{"id":605288628530,"title":"Why Does Psyllium Husk Have a Cancer Warning? An RD Explains","created_at":"2023-04-16T23:31:10-04:00","body_html":"\u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e\/\/ \u003c![CDATA[\n{\n \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n \"@type\": \"Article\",\n \"headline\": \"Why Does Psyllium Husk Have a Cancer Warning? An RD Explains\",\n \"keywords\": \"psyllium husk cancer warning, does psyllium husk cause cancer, psyllium, psyllium husk\",\n \"description\": \"Our Registered Dietitian (RD) and research team explain why some psyllium husk brands carry a cancer warning. We highlight the psyllium brands with the lowest contaminant levels based on third-party testing, and explain if you can overdose on psyllium husk.\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/psyllium-husk-cancer-warning\",\n\"author\": {\n \"@type\": \"Person\",\n \"name\": \"Calloway Cook\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/pages\/calloway-cook\",\n \"sameAs\": \"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/calloway-cook\/\",\n \"jobTitle\": \"President\",\n \"knowsAbout\": \"entrepreneurship, dietary supplements, herbal supplements, eCommerce, medical research\",\n \"alumniOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"EducationalOrganization\",\n \"name\": \"S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University\"\n },\n \"memberOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Illuminate Labs\"\n }\n},\n\"editor\": {\n \"@type\": \"Person\",\n \"name\": \"DJ Mazzoni\",\n \"honorificSuffix\": [\n \"M.S.\",\n \"R.D.\",\n \"C.D.N.\",\n \"C.S.C.S.\"\n ],\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/pages\/dj-mazzoni\",\n \"sameAs\": [\n \"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/dj-mazzoni-rd-cdn-cscs-00a33038\/\",\n \"http:\/\/djmazzoni.com\/\"\n ],\n \"jobTitle\": \"Medical Reviewer\",\n \"knowsAbout\": \"food, nutrition, health, wellness, microbiome, exercise, workouts, strength and conditioning, probiotics, metabolism, obesity, weight loss, science, medical research, clinical trials, cardiovascular health, diet\",\n \"alumniOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"EducationalOrganization\",\n \"name\": [\n \"State University of New York College Oswego\",\n \"D’Youville College\"\n ]\n },\n \"memberOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Illuminate Labs\"\n }\n},\n\"image\": {\n\"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\"url\": \"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Psyllium_Husk_Cancer_Warning_Thumbnail.png?v=1681702456\",\n\"width\": \"2325\",\n\"height\": \"2325\"\n},\n\"citation\": [\n\"https:\/\/oehha.ca.gov\/proposition-65\/about-proposition-65\", \n\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/2819829\/\",\n\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/8656442\/\",\n\"https:\/\/www.consumerlab.com\/reviews\/psyllium-supplements\/psyllium\/\",\n\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/30219432\/\",\n\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6358997\/\",\n\"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/colon-broom-review\",\n\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6124841\/\",\n\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4352178\/\",\n\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/33978391\/\"\n],\n\"mentions\": [{\n \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n \"name\": \"Proposition 65\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n \"name\": \"colon cancer\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Brand\",\n \"name\": \"ConsumerLab\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Brand\",\n \"name\": \"Yerba Prima\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Brand\",\n \"name\": \"NOW Foods\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Brand\",\n \"name\": \"Chubbyemu\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n \"name\": \"weight loss\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n \"name\": \"constipation\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n \"name\": \"gut health\"\n }\n],\n\"datePublished\": \"2023-04-16\",\n\"copyrightHolder\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Illuminate Labs\"\n},\n\"publisher\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Illuminate Labs\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/\",\n \"description\": \"Illuminate Labs is the most transparent supplement company in the U.S., and is a leading publisher of research-based health information.\",\n \"knowsAbout\": \"supplements, science, nutrition, exercise, health, medication, pharmaceutical, wellness, diet, weight loss, medical research\",\n \"publishingPrinciples\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/pages\/editorial-guidelines\",\n \"memberOf\": [\n {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"U.S. Chamber of Commerce\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.uschamber.com\/\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Certified B Corp\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.bcorporation.net\/en-us\/\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Natural Products Association\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.npanational.org\/\"\n }\n ], \n \"logo\": {\n \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Illuminate_Labs_Favicon_48x48_7595c3cc-e27b-47b8-a4fe-edcc7ed9b29a.png?v=1666502785\", \n \"width\": 48,\n \"height\": 48\n},\n \"foundingDate\": \"2019-01-30\",\n \"sameAs\": [\n \"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/illuminatelabs\",\n \"https:\/\/twitter.com\/illuminatelabs\",\n \"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/illuminate-labs-supplements\",\n \"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCpgSJAsIPb-fZ25djtTxBEA\"\n ]\n }\n}\n\/\/ ]]\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Psyllium_Husk_Cancer_Warning_Article_Header_Image_Optimized.png?v=1681702094\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eDisclaimer: None of the information in this article constitutes medical advice, and is just the opinion of the writer(s). We recommend that individuals follow their doctor’s guidance in regard to psyllium husk supplementation.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"dc\"\u003eP\u003c\/span\u003esyllium husk is one of the most popular categories of fiber supplement. It’s cheap, widely available, and psyllium husk brands often claim that it has potential benefits to cholesterol levels and digestion.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBut why do some psyllium husk products carry a cancer warning? Does psyllium have any research-backed benefits? Are there risks to using psyllium husk beyond the cancer warning? And which psyllium husk brand is the cleanest?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIn this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more as we explain why some psyllium husk supplements carry a cancer warning and why it may not matter as much as one would think.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWe’ll also review research-backed health benefits of psyllium husk fiber and share our take on whether it’s superior to other forms of supplemental dietary fiber.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWe’ll feature a YouTube video highlighting one of the unique risks of psyllium husk, and give our recommendation for the cleanest psyllium husk brand.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhy Do Some Psyllium Husk Brands Have a Cancer Warning?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eCalifornia has a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/oehha.ca.gov\/proposition-65\/about-proposition-65\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003elaw\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e called Proposition 65, commonly referred to as “Prop 65,” which requires companies to disclose if their product(s) contain contaminant levels above certain thresholds.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIf a psyllium husk brand contains levels of a heavy metal toxin (like lead or arsenic) above Prop 65 limits, the brand is required to publish a cancer warning on its physical product label.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eHowever, it’s important to make a few distinctions to contextualize this information.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e     1) Nearly every plant grown outdoors contains trace levels of heavy metals due to environmental pollution\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWe haven’t come across any clinical evidence that psyllium husk is uniquely susceptible to high heavy metal levels. Everything from rice to fruit can contain heavy metals due to absorption from the soil.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWhat matters is the actual level of the heavy metal, and unfortunately most food product manufacturers fail to publicly share this information.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e     2) We haven’t seen any evidence in research studies that psyllium husk directly causes cancer\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003ePsyllium is a popular type of food that has been studied in many clinical trials. An \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/2819829\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eanimal study\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e published in the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eNutrition and Cancer\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e journal found that psyllium supplementation actually reduced colon cancer rates.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eA 1996 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/8656442\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eclinical trial\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e found that fiber supplementation generally may decrease breast cancer rates.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eOverall, psyllium seems likely to reduce cancer rather than to cause cancer, because the beneficial effects of the compound are likely to outweigh any negative effects from heavy metal contamination. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eHowever, it’s still important to reduce heavy metal consumption as much as possible. So which psyllium brands were the most and least contaminated based on third-party testing? We’ll review in the next section.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhich Psyllium Brands are Cleanest?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eConsumerLab is an independent, third-party company that tests supplements off-the-shelf (which means they don’t accept samples from brands which can increase bias). \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eConsumerLab reports on not only the label accuracy (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003edoes this supplement actually contain what its label claims?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e) but also the contaminant levels of popular supplements, and they published an entire \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.consumerlab.com\/reviews\/psyllium-supplements\/psyllium\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003ereview\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e of psyllium fiber supplements.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eYerba Prima Psyllium Whole Husks contained the least lead per 5 grams (g) whole psyllium product\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e, at only 0.4 micrograms (mcg) of lead.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eInterested consumers can check out Yerba Prima Psyllium Whole Husks \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca rel=\"sponsored\" href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/41owGq6\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eat this link\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e to the brand’s official Amazon listing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNOW Psyllium Husk Caps contained the least lead per 5 grams (g) capsule psyllium product\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e, at 1.3 mcg.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eInterested consumers can check out NOW Psyllium Husk Caps \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca rel=\"sponsored\" href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/41vkZhp\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eat this link\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e to the brand’s official Amazon listing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe product with the most lead (by far) based on ConsumerLab testing was \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eKate Naturals Organic Psyllium Husk Powder, which contained 11 mcg per 5 g product serving, or 27.5 times the amount in Yerba Prima.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eBut are there risks to using psyllium powder that don’t exist for other types of fiber powder? We’ll review in the next section.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCan You Overdose on Psyllium?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eA popular YouTube creator named “Chubbyemu,” who’s a doctor, has a video documenting what can happen if you take far too much psyllium husk fiber in one sitting. It’s an interesting and engaging video (even though it’s not a real risk for most users) and has over 6 million views:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1MggKIfEld4\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eDoes Psyllium Have Proven Health Benefits?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eAs stated throughout this article, psyllium has been studied in hundreds if not thousands of clinical trials, and has some well-documented health benefits.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight loss\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e was reported in overweight patients supplementing with 10 g of psyllium daily, according to a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/30219432\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eclinical trial\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e published in the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eComplementary Therapies in Medicine\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e journal.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAfter 12 weeks of psyllium husk supplementation, participants lost an average of 4.41 pounds.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eConstipation relief\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e is another \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6358997\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eclinically shown\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e benefit of psyllium, and whole psyllium husk is a much natural and healthier option than commercial laxatives in our opinion, which often contain a number of questionable additive ingredients like artificial sweeteners.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eImproved gut health\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e is another research-backed benefit of psyllium supplementation, as we documented in our analysis of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/colon-broom-review\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eColon Broom ingredients\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e. The effective daily dose for gut health support was reported as 21 g in the meta-review we cited.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eClearly psyllium husk has a number of health benefits, as does fiber supplementation generally (either from whole foods or supplements).\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eAmericans fail to consume nearly enough fiber for optimal health, according to a 2017 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6124841\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003emedical review\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e, and this can have effects on everything from blood sugar levels to weight to proper bowel function.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWe urge consumers to be wary of any websites claiming that psyllium husk is dangerous or causes cancer, because the overwhelming clinical evidence suggests to us that it has more benefits than downsides.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCan Food Supplements Support Gut Health?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Gut_Health_Image.png?v=1680981839\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere are food-based supplements with ingredients clinically shown to support gut health.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe fiber supplement we recommend is \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca rel=\"sponsored\" href=\"https:\/\/shareasale.com\/r.cfm?b=2011129\u0026amp;u=3153363\u0026amp;m=124607\u0026amp;urllink=www%2Esupergut%2Ecom%2Fresistant%2Dstarch%2Dfiber%2Dmix%2F%3Fsku%3D300101%2D1\u0026amp;afftrack=\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSupergut Fiber Mix\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. This supplement provides 8 grams (g) of fiber per serving and contains no questionable additive ingredients. The only ingredients are a blend of fiber powders including green banana powder resistant starch and resistant potato starch.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4352178\/\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003emedical review\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e published in the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAdvances in Nutrition\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e journal concluded that \u003cstrong\u003eresistant starch intake was associated with improved gut health, weight loss in overweight and obese individuals, and improved insulin resistance.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eInterested consumers can check out Supergut Fiber Mix \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca rel=\"sponsored\" href=\"https:\/\/shareasale.com\/r.cfm?b=2011129\u0026amp;u=3153363\u0026amp;m=124607\u0026amp;urllink=www%2Esupergut%2Ecom%2Fresistant%2Dstarch%2Dfiber%2Dmix%2F%3Fsku%3D300101%2D1\u0026amp;afftrack=\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eat this link\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e to the product page on the brand's official website.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca rel=\"sponsored\" href=\"https:\/\/bulletproof.fdf2.net\/0JgZvV\"\u003eExpress 3-in-1 Probiotic\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eby Bulletproof is our top probiotic supplement pick. It's entirely free of questionable additives, and probiotic supplementation is\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/33978391\/\"\u003eclinically shown\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eto\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003enot only support gut health but potentially reverse damage to the gut.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInterested consumers can check out Bulletproof Express 3-in-1 Probiotic\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca rel=\"sponsored\" href=\"https:\/\/bulletproof.fdf2.net\/0JgZvV\"\u003eat this link\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eto the product page on the brand's official website.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eConclusion\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003ePsyllium husk may contain a cancer warning based on a California ruling, but this type of warning is not unique to psyllium husk. Any food or supplement containing contaminants like lead may have this warning on their label, and we haven’t come across any clinical evidence that psyllium is higher in environmental contaminants like heavy metals than any other food product or supplement.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eBased on our review of clinical studies, the health benefits of psyllium husk supplementation (like reduced body weight in overweight individuals and gut and colon health support) seem to vastly outweigh any potential downsides.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eConsumerLab tested psyllium supplements and found that a brand called Yerba Prima contained the lowest levels of lead. We linked to the Yerba Prima Amazon listing in this article.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eNOW Foods contained the lowest levels of lead for a capsule formulation.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWe hope that in the future, legislation on cancer warnings is based on\u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e actual test results for contaminants\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e, rather than potential for contamination based on product category, because this would be much more useful (and less confusing) to consumers.\u003c\/span\u003e","blog_id":49281925193,"author":"Calloway Cook","user_id":26601750601,"published_at":"2023-04-16T23:39:33-04:00","updated_at":"2023-04-16T23:41:30-04:00","summary_html":"We explain why some psyllium husk brands carry a cancer warning. We highlight the psyllium brands with the lowest contaminant levels based on third-party testing, and explain if you can overdose on psyllium husk.","template_suffix":"","handle":"psyllium-husk-cancer-warning","tags":"_related:fiber, _related:gut-health, _related:public-health"}

Why Does Psyllium Husk Have a Cancer Warning? An RD Explains

Why Does Psyllium Husk Have a Cancer Warning? An RD Explains


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Disclaimer: None of the information in this article constitutes medical advice, and is just the opinion of the writer(s). We recommend that individuals follow their doctor’s guidance in regard to psyllium husk supplementation.

Psyllium husk is one of the most popular categories of fiber supplement. It’s cheap, widely available, and psyllium husk brands often claim that it has potential benefits to cholesterol levels and digestion.

But why do some psyllium husk products carry a cancer warning? Does psyllium have any research-backed benefits? Are there risks to using psyllium husk beyond the cancer warning? And which psyllium husk brand is the cleanest?

In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more as we explain why some psyllium husk supplements carry a cancer warning and why it may not matter as much as one would think.

We’ll also review research-backed health benefits of psyllium husk fiber and share our take on whether it’s superior to other forms of supplemental dietary fiber.

We’ll feature a YouTube video highlighting one of the unique risks of psyllium husk, and give our recommendation for the cleanest psyllium husk brand.

Why Do Some Psyllium Husk Brands Have a Cancer Warning?

California has a law called Proposition 65, commonly referred to as “Prop 65,” which requires companies to disclose if their product(s) contain contaminant levels above certain thresholds.

If a psyllium husk brand contains levels of a heavy metal toxin (like lead or arsenic) above Prop 65 limits, the brand is required to publish a cancer warning on its physical product label.

However, it’s important to make a few distinctions to contextualize this information.

     1) Nearly every plant grown outdoors contains trace levels of heavy metals due to environmental pollution

We haven’t come across any clinical evidence that psyllium husk is uniquely susceptible to high heavy metal levels. Everything from rice to fruit can contain heavy metals due to absorption from the soil.

What matters is the actual level of the heavy metal, and unfortunately most food product manufacturers fail to publicly share this information.

     2) We haven’t seen any evidence in research studies that psyllium husk directly causes cancer

Psyllium is a popular type of food that has been studied in many clinical trials. An animal study published in the Nutrition and Cancer journal found that psyllium supplementation actually reduced colon cancer rates.

A 1996 clinical trial found that fiber supplementation generally may decrease breast cancer rates.

Overall, psyllium seems likely to reduce cancer rather than to cause cancer, because the beneficial effects of the compound are likely to outweigh any negative effects from heavy metal contamination. 

However, it’s still important to reduce heavy metal consumption as much as possible. So which psyllium brands were the most and least contaminated based on third-party testing? We’ll review in the next section.

Which Psyllium Brands are Cleanest?

ConsumerLab is an independent, third-party company that tests supplements off-the-shelf (which means they don’t accept samples from brands which can increase bias). 

ConsumerLab reports on not only the label accuracy (does this supplement actually contain what its label claims?) but also the contaminant levels of popular supplements, and they published an entire review of psyllium fiber supplements.

Yerba Prima Psyllium Whole Husks contained the least lead per 5 grams (g) whole psyllium product, at only 0.4 micrograms (mcg) of lead.

Interested consumers can check out Yerba Prima Psyllium Whole Husks at this link to the brand’s official Amazon listing.

NOW Psyllium Husk Caps contained the least lead per 5 grams (g) capsule psyllium product, at 1.3 mcg.

Interested consumers can check out NOW Psyllium Husk Caps at this link to the brand’s official Amazon listing.

The product with the most lead (by far) based on ConsumerLab testing was Kate Naturals Organic Psyllium Husk Powder, which contained 11 mcg per 5 g product serving, or 27.5 times the amount in Yerba Prima.

But are there risks to using psyllium powder that don’t exist for other types of fiber powder? We’ll review in the next section.

Can You Overdose on Psyllium?

A popular YouTube creator named “Chubbyemu,” who’s a doctor, has a video documenting what can happen if you take far too much psyllium husk fiber in one sitting. It’s an interesting and engaging video (even though it’s not a real risk for most users) and has over 6 million views:

Does Psyllium Have Proven Health Benefits?

As stated throughout this article, psyllium has been studied in hundreds if not thousands of clinical trials, and has some well-documented health benefits.

Weight loss was reported in overweight patients supplementing with 10 g of psyllium daily, according to a clinical trial published in the Complementary Therapies in Medicine journal.

After 12 weeks of psyllium husk supplementation, participants lost an average of 4.41 pounds.

Constipation relief is another clinically shown benefit of psyllium, and whole psyllium husk is a much natural and healthier option than commercial laxatives in our opinion, which often contain a number of questionable additive ingredients like artificial sweeteners.

Improved gut health is another research-backed benefit of psyllium supplementation, as we documented in our analysis of Colon Broom ingredients. The effective daily dose for gut health support was reported as 21 g in the meta-review we cited.

Clearly psyllium husk has a number of health benefits, as does fiber supplementation generally (either from whole foods or supplements).

Americans fail to consume nearly enough fiber for optimal health, according to a 2017 medical review, and this can have effects on everything from blood sugar levels to weight to proper bowel function.

We urge consumers to be wary of any websites claiming that psyllium husk is dangerous or causes cancer, because the overwhelming clinical evidence suggests to us that it has more benefits than downsides.

Can Food Supplements Support Gut Health?

There are food-based supplements with ingredients clinically shown to support gut health.

The fiber supplement we recommend is Supergut Fiber Mix. This supplement provides 8 grams (g) of fiber per serving and contains no questionable additive ingredients. The only ingredients are a blend of fiber powders including green banana powder resistant starch and resistant potato starch.

medical review published in the Advances in Nutrition journal concluded that resistant starch intake was associated with improved gut health, weight loss in overweight and obese individuals, and improved insulin resistance.

Interested consumers can check out Supergut Fiber Mix at this link to the product page on the brand's official website.

Express 3-in-1 Probiotic by Bulletproof is our top probiotic supplement pick. It's entirely free of questionable additives, and probiotic supplementation is clinically shown to not only support gut health but potentially reverse damage to the gut.

Interested consumers can check out Bulletproof Express 3-in-1 Probiotic at this link to the product page on the brand's official website.

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Conclusion

Psyllium husk may contain a cancer warning based on a California ruling, but this type of warning is not unique to psyllium husk. Any food or supplement containing contaminants like lead may have this warning on their label, and we haven’t come across any clinical evidence that psyllium is higher in environmental contaminants like heavy metals than any other food product or supplement.

Based on our review of clinical studies, the health benefits of psyllium husk supplementation (like reduced body weight in overweight individuals and gut and colon health support) seem to vastly outweigh any potential downsides.

ConsumerLab tested psyllium supplements and found that a brand called Yerba Prima contained the lowest levels of lead. We linked to the Yerba Prima Amazon listing in this article.

NOW Foods contained the lowest levels of lead for a capsule formulation.

We hope that in the future, legislation on cancer warnings is based on actual test results for contaminants, rather than potential for contamination based on product category, because this would be much more useful (and less confusing) to consumers.



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