There’s been a lot of interest about fiber and I was asked how to decide how much psyllium to take.

I prefer a simple end point- you are getting enough when you have at least one good-sized soft bowel movement a day. Be sure to drink plenty of water with and after the psyllium and during the day.

Dietary fiber is critical since the bowel organisms necessary for many aspects of health rely on it. Adequate fiber in the diet will also help prevent colon cancer by aiding removal of cancer inducing chemicals in food (meat, especially processed, is particularly a problem.)  Prevention of constipation by eating fiber is necessary to avoid diverticulitis, hemorrhoids, hernias.

My son John is a regular psyllium user since he’s found it’s the best way to guarantee no problems from his hemorrhoids.

Those of us who eat mainly or entirely plant-based diets usually don’t have an issue with getting enough fiber but since my diagnosis of celiac disease I can no longer eat many whole grains- wheat, rye or barley- which had been a major fiber source for me. When we travel getting enough fiber can be a problem and I’ve discovered that psyllium is an easy, inexpensive solution.

The popular commercial version of psyllium is Metamucil but there is no reason to buy this more expensive product when bulk organic psyllium is available in most pharmacies and online. 

Psyllium has little taste but an unpleasant consistency. Chugging a glass of water with psyllium before eating will help stool volume and consistency, improve blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Bloating and gas do increase but other side effects are rare. Dosage suggested is three teaspoons a day divided before each meal but John and I both do it all before breakfast for convenience. Starting with a small amount and increasing should allow better tolerance.

Below is a list of the best food sources of fiber. Enough of these should eliminate a need for psyllium.

• cooked navy beans (1/2 cup contains 9.5 g)
• 100 percent ready-to-eat bran (1/2 cup contains 8.8 g)
• canned kidney beans (1/2 cup contains 8.2 g)
• cooked split peas (1/2 cup contains 8.1 g)
• cooked lentils (1/2 cup contains 7.8 g)
• cooked pinto/black beans (1/2 cup contains 7.8/7.5 g)
• cooked artichoke (one whole artichoke contains 6.5 g)
• cooked white beans/chickpeas/great northern beans (1/2 cup contains 6.3-6.2 g)
• mature soybeans (1/2 cup cooked contains 5.2 g)
• plain rye wafers or crackers (2 crackers contain 5.0 g)
• baked sweet potato with the peel (1 medium potato contains 4.8 g)
• raw pear or Asian pear (1 small pear contains 4.3-4.4 g)
• cooked green peas (1/2 cup contains 4.4 g)
• whole wheat English muffin/bread (1 muffin or 2 slices contains 4.4 g)
• cooked bulgur wheat (1/2 cup contains 4.1 g)
• raw raspberries (1/2 cup contains 4.0 g)
• boiled sweet potato without the peel (1 medium potato contains 3.9 g)
• baked potato with the peel (1 medium potato contains 3.8 g)
• stewed prunes (1/2 cup contains 3.8 g)
• dried figs or dates (1/2 cup contains 3.7-3.8 g)
• raw oat bran (1/2 cup contains 3.6 g)
• canned pumpkin (1/2 cup contains 3.6 g)
• cooked spinach (1/2 cup contains 3.5 g)
• shredded ready-to-eat wheat cereals (1 ounce contains 2.8-3.4 g)
• raw almonds (1 oz. contains 3.3 g)
• raw apple with the skin (1 medium apple includes 3.3 g)
• cooked whole wheat spaghetti (1/2 cup contains 3.1 g)
• raw banana or orange (1 fruit contains 3.1 g)

I subscribe to several medical research summary websites. This week the prominent articles enraged me:

An article comparing left main coronary stenosis treatment by surgery (CABG) or percutaneous stenting. The conclusion- the two are approximately equal in value. What they don’t say is that they are both close to worthless (except for stents placed while having a heart attack which is not what they were evaluating.) Either can help short term with angina but long term value is not there since angina often comes back and those who have these procedures don’t live any longer. Only lifestyle change, primarily diet, will treat symptoms long term and increase lifespan. There’s no money in diet change but a lot of money for doctors, medical centers, equipment and drug companies with CABG or stenting.

The second article was a widely publicized review of the effect of reducing processed and red meat in the diet. The conclusion- little value to reducing processed and red meat. But what is the true story? Modest decrease in these two types of meat doesn’t matter much since they are so harmful that only drastic decrease or avoidance makes a big difference. Think two packs of cigarettes versus three. Any surprise that it didn’t matter much? AND guess where the lead author of this paper gets significant funding for his research? I don’t think I have to tell you.

As long as medical research is funded by those with money interests in the outcome and the journals live on ads from those groups this will be the medical “science” and information we get.