Plantago ovata, commonly known as ‘psyllium’, ‘isapghol’ or ‘ispaghula’, belongs to the Plantaginaceae family and is a short-stemmed annual plant 10-45 cm tall that makes spikes with seeds. Each plant can produce up to 15,000 tiny seeds. The word Plantago comes from Latin, meaning “sole of the foot”, and ovata refers to the shape of the leaves. “Psyllium” is a word of Greek origin, meaning “fleas”, the color, shape and size of the seeds remembering them. “Isapghol” is derived from the Persian meaning “horse’s ear” because of the specific shape of the seeds.
Nowadays psyllium is cultivated extensively in Asia, especially in India, Pakistan and Iran, in Europe, especially in Spain and France, as well as in other parts of the world.
The seeds are harvested, mechanically cleaned, crushed, the husks are separated from the seed pieces, the husks are packaged, and the remaining seeds are used for animal feed. Nothing is wasted and no chemicals are used in the whole process.
Why is this plant so special?
Because both seeds and husks are the best-known source of soluble fiber and mucilage. Contains up to 30% mucilage. They retain a large amount of water while forming a gel. The husks resulting from the processing are mainly used, because it does not have the oils and tannins of the seeds and have no taste and smell. Psyllium husks have many uses: in the drug and supplement industry, in the cosmetic industry, in the food industry, and in our home kitchen. Let’s take them one at a time.
Medicines and supplements
Psyllium has been used for over 5,000 years in Ayurvedic, Chinese, and Persian medicine to treat constipation, diarrhea, and other intestinal ailments. It has been known since those times that these seeds gently cleanse the intestine. In Europe, its healing principles began to be known in the 16th century, and in America only in the last century.
Nowadays, psyllium husks are used both in supplements and medicines, but also as a powder or husks.
Constipation
Psyllium is a widely used treatment for constipation. It retains water in the intestine, increasing the fecal bolus, facilitating defecation and altering the colonic bacterial environment. It can be used long-term without adverse effects. Warning: take with a large amount of water.
Diarrhea
Psyllium also helps treat non-infectious diarrhea using the same mechanism: it binds fecal matter, making the stool firmer.
Irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulitis, hemorrhoids, ulcerative colitis and other intestinal diseases
By regulating the consistency of the fecal bowl, psyllium helps alleviate the symptoms of these diseases.
Type 2 diabetes
Pre-meal psyllium supplementation regulates insulin spikes and lowers total and LDL cholesterol.
Obesity
Due to the property of adding volume to the bolus, it provides satiety and can thus be used in weight control diets.
Cautions
A potential side effect of any fiber product is gas and bloating, especially if you’re not used to a lot of fiber. The fiber in psyllium husks is better tolerated than other fibers, with studies showing that it is minimally fermented, thus producing less gas.
Do not take psyllium if you have intestinal obstruction or spasms, or if you have difficulty swallowing. People with esophageal stricture (narrowing of the esophagus) or any other narrowing or obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract should not take psyllium.
People with kidney disease should talk to their doctor before supplementing with psyllium.
The cosmetic industry
Psyllium husks are used in the cosmetic industry for its binding and sizing properties. They are used as a base in creams and pastes, for texture and volume.
The food industry, including the gluten-free industry
Psyllium husks are used as a thickening agent in the food industry, as a binder and stabilizer due to its mucilage-forming and bulking properties, as well as to improve the fiber content of foods. Thus, it is used in ice cream, chocolate, beverages, bread, biscuits and other bakery products, rice, cakes, jams, instant noodles, breakfast cereals, etc.
Psyllium husks are naturally gluten-free. In the gluten-free industry they are used for binding, along with other products added for loosening, taste and texture (guar and xanthan gums, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, starch and protein additives).
In the home kitchen, for bread and other dishes
Gluten-free flour has no elasticity. What gives wheat products elasticity is gluten. As the name suggests the wheat protein called “gluten” has the property of sticking and binding the dough, in combination with water. Without gluten, the dough is like a pile of wet sand. Psyllium husks, as we have seen so far, have the property of binding together when immersed in water. Thus, mixed with gluten-free flour, they give elasticity and consistency to the dough.
It was amazing when I discovered what psyllium husks can do in the kitchen and I was able to make my first bread, then pie sheets, buns, ciabatta and other gluten-free goodies. Psyllium husks is a staple in my kitchen. I use them for the binding property, but also for the fiber intake, and in sauces, roe, drob and meatballs, thus avoiding the indigestible egg-meat combination. They have no smell and taste and are suitable for any kind of food, sweet or salty.
Conclusions
For proper digestion and intestinal transit, people should exercise daily, drink water and consume at least 30 grams of fiber. But the modern man does not exercise regularly, drinks “refreshing” drinks instead of water and consumes 10-15 grams of fiber.
Psyllium husks can aid intestinal transit by providing fiber. They can be taken on their own with plenty of water, added to home-cooked meals, or taken as supplements. They have no taste and smell.
It forms a gel that helps with both constipation and non-infectious diarrhea. In diabetes, taken before meals, it helps lower the insulin curve. It lowers cholesterol, both total and “bad”, LDL. In obesity, it reduces the sensation of hunger by adding volume to the bolus. In intestinal diseases (irritable colon syndrome, diverticulitis, hemorrhoids, ulcerative colitis) it helps to relieve symptoms by regulating the stool.
Psyllium husks should not be missing from our pantry. They have multiple uses and an affordable price. They are irreplaceable, especially in gluten-free kitchens.
