From creatine to magnesium, there’s always a supplement of the summer, and this year wellbeing enthusiasts and gut experts are all talking about psyllium husk. The fibre-rich supplement, made from Plantago ovata plant seeds, is predominantly produced in South Asia, particularly Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in India. Benefits are reported to include smooth digestion, a lowering of cholesterol and blood sugar levels – and weight loss. Some on social media have even taken to crowning it “nature’s Ozempic”.
Psyllium husk has long been the go-to fibre supplement for gut health specialists to recommend to struggling patients. But as fibre has become fashionable after the troubling revelation that 96 per cent of the UK population are missing the 30g daily intake target, perhaps it’s no surprise that there are more than 26,500 posts under the psyllium husk tag on TikTok and an additional 63,300 posts about the product on Instagram.
