The product commonly sold in herbalists under the name psyllium is made from the seeds or cuticle of Plantago psyllium (= Plantago arenaria, Plantago indica), an annual herbaceous plant grown mainly in Iran, India, Pakistan and the United States of America.
Benefits for health
Mucilages are polysaccharides with a complex chemical composition, belonging to the category of soluble fibers and with an emollient, protective, anti-inflammatory, laxative - constipating effect.
The main characteristic of psyllium seeds is linked precisely to the mucilaginous coating that covers them, which in contact with water expands to increase its weight by 25 times. The best known effect of psyllium, the laxative, therefore depends on its ability to recall liquids in the lumen of the intestine, swelling, increasing the intestinal contents and consequently stimulating peristalsis and evacuation. This effect, called "bulk forming", is typical of laxatives that increase and soften the fecal mass (called "mechanical "), particularly appreciated for their safety and efficacy. Like all laxatives belonging to this category, to obtain the desired effect, even psyllium seeds must be taken together with abundant liquids and used in the right quantities.
The ability of psyllium to draw liquids into the intestinal lumen and swell, is useful not only in case of constipation, but also in the presence of diarrhea. In the latter case it acts by absorbing excess fluids and increasing the consistency of the fecal bolus (also called kilo).
Due to its normalizing effect on intestinal transit and on the consistency of feces, psyllium has also proved useful in colitis and in cases of irritable colon and diverticulosis; its lubricating effect, linked to the ability to increase the softness of the stool, makes it useful even in the presence of hemorrhoids and anal fissures.
For all these reasons, psyllium is a common ingredient in some breakfast cereals, but also an important component of food supplements and widely used drugs, as normalizers of intestinal functions or as laxatives.
Doses of intake
It is currently believed that a daily consumption of 5-7 grams of psyllium seeds is useful for normalizing intestinal functions and to prevent cardiovascular disorders (by accelerating intestinal transit, they reduce the absorption of cholesterol, harmful substances and slow down that of simple sugars. ; it follows a normalizing effect on glycemic values and on LDL cholesterol). The intake of psyllium must be accompanied by an adequate quantity of water (150-200 ml every 5 grams).
At the same weight, the effects are much higher for the mucilaginous extracts of psyllium than for whole seeds, since the mucilages are concentrated in the cuticle ("external integument"). In these cases, an intake of 2 grams / day is sufficient.
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Side effects
If used for a long time and in higher than recommended doses, psyllium can cause flatulence and a feeling of bloating. Mass laxatives should not be used in the presence of esophageal or gastrointestinal strictures, that is, in those cases in which constipation is due to a mechanical obstruction (cancer, inflammation and chronic ischemia, endometriosis, hernias, neoplasms of the ovary or uterus ). Caution in the presence of toxic megacolon, due to its ability to alter the motility of the colon. It is also advisable to avoid taking psyllium shortly before bedtime, to prevent it from obstructing the esophagus. subjected to hypocholesterolemic and hypoglycemic therapy (psyllium seeds enhance the effect of these drugs).
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