Psyllium Husk (Isabgol) for Weight Management

Research suggests that psyllium husk may support weight management in overweight and obese individuals, with two 2023 meta-analyses pooling data from multiple randomized controlled trials finding statistically significant reductions in body weight, BMI, and waist circumference compared to control groups. Studies also consistently indicate that psyllium increases feelings of fullness and reduces hunger between meals, which reviewers propose may contribute to reduced caloric intake over time through the fiber's gel-forming properties in the gut. However, the evidence is not uniformly positive — two separate 2020 meta-analyses, one focused on general populations and one on diabetic patients, found no significant effect on body weight or BMI, and earlier reviews from 2004 concluded that evidence for psyllium's efficacy in weight loss specifically was insufficient or conflicting. Most studies involve relatively small participant pools, short durations, and varied dosing protocols, and some broader reviews evaluating psyllium alongside other weight-loss supplements have characterized the overall evidence base as weak, meaning readers should weigh the more recent supportive findings against a longer history of mixed and inconclusive results.