Why You Should Be Careful With Psyllium Husk Fiber Supplement
Summary
TLDRIn this informative video, Dr. Bernard from Chubbyemu discusses the potential dangers of consuming excessive amounts of psyllium husk fiber supplement. He explains how fiber, while beneficial for promoting intestinal movement and reducing transit time, can lead to blockages if not mixed properly with water. Dr. Bernard illustrates the absorptive nature of psyllium, which can cause it to form a thick, sticky mass that may lead to impaction and peritonitis if not managed correctly. He also touches on the health benefits of fiber, such as lowering cholesterol and aiding in blood sugar control, but cautions viewers to follow the recommended dosage and mixing instructions to avoid serious complications.
Takeaways
- 🌾 Psyllium husk is a natural fiber supplement derived from plants, used as a bulk laxative.
- 💧 It works by absorbing water in the colon to facilitate bowel movements and reduce transit time.
- 🚫 Taking too much fiber or not mixing it properly can lead to blockages in the stomach or intestines.
- 🍇 Fiber is beneficial for the gastrointestinal tract, similar to how traffic needs to keep moving in a city.
- 🍏 A balanced diet with sufficient fiber from fruits, vegetables, grains, or supplements is important for gut health.
- 🍇🍇 Some people may have misconceptions about the purpose of fiber, not realizing its role in lubricating the intestines.
- 🍵 Proper mixing of psyllium husk with water is crucial to prevent it from forming a thick, sticky mass.
- 🍊 Unflavored or flavored variants of psyllium husk are available, and it's important to follow the label instructions.
- 🏥 Psyllium husk is generally safe, but it's possible to have an allergic reaction or experience blockages.
- 🍏🍏 Some studies suggest health benefits of psyllium husk, including lowering cholesterol and aiding gut microbiome.
- 🚑 Overconsumption or improper use of psyllium husk can lead to serious complications like fecal impaction and peritonitis.
Q & A
What is the main topic of Dr. Bernard's video?
-The main topic is the potential problems caused by taking too much fiber supplement, specifically psyllium husk, and how it can lead to blockage in the colon.
What is the purpose of a bulk laxative like psyllium husk?
-A bulk laxative like psyllium husk is used to absorb water into the colon, which helps to move things along and reduce transit time in the intestines.
Why is dietary fiber important for the gastrointestinal tract?
-Dietary fiber helps retain water in the stool, which lubricates the intestines and prevents them from pulling out too much water, thus aiding in the movement of waste through the digestive system.
What happens if psyllium husk is not mixed with enough water?
-If psyllium husk is not mixed with enough water, it can become a thick, sticky, and jelly-like substance that may block the stomach or intestines, leading to impaction.
What is a phytobezoar?
-A phytobezoar is a partially digested or undigested mass that forms in the stomach, typically from plant-based substances like psyllium husk.
Are there any health benefits associated with taking psyllium husk fiber supplement?
-Yes, it may help lower cholesterol levels, potentially aid in managing inflammatory bowel disease by affecting the gut microbiome, and assist with blood sugar control, which could be beneficial for diabetes.
What are the risks of taking too much psyllium husk fiber supplement?
-Taking too much or not mixing it properly can lead to blockages in the gastrointestinal tract, which can be painful and require medical intervention. In rare cases, some people may have an allergic reaction to psyllium.
How does Dr. Bernard emphasize the importance of following the label instructions for psyllium husk fiber supplement?
-Dr. Bernard stresses that following the label instructions, especially regarding the amount of water to mix with the supplement, is crucial to avoid potential blockages and complications.
What is the significance of the personal experience Dr. Bernard mentions in the video?
-Dr. Bernard's personal experience serves as a cautionary tale to illustrate the pain and frustration associated with blockages caused by improper use of psyllium husk fiber supplement.
What other types of bezoars are mentioned in the video?
-The video mentions trichobezoars (hairballs), lactobezoars (masses of milk proteins), and pharmacobezoars (made of medicines and excipients).
Outlines
🌿 The Consequences of Overusing Fiber Supplements
Dr. Bernard discusses the case of a man who experienced a colon blockage due to excessive intake of a fiber supplement, psyllium husk. He explains how psyllium husk works as a bulk laxative by absorbing water to facilitate bowel movements. The importance of dietary fiber is emphasized, and the potential dangers of not mixing the supplement with enough water are highlighted, leading to the formation of a jelly-like substance that can cause intestinal blockages. The video also touches on the various types of bezoars, which are indigestible masses formed in the stomach, and the risks associated with them. Dr. Bernard shares his personal experience with the discomfort caused by a blockage and advises viewers to follow the label instructions for proper use of psyllium husk.
🚨 Caution with Psyllium Husk: Safety and Side Effects
The video concludes with a warning about the potential side effects of using psyllium husk fiber supplement, including the risk of allergic reactions and the importance of using it correctly. Dr. Bernard shares his personal experience with the pain and frustration of dealing with a blockage caused by improper use of the supplement. He advises viewers to be cautious and to check the label for proper mixing instructions. The video also mentions potential health benefits of psyllium husk, such as lowering cholesterol and aiding in blood sugar control for diabetes, as well as its positive effects on gut microbiome. The video ends with a reminder to take care of oneself and to check out related content for more information.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡fiber supplement
💡psyllium husk
💡colon blockage
💡bulk laxative
💡surface tension
💡intestinal transit time
💡gastrointestinal tract
💡peritonitis
💡phytobezoar
💡gut microbiome
💡cholesterol levels
Highlights
A man took too much fiber supplement, leading to a blocked colon.
This issue with fiber supplements is not as uncommon as people think.
Psyllium husk, a natural product, is a bulk laxative that absorbs water in the colon.
Dietary fiber helps retain water in stool, reducing transit time in the intestines.
Indigestible fiber is beneficial as it lubricates the intestines and prevents dehydration of stool.
A blockage in the intestines can lead to stretching of the intestinal walls and potentially necrosis.
Psyllium husk fiber, if not mixed with enough water, can form a thick, sticky substance that may block the stomach or intestines.
Proper mixing of psyllium husk with water prevents it from forming a jelly-like blockage.
Psyllium husk is generally safe when used as directed, but it's important to follow the label instructions.
Some studies suggest psyllium husk may help lower cholesterol and aid with inflammatory bowel disease.
Psyllium husk can also potentially help with blood sugar control in diabetes.
Taking too much psyllium husk or using it incorrectly can be very painful and lead to blockages.
There is a risk of allergic reaction to psyllium, though rare, which can be life-threatening.
The speaker shares personal experience with the painful consequences of improper use of psyllium husk.
The video discusses the formation of a phytobezoar, a mass of partially digested plant material in the stomach.
Other types of bezoars include trichobezoars (hairballs), lactobezoars (milk protein masses), and pharmacobezoars (medicine and excipient masses).
Transcripts
Hi Dr Bernard here. You might know me from the channel Chubbyemu this is heme review which
is my second channel this is a different video different title different thumbnail more in-depth
topic i recently described a man who took too much fiber supplement and it blocked his colon this is
actually not as uncommon as people think because based on how that particular fiber supplement
works it could cause a variety of problems psyllium husk is a natural product derived from
plants it's known as a bulk laxative which means that it absorbs water into the colon in order
to move things along the way that it does this is that it lowers surface tension to allow that water
to enter into the intestines in general you want dietary fiber whether it's from fruits vegetables
grains or psyllium husk fiber supplement because it helps retain water in the stool which in turn
reduces transit time in the intestines to help things move along there's some hot takes
from my favorite place on the internet where people say that because fiber is indigestible
why would anyone want to take it think of your gastrointestinal tract like a big city highway
keep it moving no one likes it when things get backed up your intestines are designed to pull
nutrients and water out of the food that you've eaten having fiber hold on to water into the stool
lubricates the intestines and to a degree prevents those intestines from pulling out too much water
if the stool becomes dehydrated and hard then it's more difficult to move things along if something
gets blocked things will continue to pile on inside if it's really hard then it'll stretch
the walls of the intestines which could induce the stretch reflex because your whole gi tract is the
line of muscle but when that stretch happens and a solid is in place that can't be moved the flow
of blood to the gastrointestinal muscles will start to get cut off and then cause some of
the tissue to necros then the walls become weak because they're not alive and it can cause ster
coral perforation stir coral referring to feces as all that starts to leak into the abdomen causing
peritonitis and here's the thing about psyllium husk fiber well it helps keep water in the stool
to keep things moving along in the intestines if you don't mix it with enough water you can
expect that your gut has enough water in it so it becomes kind of like a jelly like consistency if
you mix even more powder thinking that the more fiber the better then it becomes thick and sticky
to the point where anyone would be surprised that it wouldn't block the stomach or the intestines
here i've mixed about a pound of psyllium husk fiber supplement in two liters of water look at
how quickly it absorbs the water on contact but after some mixing it quickly becomes a clay-like
consistency as it starts to absorb more and more water it starts to become like a jelly consistency
and if you have water on your hands like how the walls of your intestines would have some moisture
you'll see that the psyllium block becomes kind of slippery although the more i rub into it the
stickier it becomes as it starts to absorb that water on my hands if you add more water
to psyllium after it is congealed you'll notice that it roughly maintains the same shape and just
continues to absorb even more water if you try to squeeze it it's not easy to break up actually
it's really difficult to even cut it up so once it's formed it becomes hard to break up adding
more water causes it to expand even more all of this meaning that if anyone who takes psyllium
without mixing it with enough water at first they can cause some trouble for their stomach
and their intestines in some cases people might mix it with some water and drink it while it's
still a slushy like consistency because it does take a minute or two for it to absorb water this
only means that it can become like a jelly in the stomach and then further harden as it keeps going
down into the intestines and then it can cause blockage leading to an impaction this happens
maybe more often than we think because psyllium is made from plants the mass that gathers in the
stomach is called a phytobazor phyto referring to plants and bazaar from an old persian word meaning
antidote but now referring to a partially digested or undigested mass that's spawned in the stomach
other kinds of bazaars are trichobazors which we know as hairballs lactobazor which is a
mass of milk proteins and pharmacobizarre which is made of medicines and excipients
psyllium husk as a supplement is generally regarded as safe follow what it says on the
label though because it definitely mentions mixing it with enough water when you do mix it properly
with the right amounts of water you'll notice that it does become a little bit more viscous but if
mixed well it doesn't settle at the bottom some people prefer the unflavored variants
or here in the us we have the metamucil-like orange flavor type of cilium and some trials
have suggested that it does have some health benefits like lowering cholesterol levels in
people who have high blood cholesterol as well as possibly helping with inflammatory bowel disease
by maybe helping with the gut microbiome that's the bacteria that live inside of your gi tract
also some fiber has been noted to help with blood sugar control so it could be helpful
in diabetes remember you have to be careful with all of this because like with anything
taking too much of it and in this case taking it the wrong way can one be very painful if it blocks
something in your stomach and your intestines i can speak from personal experience to that
and two remember that this is a product that comes from plants so some people though it's rare can be
allergic to psyllium and have a life-threatening reaction to it that's also been described in
literature so please be careful with your psyllium husk fiber i'm speaking from personal experience
it is very painful if something gets blocked and it's very frustrating because it takes a long time
for anything to actually start to move through again thank you so much for watching
check out the main chubby emu video about a student who drank two liters of psyllium
husk fiber supplement link in the description below or if you'd like to listen to a case of
fecal impaction that happened in a grandma with dementia check out the audio version of
this podcast also linked in the description below take care of yourself and be well
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