You’ve probably heard of psyllium husk, right? If not, then perhaps you’re wondering what exactly it is.
Well, what is psyllium husk? It is, in fact, the hull, or outer covering, of the fruit psyllium. While the fruit itself is tasteless and inedible, the husk contains a substance known as psyllium fiber.
There is some evidence that suggests that dietary fiber, especially the type found in psyllium husk, can help reduce cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as act as a natural anti-diarrheal agent.
The Good
What is the good thing, then, about psyllium husk? Well, for one thing, it is easily digestible. When you eat something containing psyllium fiber, it helps food to pass through your digestive system more slowly and thoroughly. So, in other words, you eat more slowly and chew more thoroughly, which means you’re less likely to overexert yourself during digestion. In addition, due to its high solubility rate (the rate at which a substance is dissolved in water), dietary fiber found in psyllium husk is likely to be well absorbed by your digestive system.
What’s more is psyllium fiber is also soluble in the water of your digestive tract. This means it is more likely to be available to your body for use in energy production and for maintaining a healthy immune system. Additionally, because it is a dietary fiber, psyllium husk is not likely to cause any digestive problems, as with some other fibers.
All in all, then, we can conclude that psyllium fiber is a type of dietary fiber that is both easy to consume and well-absorbed by the body, which makes it a useful and effective nutrient for human beings.
The Bad
On the other hand, what is the bad thing about psyllium fiber? Well, for one thing, it has a very low nutritional value. Put simply, it isn’t a very good source of nutrients, aside from the fact that it is a type of dietary fiber. For example, one cup of cooked psyllium fiber contains only 4 calories, and it contains no significant amounts of protein, vitamin A, or vitamin C.
Additionally, while fiber in general is extremely useful for human beings for the reasons discussed above, psyllium fiber has the potential to cause problems for people with wheat allergies. (1) Ingesting too much psyllium fiber can result in gastrointestinal problems for people with wheat allergies, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). (2) Some individuals with wheat allergies have experienced severe and dangerous anaphylactic reactions (allergic reactions) after eating foods containing Psyllium fiber.
On the whole, then, we can conclude that while psyllium fiber is a type of dietary fiber that can be valuable for people in general, it doesn’t offer much in the way of nutritional value, and it can pose potential problems for people with wheat allergies.
The Verdict
Ultimately, then, does psyllium husk help you lose weight? Well, for one thing, no, it doesn’t offer any kind of magical weight loss properties. In fact, it might even have the opposite effect and cause you to gain weight. That said, it does have some useful properties: namely, the fact that it is easy to digest, is well-absorbed by the body, and doesn’t cause any digestive problems, aside from potential wheat allergies for people with certain dietary needs. Inasmuch as it doesn’t offer any kind of magical weight loss properties, it might even have the opposite effect and cause you to gain weight. So, if you’re looking for a magical weight loss supplement, then you might be out of luck.
In summary, then, if you’re looking for a fiber that is both useful and effective, you might want to consider psyllium husk. It is, in fact, the hull, or outer covering, of the fruit psyllium. While the fruit itself is tasteless and inedible, the husk contains a substance known as psyllium fiber. It is easy to consume and well-absorbed by the body, and it doesn’t cause any digestive problems, aside from potential wheat allergies for people with certain dietary needs. So, if you’re looking for a fiber that is both useful and effective, you might want to consider psyllium husk.