Psyllium Fiber Research Articles

Texture and sensory properties of dairy desserts with dietary fibres of different sources

This study aims to evaluate dairy desserts with (11 g kg −1 ) and without dietary fibres by instrumental measurements of texture and colour and sensory analysis. To maintain a similar texture to that of commercial desserts without fibres, the composition of thickening (corn starch, xanthan and guar gums) and gelling (carrageenan) agents in the basic formulation was also studied. Dietary fibres of bamboo, inulin, wheat, apple, Psyllium and chitosan were tested. Sensory characteristics were evaluated by a non-trained panel. Appearance, flavour, texture and preference were scored using an unstructured line scale. Texture and surface colour were analysed by a Texture Analyser-xT2i and a tristimulus colourimeter (Minolta CR 300). Sensory attributes showed significant differences among treatments. The dessert with chitosan gave the lowest sensory scores. For stress at rupture, the dessert with Psyllium fibre showed the highest value, while the one with chitosan gave the lowest. Apple fibre led to a brownish colour. Panellists preferred inulin or bamboo desserts. Addition of inulin or bamboo fibres to dairy desserts is a good alternative to increase the daily intake of dietary fibres.

Different Effect of Psyllium and Guar Dietary Supplementation on Blood Pressure Control in Hypertensive Overweight Patients: A Six-Month, Randomized Clinical Trial

In the setting of a six-month, open-label clinical trial, 141 consecutively enrolled, hypertensive, overweight patients were randomized to the oral ingestion of psyllium powder or guar gum 3.5 gr t.i.d., to be taken 20 min before the main two meals, or to standard diet. Both fibers improved significantly BMI, FPG, FPI, HOMA Index, HbA1c, LDL-C, and ApoB. Psyllium supplementation only exerted a significant improvement in plasma TG concentration, in SBP and DBP. In our study, six-month supplementation with psyllium fiber, but not with guar fiber nor standard diet, appears to significantly reduce both SBP and DBP in hypertensive overweight subjects.

Gradient-enhanced volume rendering: an image processing strategy to facilitate whole small bowel imaging with MRI

MRI of the small bowel with positive contrast from orally administered contrast agent is a promising non-invasive imaging method. The aim of our study was to introduce small bowel MRI in a display format that clinicians are accustomed to and that maximizes the amount of information visualized on a single image. Twelve healthy volunteers, median age 32 years (range 18-49 years) participated in the study. A mixture of 20 ml Gd-DOTA (Dotarem), 0.8 g/kg body weight psyllium fibre (Metamucil) and 1.2 l water were sequentially administered over a period of 4 h. Imaging was performed on a 1.5 T unit (Philips Gyroscan, Intera). Fat-saturated, 3D, gradient echo imaging was performed while the patient was in apnea (30 s). Bowel motion was reduced with 40 mg intravenously administered scopolamine (Buscopan). A 3D, gradient-enhanced, volume rendering technique was applied to the 3D data sets. Standard projections [left anterior oblique (LAO), right anterior oblique (RAO), supine and prone] resembling conventional enteroclysis were successfully generated within fewer than 10 min processing time. Reconstructions were reproducible and provided an entire overview of the small bowel. In addition thin-slab volume rendering allowed an overlap-free display of individual structures. Positive contrast from orally administered contrast agent, combined with a gradient enhanced volume rendering method, allows the reconstruction of the small bowel in a pattern resembling conventional double-contrast enteroclysis. Segmental display without overlay is possible.

Effect of Combining Psyllium Fiber With Simvastatin in Lowering Cholesterol

Effect of Combining Psyllium Fiber With Simvastatin in Lowering Cholesterol

Dietary fibre, glycaemic response, and diabetes

The much publicised global trend in rising levels of obesity and diabetes has refuelled interest in the dietary intake of the macronutrients (fat, protein, and carbohydrates) necessary to maintain the state of normalcy (good health) of an individual. Both scientific and public attention have focused on the dietary mediation of chronic health syndromes, either through use of dietary supplements, or a review of the whole diet situation. Dietary supplements have been used extensively both as pharmacological supplements, food ingredients, in processed foods to aid weight control, and the regulation of glucose control for diabetic patients. Particular interest has focused on the use of dietary fibres, especially soluble dietary fibres (such as guar gum, locust bean gum, and psyllium fibres), resistant starch, and slowly digestible carbohydrates. These have been shown to alter food structure, texture, and viscosity, and hence the rate of starch degradation during digestion. Research has also illustrated an association between the rate of carbohydrate degradation during digestion, and the regulation of postprandial blood sugar and insulin levels. The current paper explores the potential use of dietary fibres in the treatment of obesity and diabetes.

Effect of Combining Psyllium Fiber With Simvastatin in Lowering Cholesterol

Soluble fiber supplements are recommended to reduce levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). We evaluated the LDL-C-lowering effect of psyllium husk added to low-dose simvastatin therapy. In a 12-week blinded placebo-controlled study, patients were randomized to receive 20 mg of simvastatin plus placebo, 10 mg of simvastatin plus placebo, or 10 mg of simvastatin plus 15 g of psyllium (Metamucil) daily. Levels of total cholesterol, LDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and apolipoprotein B were determined after 4 and 8 weeks of treatment. The study group comprised 68 patients. All treatments were well tolerated, and after 8 weeks the mean LDL-C levels in the group receiving 10 mg of simvastatin plus placebo fell by 55 mg/dL (1.42 mmol/L) from baseline, compared with 63 mg/dL (1.63 mmol/L) in the group receiving 10 mg of simvastatin plus psyllium (P = .03). The mean lowering of LDL-C in the group receiving 20 mg of simvastatin plus placebo was the same as that in the group receiving 10 mg of simvastatin plus psyllium. Similar results were seen for apolipoprotein B and total cholesterol. No significant changes from baseline triglyceride or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels occurred. Dietary psyllium supplementation in patients taking 10 mg of simvastatin is as effective in lowering cholesterol as 20 mg of simvastatin alone. Psyllium soluble fiber should be considered as a safe and well-tolerated dietary supplement option to enhance LDL-C and apolipoprotein B lowering.

Niacin, Psyllium Fiber May Augment Statins

Niacin, Psyllium Fiber May Augment Statins

Niacin, Psyllium Fiber May Augment Statins' Risk Reduction

Niacin, Psyllium Fiber May Augment Statins' Risk Reduction

Psyllium fibre and the metabolic control of obese children and adolescents.

In children and adolescents from developed countries, obesity prevalence has strongly increased in the last decades and insulin resistance and impaired glucose tolerance are frequently observed. Some dietary components such as low glycemic index foods and dietary fibre could be used in order to improve glucose homeostasis in these children. Psyllium or ispaghula husk (the husk of the seeds of Plantago ovata) is a mixture of neutral and acid polysaccharides containing galacturonic acid with a ratio of soluble/insoluble fibre of 70/30. Some foods could potentially be enriched with psyllium, like breads, breakfast cereals, pasta and snack foods. The aim of this review was to assess the usefulness of psyllium in the management of obese children and adolescents with abnormalities of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. After psyllium supplementation, the percentage change in postprandial glucose in type 2 diabetes patients, ranged from -12.2 to -20.2%. In hypercholesterolemic children, the effect of psyllium in LDL-cholesterol serum concentrations ranged from 2.78 to -22.8%; the effect in HDL-cholesterol from -4.16 to 3.05%; and the effect on triglycerides from 8.49 to -19.54%. The reviewed evidence seems to show that psyllium improves glucose homeostasis and the lipid and lipoprotein profile; however, more well controlled trials and further studies are needed to clarify it's effects and the mechanisms involved.

Effects of xylanase treatments on gelling and water-uptaking properties of psyllium.

The effects of a commercial food-grade xylanase on the physicochemical properties of psyllium were evaluated. The enzymatic reactions were conducted in solid state at ambient temperature. The enzyme-treated psyllium preparations were analyzed and compared with the starting psyllium for their water-uptake properties, gelling capacities, soluble and insoluble fiber contents, and surface structures. The solid-state xylanase treatment significantly reduced both water-uptake and gelling capacities of psyllium (p < 0.01), with a slight decrease of soluble fiber content, whereas no effect on insoluble fiber content was observed. The xylanase treatment also resulted in a smoother surface structure of psyllium particles. In addition, no special equipment and operation were required to conduct the enzymatic reaction, which generated no waste. These data indicated a potential to improve the physicochemical properties of psyllium by use of the solid-state xylanase reactions to promote the utilization of psyllium fiber in functional foods for promoting human health.

Psyllium reduces relative calcium bioavailability and induces negative changes in bone composition in weanling Wistar rats

Certain dietary fibers may decrease calcium bioavailability. The objective of this study was to determine the bioavailability of calcium from different amounts and sources of psyllium. Psyllium fiber sources were purified powdered psyllium seed husk, Metamucil® brand fiber supplement, and All-Bran® Bran Buds® cereal. Sixty-six female weanling rats were fed diets containing 5% or 10% purified psyllium, 5% or 10% Metamucil®, 5% or 10% All-Bran® Bran Buds®, or a control diet containing 5% cellulose for 4 weeks. Treatment diets resulted in lower body weight gain, increased fecal weight, and decreased apparent calcium absorption. Relative calcium bioavailability was reduced to less than 90% by diets containing 10% fiber from psyllium and 10% fiber from Metamucil®. Treatment diets induced significant negative changes in calcium, hydroxyproline, and hexosamine content of hind limb bones and mandibles. These results suggest that calcium bioavailability is reduced with an increased intake of soluble fiber from sources of psyllium.

A new reality: achieving cholesterol-lowering goals in clinical practice.

Physicians often fail to achieve recommended low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol goals for their patients using lipid-lowering therapies in the primary care setting. A variety of factors may contribute to this failure, including inadequate effectiveness of lipid-lowering drugs in reducing LDL cholesterol at commonly used doses. In the Lipid Assessment Treatment Project (L-TAP), for example, the success rates for lipid-regulating therapies and treatments according to National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Adult Treatment Panel II (ATP II) LDL cholesterol goals were 43% for bile acid sequestrants, 39% for niacin, 32% for gemfibrozil, 28% for psyllium fiber, 40% for statins, and 40% for combination therapy. Rosuvastatin is a new statin that has been shown to achieve significantly greater reductions in LDL cholesterol compared with pravastatin, simvastatin, and atorvastatin in primary hypercholesterolemia and enabled greater proportions of patients to achieve LDL cholesterol goals. Similarly, rosuvastatin proved superior to atorvastatin in lowering LDL cholesterol in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia, with more patients achieving LDL cholesterol goals. Data from these trials suggest that rosuvastatin is as safe and well tolerated as other statins. The availability of lipid-lowering drugs with greater LDL cholesterol-lowering effects could simplify the approach to coronary heart disease risk reduction in primary care.

Failure of cholesterol-lowering by psyllium

Despite reported benefits of flaxseeds and psyllium, to our knowledge no studies have compared their effectiveness in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D). While both psyllium and flaxseeds are plant-derived fibers, flaxseeds contain additional compounds associated with cardiovascular health including alpha linolenic acid, phytoestrogen lignans, vitamin E and carotenoids. The objectives were to determine primarily whether flaxseeds were more effective than psyllium at improving weight and cardiovascular health (glucose, lipids and blood pressure) and secondarily inflammation and oxidative stress in subjects with T2D. We hypothesized, when matched for fiber mass content, daily supplementation with ground flaxseeds (28 g/d) would be more effective than ground psyllium fiber (9 g/d) for improving adiposity and glycemic regulation, serum lipids, blood pressure and markers of inflammation and oxidative stress in participants with T2D. In this comparative effectiveness parallel-design study, adults (18-75y) with T2D were randomized to consume either supplement for 8 weeks with anthropometrics and blood samples collected at baseline and week 8. Flaxseed and psyllium reduced waist circumference (−2.8 ± 2.0 and −1.2 ± 2.4 cm, respectively; p = 0.002 within groups) and oxidized lipoproteins (−2.8 ± 4.2 and −0.1 ± 1.5 nM/L, respectively; p = 0.037 within groups) without affecting body mass, lipids, or blood pressure. Flaxseeds alone increased nitric oxide (+2.4 ± 3.3 vs −0.9 ± 2.7 nM/L; p = 0.044 between groups) suggesting flaxseeds may offer additional vasoprotection. Thus, fiber supplementation is an effective means to reduce waist circumference and oxidative stress in individuals with T2D. In addition, this study was the first to show that flaxseeds increase nitric oxide bioavailability in the vasculature of subjects with T2D.

Dietary psyllium reverses hypercholesterolemic effect of trans fatty acids in rats

The objective of the study was to examine the effect of dietary psyllium fiber and trans fatty acid (TFA) on serum cholesterol. Fifty-five male, weaning, Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to four groups for a four-week feeding period. Each group was fed modified standard rodent diet with one of four treatments: corn and olive oil mix (OIL), corn and olive oil mixture plus psyllium (OILP), corn-oil margarine (MAR), and corn-oil margarine plus psyllium fiber (MARP). Experimental lipids and fiber composed 15% and 5% of the diet by weight. Among the fatty acids in the margarine 16% were TFA while the mixture of oils was free of TFA. At the end of the feeding period, animal blood was collected for serum lipid measurements. Total cholesterol level of MAR fed rats was significantly higher than that of OIL fed rats, while HDL cholesterol levels were the opposite. The addition of psyllium significantly reduced total cholesterol of MAR fed rats but such effect was not observed in OIL fed animals. Fiber also significantly raised the level of HDL cholesterol of MAR fed animals. When the total fecal lipids were measured, it was found that dietary psyllium significantly reduced the fat absorption especially of those MARP fed animals. These findings not only confirmed the hypercholesterolemic effect of TFA, but also indicated that psyllium fiber has the ability to improve the serum lipid profile of those consuming a TFA rich diet. The hypothesized effect is that fiber interferes with the usage of TFA found in margarine. TFA may be bound by natural dietary fiber and then lost in the feces. Funded by University of Delaware Research Foundation.

Survival of Saccharomyces boulardii in the Rat Gastrointestinal Tract and Effects of Dietary Fiber

The present study was directed to determine the sites of destructive metabolism of the biotherapeutic yeast Saccharomyces boulardii and the influences of dietary fiber on survival. Both single dose and steady state experiments implicate the lower bowel as an important influence in the metabolic loss of viability of S. boulardii in rats. Studies in rats revealed that diets containing psyllium hydrocolloid or polycarbophil increased fecal steady state levels of S. boulardii by 4.3-fold and 3.2-fold, respectively, compared to levels in fiber-free diet fed animals. Pectin and alginic acid had no effect. Psyllium fiber increased steady state recovery in all experiments in which the S. boulardii was given orally (p<0.04) but did not when S. boulardii was given via a cecal cannula, suggesting that this fiber may act in the terminal ileum at steady state. Only specific types of dietary fiber can increase the number of viable S. boulardii passing through the gastrointestinal tract at steady state dosing. Key words: Saccharomyces boulardii , biotherapeutic agents, probiotics, dietary fiber, gastrointestinal tract, drug metabolism.

Dietary fiber and the chemopreventive modelation of colon carcinogenesis

Comparative international epidemiological data indicate that the difference between the highest and lowest colon cancer incidence is approximately 10-fold. This suggests that the dominant causes of colon cancer are environmental rather than genetic in origin, with the dominant environmental cause being the typical diet of Western industrialized countries. Many epidemiological and experimental studies have suggested an important role for dietary fiber in the prevention of colon cancer. Using the Fischer-344 rat as the experimental model, data clearly demonstrate a strong protective effect of a diet that is low in fat, high in fiber and high in calcium (low-risk diet). Such a diet prevents the development of both preneoplastic aberrant crypt foci (ACF) and colon tumors. Recent experiments have also demonstrated a direct relationship between a ras point mutation in ACF at different stages of rat colon carcinogenesis, and a ras point mutation that is subsequently present in colon tumors. Using wheat bran as the model dietary fiber source, its effects were compared to the effects of psyllium, phytic acid, vitamin E, β-carotene, folic acid, alone or in combination, for their ability to prevent colon cancer in rats on high-risk Western-style diets. Our studies clearly demonstrated the ability of wheat bran to reduce ACF and colon tumors in rats that consumed high-fat, Western-style diets. Although phytic acid, which is a constituent of wheat bran, alone demonstrated strong cancer-preventive potential, our experiments provided evidence for the cancer-preventive effect of the crude fiber fraction that is independent of the effect of phytic acid. The synergistic combination of wheat bran with the soluble fiber psyllium led to enhanced protection; while the combination of wheat bran with β-carotene showed only an additive effect. β-Carotene appeared to show higher protection than wheat bran at an intake level that is nutritionally relevant to humans, suggesting the possibility of using β-carotene to enhance the effects of dietary fiber in high-risk Western populations. Using ACF as an intermediate endpoint, it was also shown that vitamin E and β-carotene appear to inhibit progression of ACF to colon cancer, while wheat bran and folic acid appeared to have weak cancer-preventive potential at this late stage of carcinogenesis. In conclusion, wheat bran alone, or in combination with psyllium, appears to have greater potential to inhibit earlier phases of carcinogenesis, while β-carotene and vitamin E may also inhibit later stages of carcinogenesis. Despite considerable epidemiological and experimental evidence that increasing the fiber and lowering the fat content of the Western diet could substantially reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease, the real challenge is to find effective ways to educate and motivate people to overcome their intrinsic cultural resistance to such changes in their eating habits.

The cholesterol‐lowering effect of a breakfast cereal containing psyllium fibre

To determine the cholesterol-lowering effect of ready-to-eat cereal containing soluble fibre as psyllium (86%), oatmeal and barley on the plasma lipids of otherwise healthy men with mild hypercholesterolaemia, who were already eating a diet low in saturated fats. Double-blind crossover trial, lasting 12 weeks, in volunteers eating each cereal for six weeks at home, in Sydney and Newcastle (New South Wales). Eighty-one men (average age 50 years; range, 31-69 years) who had initial plasma (total) cholesterol concentrations of 5.8-8.8 mmol/L, but did not have major illness, obesity or diabetes, and were not on special diets or taking stool bulkers. One box of cereal was eaten each day: control, 60 g wheat/wheat bran (2 g soluble fibre); or test, 50 g of product containing psyllium/oats/barley (12 g soluble fibre). Subjects were allocated at random, when established on a low saturated fat diet, to wheat followed by psyllium cereal or psyllium followed by wheat cereal. Plasma total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride and low density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations measured twice, four to seven days apart before the start of the trial and then after six weeks of eating each cereal. Compliance was excellent with both cereals. There were no significant differences in subjects' macronutrient intake or body weight between the two six-week periods. Total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations fell significantly on psyllium cereal, relative to wheat cereal, in both periods at both centres (mean -3.2% and -4.4%, respectively). There were no consistent changes in triglyceride or high density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations. This type of product, which is easy to consume on a daily basis, is a useful adjunct to the dietary management of mild hypercholesterolaemia.

The cholesterol-lowering effect of a breakfast cereal containing psyllium fiber in mildly hypercholesterolemic men already on a low fat diet: a two-center trial

The cholesterol-lowering effect of a breakfast cereal containing psyllium fiber in mildly hypercholesterolemic men already on a low fat diet: a two-center trial

Psyllium Reduces Blood Lipids in Men and Women With Hyperlipidemia

To see if a modest amount of soluble fiber reduced blood lipids in subjects with hyperlipidemia who were on a low-fat diet, 42 subjects (21 men, 21 women) consuming an American Heart Association step 2 diet took two servings of breakfast cereal daily for two 2-week periods in a randomized crossover trial. There were two types of test cereals, each providing 6.7 g psyllium fiber daily, and two types of wheat bran control cereals, matched for available carbohydrate and total fiber. Half the subjects tested each type of cereal, and the results were pooled because the psyllium cereals had similar effects on serum cholesterol levels. Comparing values at the end of 2 weeks, psyllium reduced serum total (6.33 +/- 0.12 mmol/L versus 6.76 +/- 0.12 mmol/L, p < 0.001), low-density lipoprotein (LDL; 4.36 +/- 0.11 mmol/L versus 4.73 +/- 0.12 mmol/L, p < 0.001) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (HDL; 1.10 +/- 0.05 mmol/L versus 1.14 +/- 0.05 mmol/L, p < 0.05) and the LDL/HDL cholesterol ratio (4.27 +/- 0.20 versus 4.48 +/- 0.22, p < 0.02) with no effect on triglycerides. There was no significant interaction between the effects of treatment and sex for any of the blood lipid variables. Women tended to have greater decreases in total, LDL, and HDL cholesterol levels than men, but the percent decrease in LDL/HDL ratio on psyllium was similar in men, 4.9%, and women, 4.7%. It is concluded that 6.7 g of psyllium fiber daily, with a low-fat diet, reduces serum cholesterol levels in both men and women with hyperlipidemia.

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-period crossover clinical trial of psyllium fiber in children with hypercholesterolemia

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover clinical trial was designed to test the efficacy of psyllium fiber in lowering elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels in children 5 to 17 years of age. Subjects with LDL-C levels > 2.84 mmol/L (110 mg/dl) after at least 3 months of a low total fat, low saturated fat, low cholesterol diet were enrolled. Two ready-to-eat cereals, with water-soluble psyllium fiber (6 gm/day) and without, were prescribed for 4 to 5 weeks each, with an intervening 2-week washout phase. Reported compliance rates exceeded 80% in the 20 subjects who completed the study. Mean initial total cholesterol, LDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglyceride values were 5.23, 3.60, 1.18, and 2.22 mmol/L, respectively. Comparison of the mean changes (from baseline) in lipid values after the two periods of cereal consumption revealed no statistically nor clinically significant differences in total cholesterol, LDL-C, or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol values. Triglyceride levels, however, increased 0.68 mmol/L (26 mg/dl; p < 0.05) after the control cereal in comparison with the psyllium cereal. No significant differences were noted in the children's dietary intake (assessed by 7-day diet records) during the two study periods. Measures of growth (height, weight, and skin-fold thicknesses), and blood vitamin (folic acid; vitamins A, D, and E) and mineral (iron, zinc, and calcium) levels were not affected. In this study, psyllium fiber had no additional lowering effect on total cholesterol or LDL-C levels in children who were already following low total fat, low saturated fat, low cholesterol diets.