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Native to Iran and regions of India, psyllium is cultivated for
it use as an herbal medicine. The seeds of the psyllium plant are
the primary part of the plant used in traditional herbal medicine.
The husk of the psyllium plant is used to relieve
constipation.
Well known for relieving constipation, psyllium
has also been used by herbalists as a topical treatment for skin
irritations, including poison ivy reactions and insect bites. In
both China and India, it is used traditionally in connection with
diarrhea, hemorrhoids, bladder problems, and high blood
pressure.
High in fiber and mucilage, psyllium is an
effective bulk-forming laxative. It properties as a laxative are due
to the swelling of the husk when it comes in contact with water.
When consumed with a sufficient amount of water, psyllium forms a
gelatinous mass that keeps feces hydrated and soft. It also
stimulates a reflex contraction of the walls of the bowel causing
waste to be excreted from the body.
Today psyllium can be
found as an important ingredient in many commercially available
over-the-counter laxative products. While psyllium is an effective
laxative, in most cases it may not work when constipation is due to
unnatural causes such as disease or severe illness. It has also been
reported that taking psyllium may lower total cholesterol and LDL
(“bad”) cholesterol while leaving HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels
unaffected. Psyllium may also improve blood sugar in
diabetics.
In clinical trials, daily supplementation with
ground psyllium seed appeared to reduce symptoms with people
suffering from ulcerative colitis. When combined with the medication
mesalamine, it appeared to be even more effective at reducing
symptoms.
Dosage and
Administration
For constipation take 1 teaspoon (5
grams) of psyllium husk three times per day. It has also been
suggested that taking 2 to 6 teaspoons (10 to 25 grams) of psyllium
seed may also produce the desired effect. In all cases mix psyllium
with a large glass of liquid and drink immediately before it
thickens. Always follow the manufacturers’
recommendations.
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