Maybe you’ve heard of psyllium husk fiber or maybe it's new to you. If you’ve been reading our blog for a while (thank you, OGs!) then you know that fiber is our passion. Well, psyllium husk is a soluble fiber and it has amazing benefits. We’ve narrowed it down to just ten for this blog post.
Everything You Need to Know About Psyllium Husk
It’s okay if you don’t know what psyllium husk is yet! Meet your new BFF (best fiber friend). Psyllium is a type of fiber that comes from the husk of the Plantago ovata plant’s seeds. This plant is a shrub-like plant that grows all over the world but is mainly found in India. It’s a natural soluble fiber source that absorbs water, softens your stool, and promotes digestive cleansing. And spoiler alert: it’s one of the main ingredients in Bonny!
(And since we know you’re probably wondering: it’s pronounced “si-lee-um.” You can basically pretend the P isn’t there!)
The only thing to know is that psyllium husk loves water! When psyllium husk meets the water in your gut, they swell together and form a gelatin-like mass that helps transport all the waste through your intestinal tract. Talk about a win-win!
While psyllium husk is mostly known as a laxative, it is actually beneficial for a bunch of other body parts, like your heart and pancreas. Let’s get into the many amazing benefits of psyllium husk.
Top Psyllium Husk Benefits for You
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There are several beautiful benefits of adding psyllium husk to your diet in one form or another. Here are the top 10 reasons (imagine us saying that in David Letterman’s voice) why you should try some psyllium husk:
Promotes Digestive Health
Psyllium husk is pretty amazing for helping you go number two. What does that mean? It means that psyllium soaks up the water in your gut, which makes your bowel movements *much* easier and helps promote regularity. (Don’t worry: without increasing flatulence, because let’s be real, that’s not fun at all.)
Boosts Your Heart Health
Psyllium has numerous benefits for your heart (though it can’t help your love life, sorry). It can help lower your blood pressure, improve lipid levels, and strengthen heart muscles. Psyllium husk can even reduce the risk of heart disease, which is the leading cause of death for American women of all ages.
Prevents Diarrhea
Because psyllium husk works as a bulking agent, it makes your stool more firm and helps you avoid diarrhea. It’s basically Popeye for your poop!
Fixes Constipation
At some point or another, we all get constipated. And we can all agree that constipation stinks. Since psyllium husk has high fiber content, it is an effective way of treating constipation. It absorbs liquid in your intestines, swells, and forms a bulky stool that is easier to pass.
Helps Build Immunity
During these pandemic days, we can all use a boost of immunity. Good bacteria are important for building your immunity as 70% of your immune system is located in your gut. Psyllium husk helps your body reduce inflammation and encourages healthy cell and tissue growth, all of which help boost your immunity.
Prevents Diverticulitis and Hemorrhoids
Oftentimes, we don’t think about these conditions until it’s too late and we’re already experiencing them. Psyllium fiber can help prevent both diverticulitis and hemorrhoids. Since psyllium is fiber, it makes it easier to poop, which helps you avoid horrible hemorrhoids. Scientists believe that a high-fiber diet helps prevent diverticulitis, which is a painful condition we hope you never have to endure.
Maintains Blood Sugar Levels
Psyllium fiber can help improve blood sugar levels, which is extremely helpful if you have diabetes. The gel-forming fibers in psyllium slow down the digestion of food, which helps regulate your blood sugar.
Helps Lower Cholesterol
Psyllium husk helps lower your cholesterol! How you might ask? You know now that psyllium husk creates this amazing gel in the gut which cleans out the body. One of the things it can clean out is bile which has cholesterol inside of it.
You might think of cholesterol as something that only your parents and grandparents need to worry about, but sadly, that’s no longer the case. Younger people are also experiencing higher levels of cholesterol. If you have ever been told you need to lower your cholesterol, you might want to consider adding psyllium to your diet.
Reduces Hunger and Helps with Weight Management
This one is a twofer: psyllium husk can help reduce your hunger and aid with your weight loss if that is your goal. Since psyllium absorbs liquid in your body, it can help you feel fuller longer and help you control how much you eat.
Tips for Adding Psyllium Fiber to Your Diet
Psyllium husk fiber supplements come in a variety of forms, like powder, granules, capsules, and liquids. The key to adding psyllium fiber to your diet is to also drink eight ounces of water or another healthy liquid with it, as well as your normal eight glasses of water a day, to avoid any side effects. If you’re considering psyllium husk fiber, say hello to Bonny!
Bonny is the Best Psyllium Powder on the Market
We love psyllium husk powder, which is why it’s included in our powerhouse fiber supplement. (Our custom fiber blend also contains prebiotic inulin. Check out our delicious flavors like Mixed Berries here.
As always, we wish you pleasant poops.
