Psyllium Better Than Bran

Posted in September 4th, 2009

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According to research, adding soluble fiber such as psyllium to the diet is more likely to improve irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms than adding insoluble fiber such as bran.

The Dutch research study, a randomized trial involving 275 IBS patients, demonstrated the benefits of psyllium taken with yogurt early as one month. The test group was divided into three groups, one third received 10g psyllium, another third received 10g bran and the last third received 10g placebo (rice flour) daily.

For every four patients treated with psyllium at one month, one reported fourteen days relief from abdominal pain or discomfort.

Patients taking psyllium reported a 90-point reduction in symptom severity on a 500-point scale at three months, compared with a 49-point reduction in the placebo group and a non-significant 58-point reduction in the bran group.

Early drop-out was highest in the bran group, with the authors warning bran might worsen symptoms of IBS, especially at the beginning of treatment, and should be advised only with caution.

Writing in the British Medical Journal, the authors said those left in the trial taking bran were probably a small subset of patients who responded well to the supplement.

Psyllium was most effective in patients with a positive diagnosis of IBS based on the Rome II criteria, but it also reduced symptoms in patients whose IBS was only suspected, the study found.

Overall there was a 40% drop-out rate, which the authors said was comparable with similar trials. The main reason was that participants felt worse taking the fiber supplement, they said.

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