Cholesterol, High Cholesterol

Psyllium fiber treatment and the lipid profile:

Psyllium, a dietary fiber, produced a modest but significant improvement in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels in persons on either low-fat or high-fat diets. Sprecher and collegeaus reported that after 8 weeks of treatment (5.1 g of psyllium twice daily)  total and LDL-cholesterol concentrations were lower by 5.8% and 7.2%, respectively, in individuals on high-fat diets and 4.2% and 6.4%, respectively, in individuals on low-fat diets. Additionally, 39% of the psyllium recipients improved in LDL cholesterol classification (based on the National Cholesterol Education Program classification system) compared with 20.3% of those on placebo. (131)