Digestive Wellness

Dietary fiber is well known for its digestive health benefits, but certain fibers can do so much more. Take psyllium husk, for example. Psyllium husk is the super fiber in Metamucil powders , best known for supporting gut health*. Even better, psyllium husk can also provide other health-related benefits such as supporting heart health by lowering cholesterol† and supporting healthy blood sugar levels*. Keep reading to find out how to take psyllium husk supplements like Metamucil every day to reach your fiber goals.

When you hear the words ‘dietary fiber’ you might think of dense, flavorless foods, or the kinds of foods you have to eat, not the ones you want to eat. But you might be surprised to know that some of your favorite, flavorful foods are high in fiber. It’s the fiber in those foods that gives them some of their deliciously satisfying qualities.

So, what is fiber, exactly? Dietary fiber is a non-digestible part of plant foods. And while you can’t digest fiber, it provides an abundance of culinary and health benefits that make it an indispensable part of a healthy lifestyle. Find out how to get more fiber in your diet, so you can reach the daily recommended amount.

Our bodies’ organ systems are all interconnected, working towards the same cause to keep us healthy and running at our best. Cholesterol, for example, travels through the blood stream to play a role in protecting our cells, stress responses, and more. But in excess, its plaque buildup is harmful to the body. Metamucil, a psyllium husk fiber supplement, is often known for promoting digestive health and maintaining regularity.* But did you know it also helps lower cholesterol to promote heart health?^†

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. The gel traps some bile in your gut, requiring your liver to remove bad (LDL) cholesterol from the bloodstream to make more bile, which is needed for proper digestion.

Your gut needs help to move and remove the waste in your digestive system. That’s where fiber can help. You can get good sources of fiber from food you already eat. The dietary fiber you get from supplements, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains in your daily diet doesn’t just keep you regular. Some fiber, like psyllium, can also give you important health benefits.

Keep reading to learn about high fiber foods, fiber supplements, types of fiber, and daily recommended fiber intake.

Can you remember the last time you pooped? Regularly going #2 can mean anything between three times per day to three times per week. You may be constipated if you’re well past your regular schedule and feel pain when you try to pass stool. But you’re not alone. Approximately 20 percent of the world’s population is affected by constipation.¹

You’ve probably been told to eat more beans, oats, or leafy green vegetables. Fiber is the power ingredient in these foods that makes you poop. Evidence shows that increasing dietary fiber can help constipation in children and adults.¹

Increasing your fiber intake is the most common behavioral modification recommended to help with constipation because the right fiber improves your stool frequency and consistency.²

Fiber is present in lots of foods, so it may sound easy to just add more fiber to your diet. However, less than 10% of Americans reach the daily recommended fiber intake.³ That’s where fiber supplements can come in to help bridge the gap between recommendations and real-world diets. And some, like Metamucil, can help with occasional constipation to keep you regular.*

Find out how fiber supplements can help your occasional constipation.

95 percent of Americans don’t get enough fiber in their diet1. Getting enough dietary fiber is important to maintain your digestive wellness, but it can be difficult to eat the daily recommended amount of high-quality, fiber-rich foods. On average, it takes about 7 apples, 9 cups of carrots, 9 bananas or 13 cups of broccoli to reach the recommended amount of fiber Americans from 18 to 50 years old should consume each day.

Dietary fiber supplements are a fast and easy way to increase fiber without significantly increasing calories, carbs, or sugar. So, if you feel that you’re not getting enough fiber in your diet, read on to learn why you should be taking fiber supplements, and which supplement you should be taking.

So how does one get soluble fiber into their diet, you ask? Soluble fiber is in some foods and dietary fiber supplements like Metamucil’s psyllium fiber supplements. Keep reading to find out how you can get more soluble fiber into your diet.

Occasional constipation can happen to anyone from time to time and when it does, it’s natural to have questions about how to find relief for occasional constipation. Below we’ll answer some of the most common questions about it, as well as offer guidance on how to get rid of constipation and how to maintain regularity.