Dr. Trisha Pasricha

You know what?

I totally agree.

There's something about the word prune.

Like I think it's because we think about like our skin getting wrinkly and pruney in the water.

Like that word is not very evocative of joy and pouforia.

But dried plums sounds delightful.

Like who wouldn't want that in the summer?

Yeah.

Yes.

So psyllium husk is great.

So what's interesting about psyllium husk is that not all fiber and fiber supplements are created equal.

So psyllium husk, it comes from this thing called the Plantago ovata plant, and it is a soluble fiber.

Soluble fiber is notable because it dissolves in water and it forms a gel.

And that gel is the key to why psyllium husk is so special.

When you are constipated, it softens up that hard stool through the gel and it makes it softer and easier to pass.

But then interestingly, it can also bind loose stool together.

So studies have also found that psyllium husk is great if you have diarrhea.

And it's particularly helpful for people, this is often the case in irritable bowel syndrome, who have poop that...

A couple of days in a row might be constipation.

The next day, suddenly it's diarrhea and they flop back and forth.