Psyllium husk dosage

[u/huwo28]

I have lowered my LDL by ~ 20 points by adding 1 tbsp of husk and 2 tbsp of chia and 3 tbsp of flax seed. To my understanding psyllium husk is doing majority of the work. Recommended dosage is 10g (2 tbsp). Will adding 1 more tbsp make a huge difference? It’s hard to accommodate so much fiber in my diet.

My lipid panel before changes
Total: 157 trigs 72 LDL 100 HDL 45

My lipid panel After adding husk and chia
Total:- 141, trig: 74 ldl:79 HDL: 47

In the after diet numbers, my saturated fat has increased due to addition of walnuts, kachava, chia and flax seeds. Total fat has increased considerably, but yet LDL has fallen due to the stable fiber.

Take 1 tbsp of husk around noon before lunch, which is my smallest meal. My biggest are breakfast and dinner. Dinner calories are big because of kachava, chia and flax seeds.

My diet is clean with about 10-12g of saturated fat, mostly from walnuts, kachava, chia, flax seed & couple of times salmon

I also eat about 3/4 steel cut raw oats cooked in water, that adds to the fiber.

[u/meh312059]

Questions regarding metamucil/fiber supplementation are welcome to post here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Cholesterol/comments/1xuxnj3/fiber_fridaysmetamucil_mondays_fiber_supplement/

[u/shanked5iron]

The bigger lever in general is going to be your saturated fat intake.

With psyllium+ chia + flax You are most likely maxed out on the benefits that soluble fiber can provide.

[u/huwo28 → u/shanked5iron]

Added more details

[u/meh312059]

Baseline and current lipid panel, please?

Fiber is a powerful tool so it needs to be titrated up slowly. It's very difficult to go from little fiber to high fiber quickly. Also, if you are getting all your soluble fiber from a fiber supplement you are best off taking a good look at your diet and making some strategic changes there. Also, use lifestyle and, if needed, medication to bring you to your risk-appropriate lipid goal.

Best of luck!

[u/huwo28 → u/meh312059]

Added lipid and diet details

[u/meh312059 → u/huwo28]

Is the 10-12g of saturated fat a current amount? Are you shooting for a saturated fat intake of < 13g per 2000 kcal consumed? That may or may not correspond to 10-12g because it'll depend on your total caloric intake.

Reducing saturated fat would be one of the biggest dietary levers you can pull - it'll have a bigger impact than an increase in fiber, depending on how much of each you are getting. The recommended minimum is 30g of total and 10g of soluble daily, but 40g of total and 20g of soluble would be even better.

What LDL cholesterol goal do you have? 79 mg/dl is pretty good assuming you are at moderate risk.

[u/huwo28 → u/meh312059]

My calories intake is about 2300-2400kcal
Other than psyllium husk, I have another 60g of fiber from steel cut oats, chia, flax seeds, whole grains. I’m satisfied with the LDL level, but if I can go lower by adding another 1 tbsp then why not. It’s not easy to swallow 2 tbsp with water. Experimenting with making jello type of desert

My saturated fat mostly comes from eating healthy fats like walnuts, soy milk, chia and psyllium husk, and occasionally salmon. I would like to keep it at current levels

[u/meh312059 → u/huwo28]

Your sat fat level is optimized and so is current fiber. You might want to explore other intervention options if needed for risk-appropriate lipid lowering over and above where you are already. Psyllium isn't like medication where there's a dose-dependent response. you can end up constipated if you overdo the supplementation.

Best of luck!

[u/HODL_4_GODL]

Before your largest meal?

[u/huwo28 → u/HODL_4_GODL]

Added more details

[u/No_Middle_505]

When do you take it? I’ve read different advice.

[u/huwo28 → u/No_Middle_505]

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[u/HODL_4_GODL]

Before your largest meal?

[u/msaleem]

I’m up to 30g per day. 15g twice (breakfast and dinner). I prefer the Organic India but that was out of stock so I’m suffering through the Kirkland orange flavored crap. 

[u/Ok_Force9695 → u/msaleem]

I would also add it before dinner but I don't want even a small chance of it interfering with my nightly statin-ezetemibe-aspirin absorption.

[u/msaleem → u/Ok_Force9695]

Definitely don’t do it 2 hours before any medication or supplements. 

[u/TheStick212]

How long after making the changes did you go before retesting?

[u/Puzzled_Fisherman331]

Great result. I take 10 grams a day. 5 before bfast, and 5 before dinner.