Dietary Fiber and Coronary Heart Disease
Robert E.C. Wildman, Richard S. Bruno in Handbook of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, 2019
Other types of soluble fibers have been extensively studied for their ability to lower serum cholesterol amounts. Psyllium has received attention over the years as a soluble fiber that can reduce cholesterol levels. Psyllium is a plant whose stalks contain tiny seeds, also called psyllium, covered by husks, which is the source of the fiber. There is a great deal of soluble fiber in psyllium; in fact, 71% of the weight of psyllium is derived from soluble fiber. In contrast, only 5% of oat bran by weight is made of soluble fiber; in other words, the soluble fiber in 1 tablespoon of psyllium is equal to 14 tablespoons of oat bran. The active fraction of psyllium seed husks that is thought to be responsible for the cholesterol-lowering effects is a highly branched arabinoxylan that is composed of a xylose backbone with arabinose and xylose containing side chains.27 Interestingly, arabinoxylan from psyllium is not fermented by colonic bacteria, apparently due to an as yet to be identified structural feature of the molecule.
Plantago ovata (Isabgol) and Rauvolfia serpentina (Indian Snakeroot)
Azamal Husen in Herbs, Shrubs, and Trees of Potential Medicinal Benefits, 2022
The husk is separated from seeds through mechanical milling. The husk is odorless, tasteless, white to light pink in color, and has a translucent membranous covering which constitutes 30% of seed weight (Franco et al., 2020). The husk is known for absorbing moisture and forming a mucilaginous substance used in the formulation of various drugs. Both the seeds and husk have medicinal and commercial importance. Psyllium is used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, paper- and ink-making, and water-proofing of military explosives (Tewari et al., 2014; Franco et al., 2020). Psyllium has also been incorporated into the food industry, as it was found to be a cheap replacement for agar as a gelling agent in a tissue culture media. It is reported to be a source of fiber, medicinally active, and a completely natural gel-forming polysaccharide. It has high water-holding capacity (up to 80 times its weight) thus having a laxative effect (Dhar et al., 2005; Franco et al., 2020). Psyllium lately has been investigated for various health benefits. Psyllium treats various gastrointestinal problems, obesity, and diabetes. It is used for cancer prevention and also shows prebiotic effects (Franco et al., 2020).
High Consumption of Whole Grains
John J.B. Anderson, Marilyn C. Sparling in The Mediterranean Way of Eating, 2014
Oats, including oat flour, oatmeal, and oat bran, contain the highest proportion of soluble fiber of all the cereal grains. Significant amounts of soluble fiber are also present in barley and in the seeds of the psyllium plant. Whole wheat products, along with wheat germ and corn bran, are high in insoluble fiber. Both soluble and insoluble fibers provide many health benefits and may play a role, directly or indirectly, in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), and other chronic diseases, as well as in weight management.
COVID-19: quarantine, isolation, and lifestyle diseases
Published in Archives of Physiology and Biochemistry, 2023
Heena Rehman, Md Iftekhar Ahmad
For the management of cardiovascular diseases, diet plays a significant role. Current guidelines suggest reducing the intake of saturated fat to less than 7% of total calories taken in a day (Eckel et al. 2014). On an average, an American consumes more than 11% of saturated fat of the total energy intake and this has increased during quarantine (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service 2016). The main source of saturated fat is not just butter; it also includes desserts, poultry dishes, meat, hamburgers, and cheese. Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats is suggested for people suffering from cardiovascular diseases. Including fish, fruits, vegetables, whole grains are also recommended. Dietary supplements containing psyllium seed husks help in lowering levels of cholesterol. Consumption of food products containing stanols or plant sterols plays a significant role in lowering hyperlipidaemia. Consumption of alcohol should be limited to one drink for women and two drinks for men. A low sodium diet is recommended to reduce the blood pressure.
Assessment of pharmacy students’ knowledge, attitude, and practice toward herbal dietary supplements
Published in Journal of American College Health, 2022
Sarah A. Nakhal, Souraya A. Domiati, Mohamed E. K. Amin, Abdalla M. El-Lakany
Fish oil or Omega-3 is one of the most commonly consumed dietary supplements that provides many health benefits, including protection against a number of diseases such as cardiovascular, eye, and mental diseases, aids in weight loss, and reduce inflammation. Another consumed dietary supplement is fiber or psyllium used as a bulk-forming laxative. Furthermore, cranberry used for treating or preventing urinary tract infection (UTI), improving heart health, fighting age-related damage, and supporting the digestive system. Glucosamine and chondroitin are used for the treatment of osteoarthritis, despite the proof that they are no more effective than placebo in delaying the progression of cartilage loss in patients with moderate-to-severe knee osteoarthritis.14 Indeed, in the current study, these 5 herbal products were most frequently used by pharmacy students. This can be correlated by the fact that students refer mostly to the Internet (56%) as a source of information due to easy accessibility. In fact, according to the finding of Alhomoud et al.,6 the Internet carries a vast range of information, resources, and services. Textbooks accounted for the lowest percentage, although they are the most trusted source of information.
Development and characterization of a tissue mimicking psyllium husk gelatin phantom for ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging
Published in International Journal of Hyperthermia, 2020
Lorne W. Hofstetter, Lewis Fausett, Alexander Mueller, Henrik Odéen, Allison Payne, Douglas A. Christensen, Dennis L. Parker
In this work, we present and characterize a simple cost-effective ballistic gelatin phantom that can be used for both US and MR imaging. Psyllium husk was chosen as the scattering agent because it did not induce significant susceptibility artifacts in MR magnitude and phase images. US and MR properties were measured to evaluate the effect of the added psyllium husk. Elastic properties as a function of phantom temperature and age were also evaluated. We demonstrate that high-resolution MR imaging and advanced US imaging techniques such as US shear-wave speed imaging can be performed on this gelatin/psyllium husk phantom. This dual-use phantom enables the direct comparison of MR and US imaging techniques. The ability to compare imaging modalities in a HIFU phantom could prove useful in the development and validation of US-only HIFU-guided therapies as well as the development and comparison of US and MR elastography approaches for guiding HIFU therapies.
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