[Plantago ovata] The husk of the psyllium seed is one of those plant remedies which demonstrates “the ingenuity of nature†(J.A. Duke, 2000) in providing a substance which is able to treat apparently contradictory ailments – diarrhoea and constipation – depending on what is needed.
Psyllium is high in fibre and mucilage and when combined with water it swells to many times its original size, becoming slimy and gelatinous. Diarrhoea is inhibited via the absorption of excess moisture and bulking up of faeces, and constipation is alleviated by the softening of stool and the promotion of bowel movement by the extra volume.
For horses, psyllium husk’s ability to pick up sand and move it through the gut is particularly valuable in the preventation and/or treatment of sand colic. Periodic addition of psyllium to the feed is practised in some sandy soil areas.
