Medicinal Applications

Psyllium has been used in connection with the following conditions

• Constipation
• Diverticular disease
• High cholesterol
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Type 2 diabetes
• Atherosclerosis
• Diarrhea
• Hemorrhoids
• High triglycerides
• Ulcerative colitis (to maintain remission)
• Parkinson’s disease (for constipation)
• Weight loss and obesity

Heart Disease - Lowering Blood Cholesterol

Soluble fibre (Psyllium) acts as a hypocholesterolemic agent. Soluble fibre (Psyllium) helps block the synthesis of cholesterol through its fermentation into Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFA) by the intestinal flora (friendly bacteria in the colon). When soluble fibre reaches the colon, it starts a fermentation process with the gut flora producing SCFA.

Several studies of Fibre Therapeutic Diet are done at New Orleans, at the University Of Kentucky College Of Medicine in Lexington and at Chicago Center of Clinical Research. These studies showed that when soluble fibre (Psyllium) is consumed either with high or low fat diet, it helps decrease total as well as LDL cholesterol.

Diabetes - Blood Glucose Control

Psyllium helps control the rise of blood glucose following a meal. It also helps reduce insulin requirement in-patients with diabetes mellitus.

Colon Function

Psyllium treats / prevents constipation or diarrhea. Soluble fibre in Psyllium adds bulk to faecal mass. It increases activity in bowel movement and increases intestinal transit time. It helps keep regularity. Psyllium acts as a detoxifying agent. Through its ability to absorb large amounts of water, it binds with heavy metals and chemical toxins. Psyllium is useful during radiation therapy due to its ability to rid the body of radiation induced toxemia.

Diverticulosis / Diverticulitis

Psyllium increases the bulk of the material reaching the colon. It increases bowel movement and reduces the pressure on gastrointestinal (GI) walls. Such control helps decrease symptoms associated with diverticulosis. It also helps avoid diverticular inflammation (diverticulitis).

Colon Cancer

Psyllium increases the bulk of the stool and decreases transit time. This dilutes the concentration of potential carcinogens in the stool. It also decreases the exposure of intestinal wall to the toxic compounds found in the stool.

Weight Control

• Psyllium is used for Veterinary practices because psyllium seed husk contains 80 percent water-soluble fiber, it has the ability to capture and move sand through a horse’s digestive system.
• To prevent choking when feeding psyllium, a horse should have unlimited access to water, and horses that bolt their grain should be slowed down with large rocks in their feeders.
• Psyllium is also used as horse feed, even foals feed without any harmful side effects.
• Psyllium is used as a preventive for sand accumulation in animals mainly in sandy region.

Industrial Applications

• Mainly use to prevent landscaping, soil erosion.
• Used as thickening agent during capsule formulation in some pharmaceutical industry.
• Psyllium can be used in health drinks, beverages, ice cream, bread, biscuits, other bakery products, rice, cakes, jams, instant noodles, breakfast cereals etc., to improve the fiber content of the food as also to increase the bulk of the food.
• It is being used as a thickener in ice cream and frozen deserts. The viscosity of Psyllium mucilage dispersions are relatively unaffected between temperatures of 68°F to 122°F, by pH from 2 to 10 and by salt (sodium chloride) concentrations up to 0.15 M. These properties in combination with psyllium's natural fiber characteristic may lead to increased use by the food processing industry.
• Psyllium Husk may also be added to fresh fruit drinks or flavoured drinks to improve the mouth-feel of the drink and make it more rich and impart good consistency to it.