Psyllium and metabolic syndrome risk factors in teenage boys
What it found
In 45 teenage boys, taking 6 g of psyllium daily for 6 weeks slightly improved body fat distribution and lowered LDL cholesterol, but did not change insulin sensitivity.
The boys were healthy but many were overweight or obese.
What they found
Studies in people
Body fat distribution
Psyllium led to a 4% reduction in the ratio of android fat to gynoid fat, which suggests less fat around the belly. This was measured using whole-body scans.
LDL cholesterol
Psyllium lowered LDL cholesterol by 0.12 mmol/l, a 6% drop. This was a small but measurable change.
Insulin sensitivity
There was no difference in insulin sensitivity between psyllium and placebo. The authors measured this using an oral glucose tolerance test.
Blood pressure
Blood pressure was similar with psyllium and placebo, except nighttime systolic blood pressure tended to be 3.1 mmHg lower with psyllium. The authors note this was not a statistically significant finding.
Side effects
No adverse events, including stomach or gut problems, were reported during the study.
What the authors conclude
“Dietary supplementation with 6 g/day of psyllium over 6 weeks improves fat distribution and lipid profile (parameters of the metabolic syndrome) in an at risk population of adolescent males.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that psyllium supplementation improves fat distribution and lipid profile in at risk adolescent males.
- They state that psyllium did not improve insulin sensitivity.
- They advise that further research is needed to find the best type, dose, and length of fibre supplementation.
How it was done
The authors wanted to test whether psyllium fibre alone, without other diet or exercise changes, could improve risk factors for type 2 diabetes and heart disease in adolescents at higher risk.
They recruited 47 healthy adolescent males aged 15 to 16 from schools in lower income areas. The boys took 6 g of psyllium or a placebo (potato starch) daily for 6 weeks, then switched to the other treatment after a 2 week break. 45 boys finished the study.
What it can’t tell you
- This study was in healthy adolescent males, so the results may not apply to girls, younger children, or adults.
- The study lasted only 6 weeks, so it cannot show what happens over a longer period.
- The study cannot show whether these small changes in risk factors would lead to fewer cases of diabetes or heart disease later in life.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- Competing Interests: Note that Douglas Pharmaceuticals have provided the capsulated psyllium and placebo for this study, but had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of this manuscript. Thus, this does not alter the authors’ adherence to all the PLoS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.
- Authors work at
- University of Auckland, New Zealand
The paper
- Title
- Psyllium supplementation in adolescents improves fat distribution & lipid profile: a randomized, participant-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover trial
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Licence
- CC BY. Words in quotation marks are the authors’; the rest is our summary.
- Cite
- de Bock M, Derraik JG, Brennan CM, et al (2012). Psyllium supplementation in adolescents improves fat distribution & lipid profile: a randomized, participant-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover trial. PloS one. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0041735Free full textPubMed 22848584DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error