An observation about psyllium husk

[newtonfree]

During my journey toward my diagnosis with celiac disease, I stumbled upon psyllium husk fiber as an IBS treatment due to a study that found significant improvement in IBS symptoms on a high-dose regimen (with high enough water intake to go along with it).

I started taking 3 tablespoons daily, split up into two doses, with 750 mL of water each time, dissolving it directly before drinking.

And man, was it ever gross to choke down. Like thick mucus. I had to use ice-cold water, mix it like mad with a spoon and chug it in a race against the clock before it got so thick that drinking through a straw became unfeasible. After drinking, there would be thick, mucilous psyllium caked onto the glass that was annoying and gross to clean off (it would get stuck to the kitchen sponge and I'd have to work to clean it off of that after working to clean it off the glass!). But the frequency of my bowel movements dropped, and my abdominal cramping got significantly better, which made it all worthwhile.

When I was diagnosed with celiac disease, I learned that many psyllium husk powders use wheat flour as an anti-caking agent. I found the Pure-lé brand, advertised as gluten-free, to be highly recommended on this very forum, and ordered some. My previous brand had been Yogti, which didn't disclose any wheat, but also suspiciously didn't claim to be gluten-free anywhere.

But until it could arrive, I wasn't sure what to do. I realized I had a bag of "Now!" brand psyllium husk that was much more coarsely ground, with recognizable husks. I figured, "Well, that would be less likely to have hidden flour than the fine powder!"

So I used that for three days while waiting for the Pure-lé psyllium to arrive.

My friends, that was a big mistake. I got glutened by it, for absolute certain. My DH flared extremely painfully and progressively, and I didn't realize why until I switched to the Pure-lé psyllium upon its arrival and everything settled right back down without changing anything else in my GFD.

After mixing up literally my first glass of the Pure-lé, I knew that both previous brands had contained flour. I think the "Now!" one simply contained more.

Mixing the same quantity (by weight on my kitchen scale) into the same size glass, I initially thought something was wrong with my new psyllium. It just kinda swirled around in the water. I took a sip, and felt the distinct little grains of psyllium powder, instead of the thick gel I was used to. I even let it sit for 5 minutes, then 10. And, to be sure, it thickened up over time. But nothing like any of my previous brands. Even at 10 minutes, it was thick...ish...but not mucilaginous, and I didnt feel like it was hard to drink through a straw.

Then it hit me. "You've cooked with flour  before, doofus. Why do you mix flour into sauces like gravy? To thicken them."

I am absolutely positive that the difference between these three brands came down to flour. This psyllium even rinses and washes right off the glass with minimal effort, and doesn't leave a mucus-like goop on my kitchen sponge.

And then more things hit me. How frequently psyllium is touted as the "magic ingredient" in gluten-free baking. How many people on this forum and elsewhere debate which commercial gluten-free breads they felt glutened by. How much more thick and gummy the non-gluten-free-labeled psyllium had been. I think some people might accidentally be baking wheat flour into their recipes and then raving about how much more bread-like their recipe turned out when they added psyllium.

That's not to say that I'd never trust psyllium in a baked good again - but I'd only trust it if the bakery is actually testing their ingredients and final product for gluten.

All I know is that I tried three different brands of psyllium before this, and all three left that thick, gummy layer at the top of my glass that were a nightmare to clean off, and that none of them tested for or guaranteed that they were gluten-free, while the brand that did guarantee its gluten-free status (and was raved about by celiacs online) has an utterly different texture.

I also can't help but wonder if, when proponents of things like the anti-inflammatory diet claim it's a bad idea to use psyllium, the experiences and data on which they're basing their opinions might be coming from commercial psyllium sources that put wheat into it. The difference in my bowel movements and DH since switching to the gluten-free psyllium are night and day. They're the first truly normal-looking/normal-feeling ones I've had in years, to the point where I'm wondering if I even need to be taking it at all anymore. It started as a treatment for symptoms of IBS when I was an undiagnosed celiac. Then it continued as treatment for symptoms that persisted after I "cut out wheat" (ha, ha).

But I was just drinking wheat flour, then saying, "man, I really need to stay on this psyllium for all these symptoms I'm still having."

I thought I had cut out wheat "for its fructan content" 6 months before my celiac disease diagnosis, and that I had eliminated all labeled and hidden gluten after my diagnosis. But the reality is that, until I switched psyllium brands, I don't think I was even free of macroscopic amounts of wheat. I think I was drinking wheat smoothies twice a day.

Just wanted to put that story out there in case it helps anyone, and to see if anyone else might have noticed something similar. Did you find another brand of (labeled, tested, and/or independently confirmed) gluten-free psyllium, and notice how much less goopy it was than  unlabeled brands?

This didn't feel like gluten cross-contamination, the stark texture and symptom difference made it feel like a significant percentage of the powder is literally flour. The second I showed my glass of Pure-lé psyllium to my wife, she was shocked, too. She knows the gummy mess the old brands left behind because it was so gross that she'd refuse to touch it if I left it in the sink without washing it myself. She said, "My love, you've been drinking wheat. Today is the first day of your actual gluten-free diet."

[Scott Adams]

I had a similar experience recently with curcumin, and bought a package that had a "may contain wheat" on it by accident. Luckily I had a Nima Sensor and was able to test it, and sure enough, it had wheat in it. I was able to find one that was gluten-free, but psyllium can also be contaminated, as you discovered. Many gluten-free companies now incorporate  psyllium powder in their breads, including one of our sponsors here--Little Northern Bakehouse. I agree that there are many benefits to including it in your diet.

[Scott Adams]

Technically speaking, in the USA there is a labelling regulation that requires foods to include a warning for the top 8 allergens whenever there is any chance of contamination, for example at a mill, or during the manufacturing process. My guess is that there may be a loophole because psyllium is sold as a supplement, rather than a food, but this requirement should also be required for supplements as well, but currently it isn't.

[newtonfree]

4 hours ago, Scott Adams said:

Technically speaking, in the USA there is a labelling regulation that requires foods to include a warning for the top 8 allergens whenever there is any chance of contamination, for example at a mill, or during the manufacturing process. My guess is that there may be a loophole because psyllium is sold as a supplement, rather than a food, but this requirement should also be required for supplements as well, but currently it isn't.

That's an interesting point.

Also, I live in Canada - so I have no idea what regulations a package of pure psyllium husk falls under. Considering the fact that you find psyllium-based products like Metamucil in pharmacies and not in the "baking" section of the grocery store here has me wondering if psyllium isn't even subject to food regulations here at all.

Since switching to the verified gluten-free brand, my symptoms are greatly improved. Perhaps I'll have to get a Nima sensor or gluten test kit so that I can avoid these pitfalls in future.