Today, in addition to reducing fat consumption and exercising, many people are using a dietary fiber such as psyllium to control their cholesterol levels. Psyllium affords many benefits and very few, if any, side effects. Cholesterol-lowering drugs, in contrast, can have numerous side effects, such as liver complications and constipation. These drugs also can be quite costly, in comparison to the very reasonably priced fiber supplements such as psyllium.
There are, however, stubborn cases of elevated cholesterol which do not respond to fiber, dietary changes, and exercise alone. A word of caution: if you are taking a drug to control your cholesterol level, you must consult with your physician before attempting to lower the dosage or discontinue its use.
Psyllium is popularly used to combat a variety of digestive complaints such as constipation, diarrhea, diverticular disease and colitis. In addition, it is being utilized as part of many colon "cleansing" programs and even in the prevention of colon cancer. During a lifetime, one consumes approximately 90,000 pounds of food and 55,000 quarts of liquid. For a majority of Americans, a large percentage of these totals consists of hamburgers, sodas, candy, cakes, cookies, pastries, potato chips, pizza and ice cream. It is no wonder that almost one in every four of us suffers some type of digestive illness.
A diet low in fiber and rich in meats, fats and sugar slows down intestinal transit time (the time between eating food until it is passed in a bowel movement). Intestinal transit time can range from between two days to nearly one week with this type of diet. People whose diets are high in fiber have transit times closer to one day, which is a great deal more healthful.
A slow transit time allows for more of an opportunity for bacterial purification and exposure to a host of carcinogenic substances within the colon. In a study which appeared in The Lancet (September 1982), it was found that rates of death from cancer and all other causes were approximately three times higher for men in the lowest category of dietary fiber intake than for those in the highest category.
The positive effects that dietary fiber has on intestinal transit time are consequences of its stool-bulking and stool-softening properties. Psyllium, for instance, swells and forms a viscous gel when exposed to water. A stool which is larger, softer, and bulkier moves through the intestine more easily and quickly and requires less exertion to be expelled. Hence, less force is applied to the intestinal wall. This prevents the creation of pockets in the intestine, which can result in the development of diverticular disease, and also lowers the incidence of hemorrhoids and varicose veins.read more...
