PEScience Regulate-GI: Psyllium Husk Fiber in Capsules

In June of 2018, the supplement industry pioneers PEScience released Symbiont-GI, a gut health supplement formulated to achieve symbiosis in your GI tract.

It was an incredible success, with many customers so excited that they emailed and DMd the @PEScience team with some very “TMI” messages. Those who’ve had gut problems understand, though. Improving digestion, bloat, and other GI tract issues is no minor feat.

PEScience Regulate-GI

Need some extra bulk in your stool to bring some regularity? Add a few caps of Regulate-GI each day and boost it with psyllium husk fiber!

This year, PEScience has released a quick follow-up supplement to add to your Symbiont-GI, a single-ingredient fiber supplement named Regulate-GI.

Regulate-GI: Psyllium Husk Fiber in capsule form!

Regulate-GI contains one ingredient: psyllium husk fiber, which has long been used as a fiber source for dieters who are looking to increase stool size and softness without causing absurd side effects. With psyllium in capsule form, we don’t need to worry about it forming a gel in our beverages, and can get the benefits without the nuisance.

We haven’t done a deep dipe on psyllium yet on this site, so today we take this opportunity to discuss the research and benefits associated with supplementing this unique fiber. But first, see our PEScience news alerts so that you don’t miss out on future PEScience news, content, and deals:

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Regulate-GI Ingredients: Organic Psyllium Husk Powder (Husk/Seed) – 1.5 g

Psyllium Husk Powder is the sole ingredient in Regulate-GI, so this entire article will focus on this unique and scientifically-backed fiber. Each capsule contains 500 milligrams, as the serving size on the label is three capsules.

PEScience Regulate-GI Ingredients

The Regulate-GI label is quite simple — psyllium husk fiber in three capsules per serving!

Psyllium is the name of the fiber found in the Plantago ovata plant, which is also known as Plantago psyllium. This fiber consists of arabinoxylan, a polymer made of arabinose and xylose that human digestive systems do not sufficiently digest.[1] In addition, it is water soluble and forms a gel when mixed with water, yet doesn’t ferment or react with the gut’s bacteria.[2-4]

  • Works primarily as a bulk laxative: increased stool weight

    Psyllium has been used as a bulk laxative since the 1970s,[5] and now has a mountain of research supporting its use for that purpose. This means that it primarily increases stool size and fecal weight[5-8] by combining with water and gas in the small intestine and colon.[9] This leads to softer and easier-to-pass stools,[10-12] but doesn’t promote diarrhea (and can actually attenuate it!)[13]

    With that primary mechanism and outcome covered, there are some other incredible benefits that psyllium husk fiber supplementation can bring:

  • Reduces Appetite

    Larger doses of psyllium husk fiber have been shown to reduce appetite in multiple studies, especially around 3-6 hours after taking it.[14-16] Note that the doses are between 10 and 20 grams of fiber, though, which will be a bit less appealing (but still quite possible) to those talking capsules.

    Psyllium Husk Fiber Stool Weight

    Psyllium Husk Fiber increases Stool Weight and moisture![6]

    Similarly, a 14 gram dose reduced glucose absorption by 12%.[17]

  • Less Gas

    In a very interesting crossover study, researchers hooked intrarectal catheters up to healthy humans, and observed significantly less gas in the subjects who were on 30 grams of psyllium husk per day.[18] This is contrary to other forms of fiber, which generally increase gas (the study continually points out how bran increases flatulence).

  • Reduced blood glucose levels, HbA1c, and lipids

    A few different studies have shown reduced blood sugar levels when supplementing with psyllium husk fiber,[17,19,20] with the lowest successful dose being in a study that gave 5 grams three times per day.[19] In that study, every lipid value measured improved, including a reduction of triglycerides with an increase in HDL,[19] indicating better insulin sensitivity.

    The study cited in a section above demonstrating reduced glucose absorption showed reduced HbA1c levels as well,[17] as did one with reduced blood sugar levels.[20]

Symbiont-GI Review

Three capsules of a day for 90 days is the dose behind the LactoSpore research inside of Symbiont-GI, and will keep you at 100% zinc needs!

Mechanistically, these effects seem to occur because psyllium husk fiber can bind to bile acids, forcing the body to produce more bile acids, which in turn uses up some cholesterol.[21] Short-chain fatty acids, which are incredibly helpful, are also produced with the very little fermentation that psyllium undergoes,[21] yielding a net positive result.

Dosage considerations

With these benefits in mind, the biggest question comes down to how many capsules you want to take – it’s quite clear that a lot of psyllium can be handled. The benefits of taking capsules here is that you don’t need to mix it in liquid and deal with odd gel formations.

However, it’s tougher to get the higher doses used in many of the studies cited above unless you’re OK with swallowing several capsules.

The official dosages are more specific, having you build up to the fiber:

  • Day 1: Take 2 capsules in the morning, and 2 capsules at night
  • Day 2 and on: Take 3 capsules in the morning and 3 capsules at night.

Up to 3 capsules, 3 times daily can be used.

— PEScience Website

PEScience Regulate-GI

#SelectTheBest

Stack with Symbiont-GI!

In addition, PEScience fans looking to improve digestion and gut health are wise to use this alongside Symbiont-GI, which combines to form what the brand calls their Optimal-GI Stack.

Gut Health is critical to your health

It’s no longer a secret how important gut health is to your overall health – this drum has been beaten pretty loud lately. On top of the most important action you can take — removing toxic industrialized processed seed oils that are high in omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (such as soybean oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, canola oil, and cottonseed oil) while limiting refined carbohydrates like sugar — users have had great success with well-formulated support supplements once the diet is cleared of the industrial waste.

Generally, a supplement like Symbiont-GI is what customers reach for, and it’s indeed the most important of the two for the majority of users. However, sometimes the stools still won’t soften, or you need a bit more volume to push it through, or you want to take a different route in getting your blood sugar and A1c levels down.

In that case, Regulate-GI is an incredible way to do those jobs, providing psyllium husk fiber in a capsule form – no more messy gel required.

PEScience Regulate GI – Deals and Price Drop Alerts

Get Price Alerts

No spam, no scams.

Disclosure: PricePlow relies on pricing from stores with which we have a business relationship. We work hard to keep pricing current, but you may find a better offer.

Posts are sponsored in part by the retailers and/or brands listed on this page.

About the Author: Mike Roberto

Mike Roberto

Mike Roberto is a research scientist and water sports athlete who founded PricePlow. He is an n=1 diet experimenter with extensive experience in supplementation and dietary modification, whose personal expertise stems from several experiments done on himself while sharing lab tests.

Mike's goal is to bridge the gap between nutritional research scientists and non-academics who seek to better their health in a system that has catastrophically failed the public. Mike is currently experimenting with a low Vitamin A diet.

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References

  1. Jalanka, Jonna, et al. “The Effect of Psyllium Husk on Intestinal Microbiota in Constipated Patients and Healthy Controls.” International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 20, no. 2, 20 Jan. 2019, p. 433, 10.3390/ijms20020433; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6358997/
  2. Campbell, Joy M., and George C. Fahey. “Psyllium and Methylcellulose Fermentation Properties in Relation to Insoluble and Soluble Fiber Standards.” Nutrition Research, vol. 17, no. 4, Apr. 1997, pp. 619–629, 10.1016/s0271-5317(97)00034-1; https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0271531797000341
  3. Bourquin, L. D., et al. “Fermentation of Dietary Fibre by Human Colonic Bacteria: Disappearance Of, Short-Chain Fatty Acid Production From, and Potential Water-Holding Capacity Of, Various Substrates.” Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology, vol. 28, no. 3, 1 Mar. 1993, pp. 249–255, 10.3109/00365529309096081; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8383353/
  4. Kaur, Amandeep, et al. “In Vitro Batch Fecal Fermentation Comparison of Gas and Short-Chain Fatty Acid Production Using ‘Slowly Fermentable’ Dietary Fibers.” Journal of Food Science, vol. 76, no. 5, 1 June 2011, pp. H137-142, 10.1111/j.1750-3841.2011.02172.x; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22417432/
  5. Spiller, Gene A., et al. “Bulk Laxative Efficacy of a Psyllium Seed Hydrocolloid and of a Mixture of Cellulose and Pectin.” The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, vol. 19, no. 5-6, 6 May 1979, pp. 313–320, 10.1002/j.1552-4604.1979.tb02485.x; https://accp1.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/j.1552-4604.1979.tb02485.x
  6. Marlett, Judith A, et al. “An Unfermented Gel Component of Psyllium Seed Husk Promotes Laxation as a Lubricant in Humans.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 72, no. 3, 1 Sept. 2000, pp. 784–789, 10.1093/ajcn/72.3.784; https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/72/3/784/4729474
  7. Stevens, J., et al. “Comparison of the Effects of Psyllium and Wheat Bran on Gastrointestinal Transit Time and Stool Characteristics.” Journal of the American Dietetic Association, vol. 88, no. 3, 1 Mar. 1988, pp. 323–326; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2831263/
  8. Prynne, Celia J., and D. A. T. Southgate. “The Effects of a Supplement of Dietary Fibre on Faecal Excretion by Human Subjects.” British Journal of Nutrition, vol. 41, no. 3, May 1979, pp. 495–503, 10.1079/bjn19790064; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/465439/
  9. Marteau, P., et al. “Digestibility and Bulking Effect of Ispaghula Husks in Healthy Humans.” Gut, vol. 35, no. 12, 1 Dec. 1994, pp. 1747–1752, 10.1136/gut.35.12.1747; https://gut.bmj.com/content/35/12/1747.abstract
  10. Le, Chouinard. “The Role of Psyllium Fibre Supplementation in Treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome Record Status Bibliographic Details PubMedID Indexing Status MeSH Dietary Fiber /Therapeutic Use; Dietary Supplements; Humans; Irritable Bowel Syndrome /Diet Therapy; Phytotherapy; Psyllium /Therapeutic Use AccessionNumber Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE) Produced by the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination.” Dietetic Practice and Research, vol. 72, no. 1, 2011, pp. 107–114, 10.3148/72.1.2011.48; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21382232/
  11. Fleming, Virginia, and William E. Wade. “A Review of Laxative Therapies for Treatment of Chronic Constipation in Older Adults.” The American Journal of Geriatric Pharmacotherapy, vol. 8, no. 6, Dec. 2010, pp. 514–550, 10.1016/s1543-5946(10)80003-0; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21356503/
  12. Yu, Liangli Lucy, et al. “Beneficial Health Properties of Psyllium and Approaches to Improve Its Functionalities.” Advances in Food and Nutrition Research, vol. 55, 2009, pp. 193–220, 10.1016/S1043-4526(08)00404-X; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18772105/
  13. McRorie, Johnson W. “Evidence-Based Approach to Fiber Supplements and Clinically Meaningful Health Benefits, Part 2.” Nutrition Today, vol. 50, no. 2, 2015, pp. 90–97, 10.1097/nt.0000000000000089; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4415970/
  14. Delargy, H. J., et al. “Effects of Amount and Type of Dietary Fibre (Soluble and Insoluble) on Short-Term Control of Appetite.” International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, vol. 48, no. 1, Jan. 1997, pp. 67–77, 10.3109/09637489709006965; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9093551/
  15. Bergmann, J F, et al. “Correlation between Echographic Gastric Emptying and Appetite: Influence of Psyllium.” Gut, vol. 33, no. 8, 1 Aug. 1992, pp. 1042–1043, 10.1136/gut.33.8.1042; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1398229/
  16. Turnbull, W. H., and H. G. Thomas. “The Effect of a Plantago Ovata Seed Containing Preparation on Appetite Variables, Nutrient and Energy Intake.” International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders: Journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity, vol. 19, no. 5, 1 May 1995, pp. 338–342; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7647826/
  17. Sierra, M, et al. “Therapeutic Effects of Psyllium in Type 2 Diabetic Patients.” European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 56, no. 9, Sept. 2002, pp. 830–842, 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601398; https://www.nature.com/articles/1601398
  18. Gonlachanvit, S. “Inhibitory Actions of a High Fibre Diet on Intestinal Gas Transit in Healthy Volunteers.” Gut, vol. 53, no. 11, 1 Nov. 2004, pp. 1577–1582, 10.1136/gut.2004.041632; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1774297/
  19. Rodríguez-Morán, M., et al. “Lipid- and Glucose-Lowering Efficacy of Plantago Psyllium in Type II Diabetes.” Journal of Diabetes and Its Complications, vol. 12, no. 5, 1 Sept. 1998, pp. 273–278, 10.1016/s1056-8727(98)00003-8; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9747644/
  20. Bajorek, Sarah A., and Candis M. Morello. “Effects of Dietary Fiber and Low Glycemic Index Diet on Glucose Control in Subjects with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.” The Annals of Pharmacotherapy, vol. 44, no. 11, 1 Nov. 2010, pp. 1786–1792, 10.1345/aph.1P347; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20959501/
  21. Marlett, Judith A., and Milton H. Fischer. “A Poorly Fermented Gel from Psyllium Seed Husk Increases Excreta Moisture and Bile Acid Excretion in Rats.” The Journal of Nutrition, vol. 132, no. 9, 1 Sept. 2002, pp. 2638–2643, 10.1093/jn/132.9.2638; https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/132/9/2638/4687853

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