Herbs & Herbal Remedies @ Green Papaya

Laxative Cholesterol Cutter

Family: Plantaginaceae; (includes about 250 Plantago species, including Rib Grass)

Genus and Species: Plantago Psyllium .

Also known as: Fleaseed, Plantago, Plantain

Parts used: Seeds

Mention psyllium, and most people say, “Huh?” But mention the brand-name laxative Metamucil, and everyone says, “Oh, yes.” The fact is, except for a little sweetening, coloring, and flavoring, Metamucil is psyllium-the seeds of a hardy plant distributed around the world. Psyllium is among the safest, gentlest laxatives, which earned it a place in herbal Healing centuries ago. But recently scientists discovered psyllium also has the remarkable ability to reduce cholesterol.

Psyllium is often called plantain. However, it should not be confused with the other plantain (Muca paradisiacaL a palm-like tree that produces a fruit similar to bananas.

Nature’s Cure to Nature’s Call

For centuries, traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic physicians have used the seeds and leaves of several Asian Plantago species to treat diarrhea, hemorrhoids, constipation, urinary problems, and more recently, high blood pressure.

Psyllium entered European folk medicine in the 16th century as a remedy for diarrhea and constipation. Seventeenth-century English herbalist Nicholas Culpeper recommended the seeds for inflammations, gout, hemorrhoids, and sore nipples (mastitis) in nursing mothers.

European physicians eventually adopted psyllium, but it was not widely used on this side of the Atlantic until after World War I. Today, psyllium is one of North America’s most popular bulk-forming laxatives-e-the active ingredient in Metamucil, Fiberall, Hydrocil, Naturacil, Effersyllium, ProLax, and V-Lax.

Up to 30 percent of psyllium’s seed coat is a water-absorbing substance called mucilage. When exposed to water, psyllium seeds swell to more than ten times their original size and become gelatinous. The herb’s mucilage accounts for its use in treating both diarrhea and constipation.

Diarrhea - Psyllium absorbs excess fluid in the intestinal tract and restores normal bulk to stool.

Constipation - Psyllium’s bulk-forming action increases stool volume. Larger stools press on the colon wall, triggering the wavelike contractions (peristalsis) we recognize as “the urge.” Some cases of constipation also involve hard, dense stools, which are painful to pass. Psyllium’s water-absorbing action decreases stool density and helps lubricate its passage. Studies show a teaspoon of psyllium seeds three times a day usually produces significant relief.

Hemorrhoids - Psyllium also provides some relief from the pain, bleeding, and itching of hemorrhoids, according to a report in Diseases of the Colon and Rectum, thus supporting Culpeper’s recommendation.

Cholesterol Cutter - But the big news these days is the discovery that psyllium may reduce cholesterol. People taking a teaspoon three times a day for eight weeks experience significant decreases in blood cholesterol levels, according to a study in Archives of Internal Medicine. The researchers concluded that many people with elevated cholesterol may be able to benefit from the cholesterol-lowering action of psyllium and avoid taking prescription cholesterol-lowering medications.

A similar 12-week study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows psyllium reduces cholesterol by 5 percent. Heart disease authorities say that for every 1 percent decrease in cholesterol, heart attack risk drops 2 percent. So this 5 percent cholesterol reduction means a 10 percent decrease in heart attack risk.

Psyllium is also safer than the prescription drugs typically prescribed to reduce cholesterol. If you are taking such medication, ask your physician about using the seeds as a substitute for or in conjunction with your current treatment.

Intriguing Possibilities - One study showed psyllium protects experimental animals from intestinal damage from toxic food additives. The psyllium increases the bulk of the animals’ stools, so the toxic chemicals have less direct contact with sensitive intestinal tissues and less opportunity to cause harm. Researchers believe this same mechanism explains why a high-fiber diet is associated with reduced risk of colorectal cancer. No studies show that psyllium helps prevent this cancer, the leading cause of cancer deaths among nonsmokers, but the American Cancer Society recommends a diet high in fibers such as psyllium to possibly help prevent this cancer.

Psyllium reduces blood sugar (glucose) levels in experimental animals, suggesting a possible role in human diabetes management.

Rx for Psyllium

For a laxative or cholesterol control. take I teaspoon of seeds three times a day with meals and with plenty of water. Psyllium is odorless and almost tasteless, but it has a gritty texture some people find unpleasant. If you take a commercial preparation, follow label directions.

Psyllium should not be given to children under age 2.

If your infant or child appears constipated, consult a physician.

As a laxative, cholesterol cutter, and possible cancer preventive, psyllium does not work by itself. The seeds swell only in the presence of water. If you take psyllium but don’t drink more water, you could wind up like the man whose intestine became completely blocked by a large psyllium plug. He required abdominal surgery.

Inhaling dust from psyllium seeds may trigger allergic reaction. As a result, a person who is sensitive to psyllium could later experience allergy symptoms from ingesting it. Severe allergic reactions are extremely rare, but if you have breathing difficulties after ingesting psyllium, seek emergency help immediately.

Psyllium has no history as a menstruation promoter, but other Plantago species do. Constipation is a common complaint of pregnancy. Pregnant women should avoid psyllium as well as other laxatives and control constipation by eating other high-fiber foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and wholegrain bread products.

Psyllium should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor. If psyllium causes minor discomforts, such as stomach upset or diarrhea, use less or stop using it. Let your doctor know if you experience unpleasant effects or if the symptoms for which the herb is being used do not improve significantly in two weeks.

Don’t Grow It

Psyllium is an annual that reaches 18 inches and produces inconspicuous white flowers in summer that soon give way to a small brown seed pod.

Most of the psyllium used in this country is imported from France. Although available from specialty seed houses, psyllium is not usually grown as a garden herb. It looks like a weed and, if the seed pods are not harvested before they break open, the wind scatters the seed-a major problem when you consider that each pod contains up to 15,000 seeds and that the plant grows aggressively.