Gut & microbiome
Viscous types bind bile acids and lower LDL-C; fermentable types feed the bacteria.
Not yet investigated
Viscous types bind bile acids and lower LDL-C; fermentable types feed the bacteria.
This star is on the map because the show intends to take the question apart properly — the trials, how it is actually tested, whether the thing sold is the thing studied. That work is not done yet, and nothing here should be read as a conclusion. When the investigation is published it will appear on this page.
What we are reading
Gathered for the investigation and not yet written up. Each note says what the paper does and does not show.
READ THE AFFILIATION FIRST. The lead author is at The Procter & Gamble Co., which sells psyllium as Metamucil, and this is a meta-analysis of six studies totalling 354 people concluding their product works. That does not make the result false — the mechanism is real and specific: psyllium is soluble but NOT fermented, so it forms a viscous gel that slows nutrient absorption rather than feeding bacteria, which is the opposite of how most fibre is sold. It does mean the effect sizes (-2.1 kg, -0.8 BMI) need an independent replication before this show quotes them. A useful teaching case: industry authorship is a reason to check, not a reason to dismiss.
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The full citation list for each investigation, the studies that didn't make the episode, and any corrections — sent the morning it publishes.
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