Psyllium
Food · Pantry & Condiment · Food, Typed Supps
A fibre that turns to gel in water — which is why it needs plenty of it.
Stage by stage
- Intake (Hydration): The husk swells into a viscous gel within minutes of meeting liquid.
- Stomach (Delayed emptying): Increased viscosity slows gastric emptying and extends fullness.
- Small intestine (Bile acid trapping): The gel traps bile acids so the liver must draw on LDL cholesterol to replace them.
- Large intestine (Water holding): Only partly fermented, it retains water and normalises stool in both directions.
Time to effect
- Days to weeks: Bowel regularity within 1 to 3 days; cholesterol changes over 3 to 8 weeks.
Allergens
None of the fourteen major allergens. Derived from what this food is, not from a product label.
Eating patterns
Fits: Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Halal, Kosher, Keto, Gluten-free. Depends on the product: Low-FODMAP.
Satiety
Not scored: the satiety index is measured on 240 kcal servings, and nobody eats a 240 kcal serving of this. The question does not apply rather than the answer being unknown.
Cost band
Mid — roughly £5 per kg, as a band midpoint rather than a price.
Key nutrients
Nutrition per 100g
- Calories: 197
- Protein: 3g
- Carbohydrate: 1g
- of which sugars: 0g
- Fat: 1.3g
- of which saturated: 0.3g
- Fibre: 88.7g
- Sodium: 55mg
Food vs. supplement
An unusual case where the purified supplement is the point: psyllium's cholesterol and stool effects are better characterised than most whole foods'. It supplies nothing else, so it complements a fibre-adequate diet rather than replacing one.
Kitchen tip
Stir into a full glass of water and drink immediately, before it sets. Build the dose up over a couple of weeks rather than starting high.
Common myth
"All fibre works the same way, so any high-fibre food will do the same job." In reality: Psyllium's effects come from forming a thick gel and trapping bile acids, not from fibre quantity. Insoluble fibres like wheat bran have similar gram counts and almost no effect on LDL cholesterol.
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