Based upon substantial clinical and scientific evidence, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has
approved a health claim for Psyllium in regards to its ability to reduce cardiovascular disease risk. 4 This is
primarily at ributable to the ability of the soluble fiber fraction of Psyllium seed husk to drag cholesterol and bile
acids (bile acids may otherwise be re-absorbed and converted into cholesterol within the liver) through the intestinal
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Meschino Health Comprehensive Guide to Accessory Nutrients and Essential Oils
Accessory Nutrients and Essential Oils
tract and eliminate them from the body in the stool. 4,11 It may also stimulate the liver to convert cholesterol to bile
acids, lowering the total cholesterol load on the body. 11,13 Through these mechanisms, Psyllium supplementation
has been shown to reduce blood cholesterol levels to a modest degree in patients with high cholesterol and in
patients whose cholesterol levels fall within the normal range. Numerous double-blind studies have shown that
Psyllium supplementation can lower total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol (bad cholesterol), with no significant
ef ect on HDL-cholesterol levels (good cholesterol). 12,14 Studies involving children have also shown a significant
cholesterol lowering ef ect in subjects with elevated cholesterol levels. 15
In the Lipid Assessment Treatment Project (L-TAP), the success rates for lipid-regulating therapies and treatments
according to the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Adult Treatment Panel I (ATP I ) were reported
to be a 43% reduction in LDL-cholesterol for bile acid sequestrant drugs, 39% for high-dose niacin, 32% for
gemfibrozil, 28% for Psyllium fiber, 40% for statin drugs (e.g., lovastatin), and 40% for combination therapies. 25
A meta-analysis conducted to evaluate the hypolipidemic effects of Psyllium fiber (which pooled eight controlled
studies, involving 384 and 272 subjects with mild to moderate hypercholesterolemia receiving Psyllium or cellulose
placebo, respectively), revealed that Psyllium supplementation (10.2 gm per day), as an adjunct to a low fat diet,
lowered total cholesterol by 4%, LDL-cholesterol by 7% and the ratio of apolipoprotein (apo) B to apo A-1 by 6%,
relative to the placebo. The researchers concluded that Psyllium is well tolerated and safe when used as an adjunct
to a low-fat diet in individuals with mild-to-moderate hypercholesterolemia. 26
A study involving 34 hypercholesterolemic men with type II diabetes showed that men receiving 5.1 gm of Psyllium
20-30 minutes prior to breakfast and evening meals for eight weeks, reduced their total cholesterol levels on
average by 8.9% and LDL-cholesterol levels by 13%, compared to the placebo group. As well, their post-lunch
glucose levels dropped by 4.2%, compared with a 12.7% increase in the placebo group. 27