Has your doctor, or a friend, ever suggested that you try psyllium husks? There are a lot of reasons why they might have.
Psyllium is a natural form of fiber that comes from a plant called Plantago ovata. It's made from the husks of the plant’s seeds. You can buy it as whole husks or as a powder.
Whichever you choose, psyllium husk is a high fiber choice that offers a number of important benefits.
A diet that is high in fiber is considered essential to human health. It improves both digestive and heart health, and helps with both weight and blood sugar control.
The best way to get fiber is still through our diets, by eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
When used as a supplement, psyllium husks can help with a number of health issues, including:
- Constipation
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Crohn’s disease
- Ulcerative colitis
- Diverticulosis
- High cholesterol
- Weight control
- Diabetes
Though some people think that psyllium husks are a whole grain, they are not.
TweetWhole grains contain the entire seed kernel – both the outer coating and the inner germ. Psyllium’s husks are the part that is high in fiber, and it is milled separately from the seed.
Psyllium husk is what is known as a bulking fiber. That means that when you eat it, it draws water from the colon.
Once it has expanded, it passes through the colon and sweeps out waste. It does the same to cholesterol in the heart’s arteries. Here are just a few of psyllium husk’s benefits.
4 Benefits of Taking Psyllium Husks
1. Psyllium relieves constipation – The soluble fiber in psyllium is one of the best answers to constipation. The husks swell in your digestive tract. This stimulates the intestines and moves stool through more quickly. It also softens the stool by increasing the amount of water that it holds.
Psyllium is also a good way to treat diarrhea. It does this by absorbing extra water in the intestines.
2. Psyllium lowers cholesterol – Studies show that after 8 weeks of adding psyllium husks to their diet, people with high cholesterol reduced their total levels by almost 15%. LDL levels (the bad cholesterol) dropped by over 20%.
3. Psyllium manages blood sugar – This is important for people who have been diagnosed with diabetes and for those who are pre-diabetic.
4. Psyllium helps manage weight – Because psyllium husk makes us feel more full, it keeps us from eating too much. We eat less, and that helps to prevent weight gain.
How to Use Psyllium Husks
You can get psyllium husks in many forms from health food stores, but you should make sure that it is 100% pure. You can take it by mixing one tablespoon with a glass of water or any other liquid up to three times per day.
Psyllium husks can be used in baking too. It’s gluten free, and adding it to a favorite bread recipe is a great way to add it to your diet. You just need to increase the amount of liquid that you use to get the right consistency.
Yours in health,
Danette
P.S. Please share this with your friends and I'd love to hear from you in the comments below. Have you used psyllium husks?
