’t eaten for their taste but instead for their extraordinary health benefits. So let’s take a further look at what these are….
When you eat psyllium husks, they pass straight through you as they’re not digestible by the human gut. What they will do, however, is draw water in, soaking up moisture they come into contact with. This helps to add bulk to our stools, softening them and improving their ease of passage through us. Therefore, psyllium husks are a very handy tool for anyone with constipation, promoting regularity and thereby increasing our digestive health. This can be a huge help to anyone plagued by conditions such as Crohn’s disease and irritable bowel syndrome. Anyone using psyllium husks should remember to make sure they also drink plenty of water.
Psyllium husks’ ability to attract moisture makes it swell in size, and this in turn makes us feel fuller than before. Our gastrointestinal tract then releases a hormone called ghrelin, which tells us we’re full. Psyllium is therefore superb for people trying to lose weight, as it reduces appetite without piling on the calories.
Psyllium husk is also a brilliant source of soluble fibre, which dissolves into a thick, viscous gel when consumed. This causes food to slow down on its way through the digestive system, so we’re kept feeling fuller for longer, and this in turn reduces appetite, causing us not to want to eat again as quickly.
Helps diabetics prevent their blood sugar spiking
People with diabetes have to ensure they maintain proper control of their blood sugar. Psyllium husks are an excellent way for them to do this more efficiently. The authors of an analysis of 35 different randomised, controlled clinical studies carried out on the effects of consuming psyllium husks on patients with type 2 diabetes concluded that it showed a significant improvement in blood glucose levels and would be an effective addition to a lifestyle intervention program for managing diabetes.[1] A clinical trial whose results were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that men with type 2 diabetes who were given psyllium husks showed significant improvements in glucose and lipid values compared with a placebo group.[2]
A potent weapon against bad cholesterol levels
Psyllium husks have shown great promise in lowering bad cholesterol levels. In 1995, a clinical trial showed that psyllium husks had the power to reduce patients’ ‘bad’ (LDL) cholesterol levels by up to 13% and would be a useful adjunct to dietary intervention in patients with unhealthy cholesterol levels.[3] An analysis of 28 clinical studies showed that supplementation of psyllium significantly reduced LDL cholesterol and has great potential to delay the onset of cardiovascular disease in at-risk patients. The mechanics of how this works appears to be connected to the soluble fibre in psyllium – this binds with fatty acids, which are an essential part of how cholesterol is processed in the body. This binding process captures cholesterol molecules, carrying them through the digestive system as waste, therby resulting in lower ‘bad’ cholesterol levels.
Great for your friendly gut bacteria
We can’t digest the fibre contained in psyllium – but our ‘friendly’ gut bacteria can’t get enough of it! They feast on the stuff and reward us by proliferating and helping a whole host of our biological processes run more smoothly. This can increase our levels of health but also our happiness levels, as there’s increasing evidence that our gut microbiome, when working efficiently, is pivotal in reducing anxiety and promoting feelings of wellbeing.
Psyllium husks have an excellent shelf life, and can be stored in the kitchen cupboard for use in shakes and smoothies, where they have a thickening effect. Whizz them up with some fruit and a couple of tablespoons of protein powder for an excellent burst of mid-morning nutrition. This is a very versatile food additive – you can bake it into bread, add it to biscuit mixes, or even mix it up as part of a crumble topping! Psyllium husks are low-carb and keto, and can be used to add a whack of beneficial fibre to muffins, buns and flatbreads. You may have to tweak the liquid levels in your recipe if adding them, but your body will thank you if you include them in your diet!
