Prevent Constipation With Psyllium Husk Fiber

Psyllium husk fiber can be used to prevent constipation due to its high fiber content and mucilage, that chemically is mainly formed of the sugars arabinose and xylose, together with the non-digestible monosaccharide galacturonic acid that is the main component of pectin, used to thicken jam, and also to lower cholesterol levels.

The fiber content is important to health in its own right, apart from its beneficial effect on conditions of the digestive system and the intestinal tract, and The American Heart Association recommend a daily intake of total fiber, soluble and insoluble, of 25 – 30 grams a day.

Psyllium is an annual herb with white flowers and distinctive red seeds that is native to Iran and India, but is also grown agriculturally in several tropical areas of the world. Each seed is covered with a white or translucent tasteless husk that swells considerably when soaked with water, no doubt as an important part of its distribution and propagation process. It is this husk that gives the seed most of the properties that make it such an effective remedy for conditions of the bowel.

Psyllium can also be used to treat insect bites and stings, and for high blood pressure and diarrhea. In India, the seeds are chewed to clear up cuts in the mouth and after teeth extractions. Their leaves can be used to treat cuts and small wounds due to their antiseptic properties. However, it is for its fiber content, and the fact that it swells with water that gives psyllium husks its most common remedial uses.

Psyllium is a member of the same family as bananas, and plantains are a form of banana but not as sweet as normal dessert bananas. Many parts of the pant are used in folk medicine, but it is the seeds and their husks that have been demonstrated by scientific testing to be effective in the treatment of a whole host of conditions of the upper and lower digestive tract.

Also called ispaghulla, psyllium husk is the seed covering of the plant Plantago Psyllium, and contains 14 times the dietary fiber of oat bran. Both the husk covering and the seed itself are used. Fiber is essential for the effective operation of the peristaltic pump that is in our intestine and colon. Such a pump works on the principal of a regular rippling, or a squeezing, of semi-solid material along a tube. No prizes for guessing the nature of the semi-solid material, or the rippling tube.

The movement promoted by the squeezing action is aided by the presence of fibrous materials that resist deformation, and act by combining the semi-solid mass into something of substance rather than a jelly or a substance that is more of a liquid. The latter consistency is produced on occasions, with sometimes unpleasant results. Without laboring the point, the presence of a binding material, that psyllium husk is, is of advantage to the body’s waste disposal system.

Apart from the high fiber content, the other active constituent of psyllium is a material that swells into a gelatinous mass, and while the fiber provides a solid for the intestine to work on, preventing diarrhea and keeping the whole mass in motion, the mucilage keeps it wet and prevents it from forming a solid mass that results in constipation. It is hence the ideal substance to keep the bowel healthily in motion.

In fact psyllium is derived from the seed husks of a number of plants of the same plantago (or plantain) family. It is also known as fleaseed because the seeds have the appearance of fleas. John Glenn took Psyllium while in space to prevent constipation during his flight on the shuttle Discovery in 1998, and it is now a very popular herbal remedy.

Historically, psyllium has been used for centuries by Chinese and other ancient societies for the treatment of bowel conditions, and it has also be used in herbal medicine to relieve the symptoms of colitis, dysentery and urinary tract problems, and is currently used to treat hemorrhoids where irritation and discomfort is reduced through the softening of the stool. Today it is also used for bowel problems, and a specific non-medical use is in weight loss, where the swelling of the mucilage in the stomach acts as an appetite suppressant. It is also used by some to treat hypertension and lower cholesterol levels.

Other problems such as irritable bowel syndrome and diverticular disease are also helped by psyllium treatment. The latter is a condition of the large intestine believed to be caused by a lack of fiber in the diet. The dietary fiber of psyllium and the mucilage that absorbs water to form a thick gel, help to resolve this condition. Too little moisture or too much can both create problems, and the effect of the husk is to maintain the ideal consistency need by the peristaltic intestinal movement while also providing the necessary fiber.

The absorption of water slows down the movement of stool in the intestine and gives it more bulk. The mucilage is not affected by the enzymes or acids of the digestive system, but stimulates the rhythmic peristaltic motion of the intestine. It also appears to have an effect on the bile that contains cholesterol, and reduces it by some 7% or more.

When combined with calendula, which prevents infection, the husks can be used to draw the pus from whitlows and boils, and to drain abscess. The calendula helps to fight the infection causing the pus to form, and the mucilage dries it up. The seed is capable of absorbing sugars in the gut and it is believed by some that this property might be beneficial to diabetics. At one time psyllium was used to treat the side-effects of worms and scurvy, and also to fix loose teeth! It was almost a cure-all.

There appear to be no side reactions of this fiber if used in the recommended dosages of 5 grams of husk twice daily. It is essential, however, to maintain a good fluid intake since psyllium depends on water absorption for much of its effect. It should be avoided during pregnancy, and if you have any bowel obstruction. It can cause obstruction itself if taken in excess. Those not used to the substance are advised by doctors to increase the dosage slowly to that recommended, and allow the body to get acquainted with it gradually. Failure to do this could result in a bloated feeling and flatulence.