Psyllium Seed and Powder Profile
Also known as
Plantago psyllium, blonde psyllium, and isphagula.
Introduction
Psyllium is a low-growing herb native to India, Iran, and Pakistan. It is in the same family as the common Plantain and seed is best used and absorbed without the husk. The variety offered by Mountain Rose Herbs is without the husk and husks may be ordered separately.
Constituents
Ascorbic acid, aucubin, beta-carotene, beta-sitosterol, calcium, chromium, cobalt, fiber, linoleic acid, magnesium, manganese, mucilage, niacin, oleic acid, oxalic acid, phosphorous, potassium, riboflavin, selenium, sodium, stigmasterol, thiamine, tin, zinc. The seed has less fiber than the husk but a wide range of nutrients the husks do not.
Parts Used
Whole Seed without husk.
Typical Preparations
Ground seed always taken with at least two-thirds cup (approximately 150 ml) of water. If not grinding, soak in warm water for 2 to 6 hours before use. May also be taken as an extract and sometimes as a capsule, though rare.
Summary
The authoritative Complete German Commission E Monographs states that psyllium seed can be used to treat: "Chronic constipation; disorders in which easy bowel movements with a loose stool are desirable, e.g., in patients with anal fissures, hemorrhoids, following anal/rectal surgery; during pregnancy; as a secondary medication in the treatment of various kinds of diarrhea and in the treatment of irritable bowel."
The question most frequently asked about psyllium is, how can the same herb treat both constipation and diarrhea? The answer is that psyllium regulates the amount of time waste matter takes to transit the colon. In diarrhea, the fibers in psyllium absorb excess fluid and slow down movement through the colon. In constipation, the same fibers add volume to the stool and make it easier to pass through the colon.
Research studies show that psyllium seed is more useful than wheat bran for treating constipation caused by irritable bowel syndrome. The dosage of psyllium seed required to treat the condition is half the dosage of wheat bran, and psyllium results in less bloating and more frequent bowel movement.
Psyllium seed has certain advantages over psyllium husk. It contains a range of nutrients the husk does not. Having less pectin, it degrades more slowly in the digestive tract, releasing acetates and butyrates that may protect the lining of the colon from mutations that lead to colon cancer. It does not, however, relieve constipation as quickly as psyllium husk.
Psyllium products reduce appetite. By bulking the stool, the relieve pain caused by ulcerative colitis and reduce the frequency of fecal incontinence.
Precautions
Never take both psyllium and a stimulant laxative (senna, rhubarb, buckthorn, cascara sagrada, frangula, or an over-the-counter stimulant laxative such as Ex-Lax). The fibers in psyllium interfere with absorption of nutrients (especially vitamin B12) and medications, so take psyllium at least 2 hours before or after eating or taking supplements or medications.
