Weight loss solutions like Ozempic or Mounjaro have become incredibly popular over the past few years, yet a completely natural solution known as psyllium husk has emerged as a promising alternative, albeit with some serious warnings from medical experts.
When they work as intended the results of GLP-1 inhibitors are hard to deny, as they can help you shed the pounds in a shockingly short period of time by artificially restricting your appetite and digestive functions.
Simulations show this (admittedly gross) process in action, and while there are a number of side effects like bad breath, dental issues, and even absurd cases of penis enlargement, it has proven to be a life-saver for many.
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However, drugs like Ozempic can be both expensive and difficult to get a hold of, leading some to look for alternative options. Psyllium husk - the outer covering of Plantago ovata seeds - is seen as one of the best, yet you might want to think twice before diving right into the plant based solution.
How does psyllium husk work?
From a purely weight loss perspective, psyllium husk slows the rate of glucose in your blood stream which helps manage your blood sugar levels. This directly affects your appetite, and can lead you to feel like you need to eat less in a similar way to Ozempic.
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As reported by The Guardian, dietician Julia Zumpano of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Human Nutrition has outlined that psyllium husk has benefits that include "slowing down digestion and increasing satiety, which are both benefits of weight loss drugs," although to a lesser extent than GLP-1 inhibitors.
Psyllium husk additionally lowers the amount of cholesterol in your body - including LDL or 'bad' cholesterol - by binding with the bile inside your gut, which is often helpful as obesity is strongly linked with high cholesterol.
It is also an effective laxative by softening stools and helping digestive flow, which helps combat issues with constipation and diarrhea.
What are the risks of psyllium husk?
While that might all sound great - and it can be in a lot of cases - it does require you to be incredibly careful when taking the natural supplement as it can cause major issues that could even result in death.
As explained by doctor Heme Review on YouTube, it is essential that you always make sure that you have mixed psyllium husk with enough water before you take it, as otherwise it forms into a thick and difficult to break down clump that can easily get stuck inside your body, causing potentially dangerous internal complications.
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Many people risk falling into this trap by increasing the supplement amounts in attempt to make it 'more effective', but even if it looks thin enough to consume when you're drinking it, you still run the risk of it solidifying while inside your body.
Adding water after its solidified only exacerbates the issue too, causing it to expand without breaking it down, so it's essential that you get the volume and balance right when you're first mixing it, otherwise you run the risk of a potentially life-threatening bowel obstruction.
Moreover, as a plant there's also the risk of an extremely dangerous allergic reaction to psyllium itself, which can cause anaphylaxis in the rare cases where a reaction is triggered in the body - and there's no real way for you to know beforehand without consulting a doctor.