This tiny little seed is the best way to increase your fiber

When it comes to health-boosting seeds, chia often hogs the headlines—but there’s another small-but-mighty ingredient that gives chia a run for its money in the nutrition department. Psyllium is higher in soluble fiber than chia, which is why it has a host of health benefits, from curbing cholesterol to aiding weight loss. It’s the key ingredient in fiber supplements prescribed by doctors to patients with gastrointestinal problems and has been classified as a “nutraceutical”—a food that has health-boosting properties beyond basic nutrition—by the Food and Drug Administration.

(The science of why chia seeds are a superfood.)

Psyllium, normally sold as a powder, is “kind of a panacea” for gut issues, says Nate Wood, director of culinary medicine at Yale School of Medicine. It can also help reduce blood sugar spikes and cholesterol. “When we eat soluble fiber, it sucks up water in our intestinal tract and forms a gel-like substance which has all kinds of positive benefits for the human body.”

But it’s important to consume psyllium correctly. Here’s what you need to know about this super-powered seed.

​The health benefits of psyllium

Psyllium is almost entirely composed of soluble fiber, which dissolves in water, forming a gelatinous substance called mucilage. This gel acts as a buffer for glucose when it reaches the small intestine, says registered dietician Jenna Volpe of Whole-istic Living. “It slows down the rate at which carbohydrates and sugars break down and get absorbed into the blood.”

Studies show that psyllium supplements help improve blood sugar regulation and lower LDL cholesterol (aka "bad" cholesterol) by binding with bile acids, which are then excreted, triggering the body to replace them. “In order to make more bile acids, the liver needs to use up more cholesterol, so the cholesterol in your blood ends up going down,” Wood explains.

Psyllium has been shown as an effective aid for weight loss, since the formation of mucilage in the stomach can increase feelings of fullness. When it reaches the colon, soluble fiber can help relieve either constipation (by adding bulk to stools) or diarrhea (by absorbing excess water), Wood says. “For people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome who sometimes have both, it can be really helpful to kind of even things out for those folks.”

How to incorporate psyllium in your diet

Psyllium in its raw form is generally sold as seeds, husks, or powdered husks. You can grind the seeds or husks, which have a mildly nutty flavor, to “increase the amount of surface area that's going to make direct contact with water,” Volpe says, thereby speeding up the mucilage formation. Whichever you choose, it’s important to mix it with about eight to 12 ounces of water or another type of liquid before consuming, otherwise the psyllium will soak up moisture in your gut and “can create a lump of food that can get stuck,” Wood says.

“Once you mix it, you have to drink it very quickly because within five minutes, it starts to really thicken,” Volpe says. “You could also stir it into yogurt, oatmeal, or overnight oats.” Some people also use psyllium husk gel as an egg substitute in vegan baking, but high temperatures can reduce the soluble fiber content.

If your diet is low in fiber, be careful when trying psyllium for the first time. “If you go from eating not very much fiber every day to a lot, you could experience bloating, abdominal pain, or cramping,” Wood says. Volpe recommends starting with half a teaspoon of psyllium and building up your intake slowly to a maximum of around two tablespoons per day (split across three meals, equating to roughly two teaspoons per serving), increasing your liquid intake at the same time to ensure there’s enough water to dissolve the soluble fiber.

When to take psyllium depends on your health priorities. “If you're looking specifically for the blood sugar-lowering benefit or the satiety benefit for potential weight loss, I would take it right before you eat,” Wood says, but if you want to improve your gut motility or regularity, take it after meals. “It works best [for digestion] when you take it every day. If people don't have IBS and they just experience intermittent constipation or diarrhea, it's okay to take it intermittently for that.”

(Why women are more likely to have IBS.)

Are psyllium-based fiber supplements just as effective? Psyllium tablets typically contain only the active ingredient, but fruit-flavored sachets are often formulated with the powdered husk plus flavorings and sweeteners to make them more palatable to drink when mixed with water. These additions mean they may fall into the ultra-processed food category and, paradoxically, can be detrimental for gut health. “Different supplements and artificial sweeteners have different levels of disruption to the gut microbiome,” Wood says. “If you can tolerate [psyllium] that doesn't have the artificial sweeteners and colorings, that would be better.”