Organic psyllium husk powder, 125 g — the milled husk of Plantago ovata seed, and one of the most concentrated sources of soluble fibre there is.
The safety instruction comes first, because it genuinely matters
Always take psyllium with a full glass of liquid — at least 200 ml — and drink more afterwards. This is not a general wellness suggestion. Psyllium husk absorbs many times its own weight in water and forms a gel within minutes. Taken dry, or with too little liquid, it can swell in the throat or the oesophagus and cause an obstruction. Cases are rare but they are documented, and they are the reason this warning appears on every bulk-forming fibre product sold in a pharmacy.
Following from that:
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Mix it and drink it immediately. Left standing, it thickens into something you cannot drink.
- Do not take it just before lying down or going to bed.
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Do not take it if you have any difficulty swallowing, or any narrowing or obstruction of the gut, or if you have been told you have faecal impaction. Speak to your doctor first.
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Seek medical advice immediately if you get chest pain, vomiting, or difficulty swallowing or breathing after taking it.
The timing rule with medicines
Psyllium forms a gel in the gut, and that gel can trap medicines and stop them being absorbed properly. Take psyllium at least an hour before, or two to four hours after, any medication. This matters particularly for levothyroxine, lithium, carbamazepine, digoxin, warfarin, metformin and iron, and for anything else where the dose is finely judged. If you take medicines daily, mention psyllium to your pharmacist — it is a small change of timing rather than a reason not to use it.
What it actually is, and why the husk is the part that counts
Plantago ovata — ispaghula — is a small plant grown mostly in India. It is the thin outer husk of the seed that is used, not the seed itself, and the husk is composed almost entirely of a highly branched, water-holding polysaccharide called arabinoxylan.
That structure gives psyllium an unusual property: it is a gel-forming soluble fibre that is barely fermented by gut bacteria. Most soluble fibres are enthusiastically fermented, which is what produces wind and bloating. Psyllium largely passes through intact, holding water. This is why it is generally the best tolerated bulk fibre, and why it is the one recommended in irritable bowel syndrome where other fibres make matters worse.
What it does, physically
The gel adds bulk and holds water, which softens hard stool; and it also firms loose stool by absorbing excess water. Doing both is not a contradiction — it is what a water-holding gel does in either direction, and it is why psyllium is used at both ends of the problem.
The authorised claim
Psyllium husk fibre contributes to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels. That is an authorised European claim, and it applies where at least 7 g of psyllium husk fibre is consumed daily. Seven grams is roughly two heaped teaspoons — substantially more than most people take, so if cholesterol is your reason, the dose is the thing to get right.
Beyond that claim we will not speculate. Bulk fibre and bowel regularity is well understood physiology; it is not something a shop may dress up as a health claim.
How to take it
Start small. Half a teaspoon in a large glass of water once a day for the first week, then build up. Going straight to a full dose commonly causes bloating and wind for a few days while the gut adjusts.
Increase your water intake overall, not just the glass you mix it in. Fibre without fluid is the classic way to make constipation worse rather than better.
It has almost no taste. Stir it into water, juice or a smoothie and drink it straight away; add it to porridge, yoghurt or a bread dough, where it also improves the texture of gluten-free loaves considerably.
Storage
Airtight and dry. It draws moisture from the air and will set into a solid block in a damp cupboard.
Dragon Superfoods
Dragon Superfoods
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