What do you know about Psyllium?

Are you aware of what you can benefit from Psyllium?

The term Psyllium might sound new to some people, yet millions of  people from all over the world continue to benefit from this nature's gift to humanity on a daily basis.  

It might interest you to know that Psyllium is a general term used for various members of the Plantago plant. Presently, Psyllium seeds have gained popularity due to its use for producing mucilage. Psyllium seed is an excellent source of protein, tannin, sterols, aucubin glycoside, fixed oils and more than 30 percent of mucilage.

Some Amazing Benefits of Psyllium

- Psyllium can be used for improving the transplantation of woody plants.

- Psyllium can be used for hair treatment and for preparing hair cosmetics. 

- Psyllium Prevents Constipation and Hemorrhoid Anal Fissure in Pregnant Women.

- Consumption of Psyllium leads to high satiety and less hunger especially between meals.

- Psyllium husk has a strong wound healing properties due to its constituent of  mucopolysaccharides.

- Edible Purposes: Psyllium Can be consumed as food for example, as a food thickener in soup, dessert, confectionery, desserts and ice cream. It can also be used for enriching foods such as bread,  pasta, snacks and cereals.

- Medicinal Uses of Psyllium: According to Tewari et al., (2014), the psyllium seed is diuretic in nature and can be effective for use in febrile illnesses (fever), management of urethra, kidney and bladder condition, treatment of cold and cough, effective for rheumatic and glandular swellings, useful as a poultice on boils and effective for tackling ulcers.

- Improves Glucose Homeostasis: Adding psyllium to the diets of diabetic and hypercholesterolemia (excessive cholesterol in the bloodstream) patients has been reported to be safe, well tolerated and can improve the glycemic index. 

- Controls the cholesterol level: Soluble fibres such as those present in psyllium husk have been reported to promote the cholesterol-lowering effects of a low-fat diet especially in individuals with hypercholesterolemia.

- Prevents & Tackles Bowel Diseases: Psyllium can be used to treat and prevent bowel diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), constipation, inflammatory bowel disease, mild diarrhoea, colon cancer and diverticulosis.

- Effective for maintaining a healthy weight: Psyllium is a good source of dietary fibre, hence useful for maintaining a healthy weight.

- It can be used as a hydrocolloidal agent for improving water retention especially in newly seeded grass areas.

It is also worthy to note that psyllium is the key ingredient in most non-prescription laxatives such as; Uni-Laxative, Cilium, Metamucil, Maalox Daily Fiber Therapy and Fiberall. Due to the thick mucilaginous fibre nature of psyllium, it is highly recommended to drink plenty of water while taking it in other to avoid choking and possible avoidable side effects.

N:B - This post is for enlightenment purposes only and should not be used as a replacement for professional diagnostic and treatments. 

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