PSYLLIUM

Psyllium is known to most horse folk who've come across it as an antidote to sand accumulation in the gut. Plenty of people think this means it somehow scours out the digestive tract and therefore must be abrasive or unsuitable for a sensitive gut. Quite the opposite! Psyllium is a soluble fibre that absorbs a significant quantity of water to form a mucilage. its action on sand is more like a big soppy sponge, enveloping the sand particles and moving them softly and safely out of the intestine. As you'd imagine, this also makes it very useful for soothing troubled tums! The mucilage coats the gut wall, protecting and allowing healing as it goes. Human studies have found that it has a positive role to play in IBS management.