Psyllium for Weight Loss: How the Cheap Supplement Helped One Woman Drop 208 Pounds

Remember when our moms and grandmas used to sip water mixed with fiber powder to stay regular and feel their best? Well, that same fiber is staging a huge comeback. Made from a plant called psyllium, the old-fashioned stuff has a legion of new social media devotees who insist it helps crush weight goals on any diet. For example, intermittent fasters say psyllium lets them fast longer without hunger. Keto dieters rave it makes tasty low-carb baked goods. And Rondi Korven, 52, tells us it revs up plant-based menus and helped her shed 208 pounds. There’s compelling science too: A study in Nutrition Today found that among folks on the same diet, those who took 2 tsp. of psyllium daily lost a whopping 1,550% more weight. Read on for Rondi’s inspiring story and to learn if psyllium for weight loss might help you.

What sets psyllium apart from other fiber

Most experts agree we need at least 25 grams of fiber daily for optimal health, yet the average woman gets just 12 grams. Hopping on the psyllium bandwagon is an easy fix. “Just add a scoop of psyllium to water and drink it,” suggests fiber advocate Steven R. Gundry, M.D., author of Gut Check.

Both a tablespoon of whole psyllium husks (the most fiber-rich part of the plant) and a teaspoon of powdered husks deliver 7 grams fiber. Impressive, right?

It gets better. All types of fiber offer benefits, yet psyllium is especially powerful. Consider this: An economic-impact study found that if everyone with high cholesterol took psyllium—which prompts our livers to pull cholesterol from our blood—we’d cut healthcare costs by $870 million a year. And researchers have identified psyllium as the only fiber supplement to improve cholesterol, blood sugar, digestion, blood pressure and weight control all at once.

Dr. Gundry adds that if losing weight is your main goal, the soluble fiber found in psyllium truly is key.

Psyllium for weight loss: Science behind the magic

Psyllium is like a Swiss Army Knife when it comes to fat fighting. Among its many benefits:

It fakes gastric bypass

The soluble fiber in psyllium absorbs fluid and swells by up to 40 times its original size, turning into a thick gel. Experts say this gel takes up space in the stomach and makes us feel full with far less food.

Bonus: Just as weight-loss surgery stimulates improvements in hunger hormones, psyllium has been found to boost the stop-eating hormone leptin—specifically among those of us carrying spare pounds

It’s a big reason Seattle-area women’s health expert Emi Hosoda, M.D., who lost 100 pounds herself, recommends most patients take psyllium. “It really helps!” she says.

It feeds ‘skinny bacteria’

“Advertisements try to make us think fiber is fiber, but that’s not the case,” says Dr. Gundry. Only soluble fiber from sources like psyllium and foods we tend to skimp on (like beans and okra) feeds good bacteria in our guts. And those good bacteria do amazing things like reduce calories we absorb from food, steady blood sugar and speed metabolism. “It helps us lose weight effortlessly,” notes the doc.

Psyllium’s advantage? It doesn’t ferment inside us, so it’s less likely to cause gas and bloating. In fact, research at Kings College London demonstrated that taking 2 Tbs. of psyllium daily can reduce trapped gas, helping women lose inches within three days.

It targets over-50 belly fat

Many of us are surprised to find our falling estrogen levels set off a chain reaction that leads to poor blood-sugar control and an ever-plumping belly. Psyllium to the rescue! The gel it creates actually slows the speed at which our bodies are able to make blood sugar from food. And according to Dr. Gundry, psyllium’s role in feeding good gut bacteria means we have more of these “buddies” to further improve blood-sugar control. Indeed, a study on middle-aged teachers found daily psyllium led to significant improvement in blood-sugar issues and helped those who made healthy lifestyle changes lose 4.5 times more belly fat compared to those who skipped psyllium. Wow!

Psyllium for weight loss success story: Rondi Korven, 52

Hungry and prone to weight gain even as a baby, Rondi Korven began dabbling in diets in high school. But as an emotional eater, “the combination of sugar, butter and salt was my nemesis,” recalls the Alberta, Canada, grandmother, 52.

As her weight crept to 363 pounds, she suffered from heartburn, back and joint pain and more. Her turning point? Rondi no longer fit into a single airplane seat. Not wanting to miss a reunion with old friends, she was forced to buy two tickets. “I’m frugal, so it was really hard,” she recalls. It got her thinking: Should she give weight loss one more try?

Rondi’s dad had given her a book on plant-based eating; she began reading and experimenting. One favorite trick she discovered: Adding 1 Tbs. of psyllium husk to smoothies. It helped kill her cravings and “harness the hangry,” she says.

Rondi began making smoothies in batches, freezing them and enjoying one daily as part of a diet that was about 80% whole plant foods. Shedding up to 6 pounds a week, her health woes began to disappear as her energy ticked up. As her journey continued, she became a huge fan of strategies from plant-based eating authority Michael Greger, M.D. The doc’s take on psyllium? “It has been shown to decrease body weight by up to 4 pounds in 12 weeks when taken with a cup of water before each meal,” says the bestselling author of How Not to Diet and How Not To Age. And here’s good news for our wallets: Dr. Greger cites research in which psyllium outperformed fiber supplements that were 10 times more expensive! Psyllium is the main ingredient in Metamucil; superstores’ generic versions run as low as 13¢ a teaspoon and bulk bags on Amazon cost just 3¢ a teaspoon. Says Rondi: “You don’t have to spend more to lose more!”

In two years, Rondi dropped 208 pounds and took 29 inches off her waist. Now, she travels whenever she can, and confidence is her constant travel companion. “I love my life!” —WW

Psyllium for weight loss: Fun ways to add this super-fiber to your day

Experts we spoke to say psyllium makes it easier to achieve weight and health goals on virtually any good-for-you eating plan. Always check with your doctor before using any new supplement, of course. But if you get the okay, a general guideline is to start with 1⁄2 Tbs. psyllium husk or 1⁄2 tsp. psyllium husk powder daily; gradually work up to 1–2 Tbs. husk or 1–2 tsp. powder. Always add psyllium to water, liquid or food and hydrate well when taking psyllium. We’ve got tasty psyllium-spiked ideas to inspire you!

Easy breakfast bowl

Just stir 1 serving psyllium into cottage cheese, yogurt or oatmeal and then add any healthy toppings you like—such as berries, chia and honey.

Shortcut soup

Prepare any dry soup mix per package directions, adding 1 serving psyllium for every serving the package yields. It even works with ramen!

Healthy “Coke”

Stir 1 serving psyllium powder, 1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar and healthy sweetener to taste in 12-oz. zero-sugar cherry sparkling water.

Bonsu recipe: Secret-ingredient pizza

This easy better-than-delivery recipe is from TheLittlePine.com.

Ingredients:

• 13⁄4 cups almond flour
• 2 Tbs. psyllium husk powder, such as NOW brand
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1⁄2 tsp. salt
• For topping: sauce, cheese and anything else you like

Instructions:

1. In large bowl, mix flour, psyllium, baking powder and salt. Pour in 2⁄3 cup boiling water; stir to form dough. Transfer to a lined baking sheet.
2. With wet hands, press in 10″ circle. Layer on sauce, cheese and toppings.
3. Bake at 425ºF until dough is cooked through, 18–22 minutes.

Serves 4.

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