Psyllium Husk Benefits: How a 30-Second Habit Finally Stopped My Crazy Bloating

I'm a health writer who covers a lot of gastrointestinal topics, so I thought I knew all the tips about digestive health. (Eat high-fiber foods! Drink plenty of water! Be active every day!) But I'd still often get plagued with really bad bloating and constipation, to the point where my pants would feel tight for days.

Then I learned about psyllium husk, a type of soluble fiber supplement.

A friend mentioned it might be helpful for my digestive woes, and it turns out that experts agree: "Taking psyllium is helpful for easing constipation and bloating for many people," says Kaytee Hadley, RDN, an irritable bowel syndrome-focused dietitian and the founder of Holistic Health and Wellness in Richmond, Virginia.

That was enough to convince me to give it a try. And guess what? This easy trick got my bloat problem under control in about a week. And two months later, I'm still taking it every day.

If you want to give the supplement a try too, here's what you should know about psyllium husk's benefits for constipation, bloating, and much more, plus tips on how to take it and which products to buy.

Bloating can have a number of different causes (think: eating gas-producing foods, chewing gum, or drinking carbonated beverages). But it can also stem from constipation.

"When you're constipated, the stool in your intestines is like a dry sponge that just gets stuck," Hadley says. The backlog can make your lower abdomen feel full and uncomfortable. At the same time, the microbes that live in your gut begin to ferment the stuck stool, causing gas to build up in your GI tract, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Psyllium husk can alleviate this problem by helping you have more regular bowel movements. The fibrous outer covering of the psyllium seed consists mostly of soluble fiber with a little bit of insoluble fiber. That combo is key for fighting constipation.

"Soluble fiber works by creating a gel-like lubricant when combined with water, which helps contents move through the digestive tract more easily," says Wendi LeBrett, MD, a gastroenterologist at the Digestive Health Clinic in Boise, Idaho. At the same time, "Insoluble fiber works by bulking up the stool and can help stimulate colonic contractions."

Just as you would with fiber supplements like Metamucil or Benefiber, add psyllium husk to your diet slowly. That'll give your system time to adjust to the influx of additional roughage.

"Don't suddenly start taking lots of fiber from supplements if your body isn't used to it because it can cause an upset stomach," and make your bloating and gas worse, Hadley says.

Begin with 1 teaspoon of psyllium powder stirred into 12 ounces of water per day. On the third day, move up to 2 teaspoons. If your constipation hasn't improved, you can continue to increase your dosage by one teaspoon at a time every two to three days, consuming 12 ounces of water for every 3 teaspoons of psyllium, recommends Dr. LeBrett. Avoid taking more than 6 teaspoons of psyllium at once.

Psyllium won't make you go to the bathroom immediately, so it's fine to take it at whatever time is convenient for you. I always have it mixed with a big glass of water first thing in the morning and an hour or two before eating, because having it around mealtime makes me uncomfortably full.

Finally, don't take psyllium fiber at the same time as other medications, because it can interfere with absorption. Take it at least an hour before or two to four hours afterwards, per Mount Sinai.

Unlike stimulant laxatives, psyllium won't trigger a bowel movement right away. Instead, you can expect your bowel movements to start becoming more regular after a couple of days, Dr. LeBrett says.

Keep in mind that even if you increase your intake gradually and drink plenty of water, the extra fiber might make you feel more bloated or gassy as your body adjusts. "This usually self-resolves after a week or so," Dr. LeBrett notes.

Psyllium doesn't just make it easier to go to the bathroom. It serves up some other important health benefits too. It also:

• ‌Helps you feel fuller.‌ Soluble fiber takes up space in your stomach and slows the rate at which your food is digested, so you fill up faster and stay satisfied for longer, according to an August 2018 review of 12 studies in the ‌European Journal of Clinical Nutrition‌. (This is a key reason why some people take psyllium husk for weight loss.)
  
• ‌Keeps your blood sugar levels more stable.‌ By slowing the rate at which your food is absorbed, soluble fiber helps glucose, or sugar, enter your bloodstream at a steady rate. That can stave off blood sugar spikes and crashes. In fact, one December 2015 ‌American Journal of Clinical Nutrition‌ analysis found that taking psyllium before a meal lowered fasting blood sugar levels for people with type 2 diabetes.
  
• ‌Lowers your cholesterol.‌ Soluble fiber from food and supplements like psyllium acts like a sponge to soak up excess cholesterol in your bloodstream. Getting 5 to 10 grams a day has been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol levels, per the Mayo Clinic. (You'll get 3.5 to 5 grams of soluble fiber in a tablespoon-serving of psyllium, depending on the brand.)
  
• ‌Supports gut health.‌ The microbes in your GI tract love to feast on soluble fiber. Supplementing with psyllium husk for just seven days has been shown to boost levels of good bacteria in the gut, according to a January 2019 randomized controlled clinical trial in the ‌International Journal of Molecular Sciences‌.
  

You can find psyllium in a few different forms:

• ‌Whole psyllium husk,‌ which has a coarse texture similar to wheat bran. Dr. LeBrett points out that while it's the most effective for treating constipation, it can have a gelatinous, slightly gritty texture when mixed with water that some people find hard to tolerate. Her favorite brands: Organic India Psyllium Whole Husk Fiber ($17.99, Amazon) and Himalaya Organic Psyllium Whole Husk ($25.74, Walmart).
• ‌Psyllium powder,‌ which is ground psyllium husk. It has a fine, powdery texture that's easy to drink when mixed with water, so it's what Dr. LeBrett and Hadley both recommend for first-timers. Look for a brand that's free of sweeteners or additives. Try NOW Foods Psyllium Husk Powder ($11.55, Amazon) or Metamucil Unflavored 4-in-1 Fiber ($28.99, Amazon).
• ‌Psyllium capsules‌ contain psyllium husks or powder in capsule form, which you can swallow like a pill instead of mixing into water. Try Yerba Prima Psyllium Husks Veg Caps ($26.57, Amazon) or Puritan's Pride Psyllium Husk Capsules ($12.79, Amazon).

If you're bloated because you haven't been able to have a bowel movement, consider trying a daily dose of psyllium husk fiber like I did. It just might put an end to your GI woes while offering additional health benefits.