The psyllium fiber in Metamucil helps lower cholesterol to promote heart health† by trapping some cholesterol in the digestive system to be removed with waste. When you take psyllium fiber, it forms a gel-like substance that moves through your digestive system.
When should I take Metamucil? To get the cholesterol-lowering benefit, take 1 teaspoon of Sugar-Free Metamucil with a full glass of water no more than 15 to 30 minutes before a meal.
15, 2018, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The study pooled findings from 28 trials in people with normal and high cholesterol levels. It found that a daily dose of about 10 grams of psyllium husk lowered harmful LDL cholesterol 13 mg/dL when taken for at least three weeks.
When you are looking for a fiber supplement for the purpose of lowering your cholesterol, start with psyllium or methylcellulose. Both have that have research supporting their use to slightly reduce LDL.
It can also slow or stop atherosclerosis. 4) Take Metamucil or Konsyl (Psyllium Husk): Psyllium husk, the active ingredient in Metamucil, is one of the most powerful LDL-lowering viscous soluble fibers in existence. A high fiber diet has been shown to reduce risk of heart disease.
Metamucil may be a natural alternative to cholesterol-lowering drugs. When combined with a healthy diet and exercise, it may help lower cholesterol on its own or increase the effectiveness of cholesterol-lowering drugs. Talk with your doctor about your options for lowering your cholesterol.
Picco, M.D. There's no evidence that daily use of fiber supplements — such as psyllium (Metamucil, Konsyl, others) or methylcellulose (Citrucel) — is harmful. Fiber has a number of health benefits, including normalizing bowel function and preventing constipation.
Soluble fiber can reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream. Soluble fiber is found in such foods as oatmeal, kidney beans, Brussels sprouts, apples and pears. Add whey protein. Whey protein, which is found in dairy products, may account for many of the health benefits attributed to dairy.
While both are important for your health, soluble fiber is the one that helps to lower blood cholesterol levels. It dissolves in water to form a gel, which moves slowly through the intestines “grabbing” up fat, dietary cholesterol, bile salts, and sugar to be excreted.
A: Any time of day is appropriate to take Metamucil fiber as long as an adequate intake of fluids (at least 8 ounces of water or liquid per serving) is consumed. We recommend taking Metamucil between one and three times per day at mealtimes as a convenient way to get the benefits of Metamucil.
Conclusions: Treatment with 5.1 g psyllium twice daily produces significant net reductions in serum total and LDL-cholesterol concentrations in men and women with primary hypercholesterolemia. Psyllium therapy is an effective adjunct to diet therapy and may provide an alternative to drug therapy for some patients.
Oatmeal, oat bran and high-fiber foods
Soluble fiber is also found in such foods as kidney beans, Brussels sprouts, apples and pears. Soluble fiber can reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream. Five to 10 grams or more of soluble fiber a day decreases your LDL cholesterol.
In addition to treating constipation, Metamucil may also help lower your cholesterol levels, and may improve your blood sugar control if you have type 2 diabetes. Benefiber, on the other hand, is not approved for these uses. Fiber can also decrease your appetite by making you feel fuller for a longer time.
For example, a diet rich in soluble fiber, plant sterols, and vegetable protein sources, such as soy and nuts, reduced LDL cholesterol by an average of 28.6% in just 4 weeks. These effects continue over the long term.
Eating fiber-rich foods like beans is essential for preventing atherosclerosis ( 9 ). Eating beans is an excellent way to keep cholesterol levels in check, thereby reducing your risk of clogged arteries.
There is no set period in which cholesterol is guaranteed to drop. Cholesterol-lowering drugs usually produce a change in LDL within 6 to 8 weeks. It is possible for lifestyle changes to change cholesterol levels within weeks. However, it may take longer, usually about 3 months — sometimes more.
Biliary cholesterol enters the intestinal lumen, from where a significant amount is re-absorbed by the enterocytes[13]. The remaining cholesterol leaves the body via fecal excretion.
When people have high cholesterol their LDL (bad) is high and their HDL (good) is low. Eating healthy, regular exercise and drinking plenty of water will help to bring down cholesterol levels within 2-3 weeks.
A person is considered at high risk for developing heart disease if their total cholesterol level is higher than 240 mg/dL, LDL levels are higher than 160 mg/dL (190 mg/dL is even higher risk), and if the HDL level is below 40 mg/dL.
While coffee does not contain cholesterol, it can affect cholesterol levels. The diterpenes in coffee suppress the body's production of substances involved in cholesterol breakdown, causing cholesterol to increase. Specifically, coffee diterpenes may cause an increase in total cholesterol and LDL levels.
Can this be harmful to kidney? Metamucil is safe for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Any time of day is appropriate to take Metamucil as long as an adequate intake of fluids (at least 240 mL of water or liquid per serving) is consumed. We recommend taking Metamucil three times per day at mealtimes as a convenient way to get the benefits of Metamucil.
Metamucil is often used to support digestive health, lower cholesterol levels, reduce appetite, and improve blood sugar control. It also helps promote regularity by trapping water in the intestines, easing the passage of stool from the body ( 1 ).