Psyllium

Psyllium is a plant whose husks are used as an herbal digestive tract cleanser to promote regular bowel function. It is often available in a coarse powder form, to which you add water or juice. This plant is a soluble fiber, which means it breaks down in water and turns into a gelatinous substance. As this substance passes through the digestive tract, it performs several important cleansing functions.

First, it gently scours the surfaces of the intestinal tract, freeing hardened obstructions of fecal matter stuck to the bowel lining. Getting rid of this matter immediately frees the surfaces of the bowel to allow nutrients to pass through into the bloodstream as they're supposed to. Unfortunately, for many people who have this compacted matter stuck to their intestines, proper nutrient absorption is severely compromised. This adversely affects nutrition, energy levels, and overall health.

More about Psyllium

One interesting thing that psyllium does is that, once it reaches the bowel, it becomes food for the beneficial bacteria that naturally live there. These bacteria help break down food particles into their smallest components so they can be absorbed through the intestinal wall and into the bloodstream. The effect is a bulking up of the stool, which creates greater urgency to move the bowel, thus promoting regularity.

In its travels through the digestive tract, the psyllium gel picks up a lot of undesirable substances along the way, including toxins that may have formed intestinal deposits, creating the potential for disease. All this junk becomes part of the stool that is passed out of the body. This type of cleanse can relieve a variety of maladies, including Irritable Bowel Syndrome, chronic constipation and its associated fatigue, bloating and flatulence, diverticular disease, even obesity and eating disorders.