As much as we might try to do all the right things to keep our body healthy and strong — moving it on the regular, sleeping well, knowing how to manage stress and eating a balanced diet — that’s no small task, and it’s normal to fall a little short at times.

Diet can be particularly hard for some people, and if getting all the essential vitamins and minerals your body needs to stay well is an area you struggle with, you’re not alone, particularly when it comes to fiber: Only 7% of adults reach their daily fiber goals (25g for women and 31 g for men ages 31-50), according to a large study by researchers at Texas Woman’s University. Fiber plays a role in everything from smooth digestion to blood sugar regulation, so you definitely want to aim to get enough.

You can make a conscious effort to load up on more fiber-filled foods like fruits and veggies, beans, nuts and whole grains, but some people may benefit from some expert help from a doctor, dietitian or nutritionist — and don’t be surprised if they advise you to take a funny-sounding supplement called psyllium husk to hike your fiber intake.

“Psyllium may be helpful for people who prefer a natural approach to improving their health, particularly if they have constipation, high cholesterol, or diabetes,” says Amy Richter, R.D.N., as fiber is essential to managing those issues and conditions.

Here’s everything you need to know about psyllium husk, the wellness world’s buzziest new supplement.

What is psyllium husk?

Psyllium is a type of fiber that’s derived from a shrub — hence where the “husk” comes in when we’re talking about the supplement form — and you can find it at health stores, pharmacies and online as whole husks, powders and capsules. Powders can be mixed into water, juice or other liquids, Richter. Meanwhile, whole psyllium husk can be used as an ingredient and works best for making breads due to their texture, Franziska Spritzler, R.D., a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator adds. For those who’d rather swallow a pill and be done with it, or who don’t like the taste or the texture of psyllium, Richter says capsules are a convenient option.

Editor’s note: Always be sure to consult with a doctor or dietitian before introducing a new supplement, such as psyllium husk, into your daily regimen.

When choosing any type of supplement, “It is really important to look for products that have been third-party tested by a group such as NSF, USP, or ConsumerLab.com — this means the product has been tested to confirm that it contains the specified amount of psyllium, and is free from or has acceptable levels of contaminants,” explains Jennifer Lefton, R.D.N., a registered dietician nutritionist and certified nutrition support clinician

Health benefits

It may lower cholesterol levels.

“Psyllium is like a tiny broom in your digestive system, sweeping up dietary cholesterol and carrying it out of the body. This forces your body to use blood cholesterol to replace what’s lost, effectively lowering overall levels,” Richter explains. A 2018 meta-analysis in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that dietary fiber like psyllium husk may reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol and help prevent cardiovascular disease risk associated with atherosclerosis (thickening or hardening of the arteries of the heart).

It could help reduce blood pressure.

Studies have shown that psyllium husk may have the ability to help lower blood pressure in people who have hypertension, Richter says. This makes sense, since fiber in general has been shown to have a small blood pressure-lowering effect. Keeping tabs on blood pressure is important because high blood pressure is one of the risk factors for heart disease.

It can improve your digestive health.

For those with diarrhea and constipation, psyllium husk in one form or another might just do the trick. “One of the reasons why psyllium husk is so good for you is that it’s high in a special type of soluble fiber that [is] quite viscous, meaning that it forms a gel in your digestive tract,” explains Desiree Nielsen, R.D., author of Good For Your Gut. “Psyllium has the ability to bind loose stools and increase the amount of water in stools, helping to make them easier to pass.” As an added bonus, psyllium is not very fermentable in the gut, meaning that it is less likely to contribute to gas and bloating, “which is super helpful for those with digestive issues like irritable bowel syndrome [IBS] and constipation,” Nielsen adds. Science agrees: Studies show psyllium husk supplementation to be effective in improving constipation and treating IBS.

It may help manage blood sugar levels.

Psyllium has been shown to be a successful intervention among diabetic patients — it slows down the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates to help prevent spikes in blood sugar levels after meals, Richter says. “Soluble fibers also help to slow the movement of nutrients in the digestive tract, which appears to have a few different benefits, like increasing sensations of fullness and slowing the rate at which blood sugars rise — both of which might be helpful for those with type two diabetes,” Nielsen adds.

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