Carbohydrates and Health

Psyllium and fasting LDL-cholesterol concentration
• Effect
• Limited evidence
• The direction of the effect demonstrates consumption of psyllium supplements is
beneficial to health
• The effect is biologically relevant, but only achieved through psyllium
supplementation
Fasting HDL-cholesterol or triacylglycerol concentration
• No effect
• Limited evidence
Faecal weight and intestinal transit time
A5.7 Four randomised controlled trials were identified that presented evidence on
psyllium supplements in relation to faecal weight and intestinal transit time (Spiller
et al., 1979; Stevens et al., 1988; Marteau et al., 1994; Vuksan et al., 2008). The transit
time methodologies were insufficiently comparable to allow a meta-analysis to
be performed. No further trials were identified in the update search (Colo-rectal
health review).
A5.8 An effect of psyllium supplements (10-19g/d dietary fibre) on increasing faecal
weight is demonstrated in all trials. Two trials compare the effects of wheat bran
and psyllium on increasing faecal weight: one reports a greater effect using a
mixture of psyllium and wheat bran compared with wheat bran alone (Vuksan
et al., 2008); the other reports wheat bran and psyllium have similar effects on
increasing faecal weight (Stevens et al., 1988). One trial compares psyllium to a
cellulose/pectin mixture and reports both equally increase faecal wet weight, but
only cellulose/pectin mixture significantly decreases intestinal transit time (Spiller
et al., 1979). None of the trials report a significant effect of psyllium supplements
on reducing intestinal transit time.
Psyllium and faecal weight
• Effect
• Limited evidence
• The direction of the effect demonstrates consumption of psyllium supplements is
potentially beneficial to health
• The effect is potentially biologically relevant, but only achieved through psyllium
supplementation
Psyllium and intestinal transit time
• No effect
• Limited evidence
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