The role of dietary fiber in the correction of digestion and constipation of various etiologies

Abstract

Psyllium is a predominantly soluble fiber among other natural plant-based dietary fiber used in food and pharmaceuticals and is sold as a laxative fiber. Isphagula (lat. ispaghula)– international nonproprietary name of a medicine of «psyllium». Accordingly to ATX belongs to the group of «Laxatives», subgroup «A06AC «Laxatives increasing volume of intestinal contents» (Bulking laxatives) and has the following code and name: «A06AC01 «Ispaghula» (plantain oval seeds)». Isphagula is a medical dietary fiber; in the context of gastrointestinal problems in terms of «ispaghula» and «psyllium» are synonymous. Psyllium flour has virtually no digestible carbohydrates. This fact is a significant advantage of psyllium over oat bran, in which such carbohydrates are more than 60%. A distinctive feature of psyllium is that it is almost completely (80–85%) consists of fiber (about 70% of which is soluble), which in contact with water turns into a soft gel. Only 1 gram of fiber ground fiber flour is able to absorb up to 45 ml of water. In the colon, psyllium is resistant to fermentation, remains intact in the feces and significantly increases the water content in the feces, providing a laxative effect. Psyllium softens hard stools in constipation, normalizes loose stools in diarrhea, and normalizes stool shape in patients with IBS, relieving gastrointestinal symptoms. Dietary supplement «Fitomucil® Norm» contains 4.5 g of psyllium (Plantago psyllium), and dry pulp of prunes (Prunus domestica) – 0.5 g. This combination of psyllium and prunes can be widely used in patients with constipation and other functional digestive disorders in different age groups, including pregnant and lactating women, as a first-line remedy.