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Soluble Fiber If someone wants to take psyllium husks to help maintain regularity, they can be taken either between meals or with meals, whichever is most comfortable. If someone wants to take psyllium husks to help maintain healthy cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease, they will be more effective when taken with meals or just before meals. Psyllium husks will not interfere with the absorption of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients when taken as directed. Here is the reason why. First, let's review how psyllium husks work in the body. Psyllium husks swell when mixed with liquid and create added bulk that is beneficial for the digestive system. The added bulk has different effects in the small intestine and the colon. In the small intestine, when psyllium husks are taken with food, the added bulk results in the food moving more slowly through the small intestine. This gives more time for the digestive enzymes in the small intestine to pull nutrients out of the food, and for the nutrients to be absorbed into the bloodstream. As a result, there is not a problem of interference with nutrient absorption. In the colon, the added bulk from the psyllium husks results in the waste material moving more quickly. This is beneficial, as the body gets rid of its wastes and toxins more quickly when psyllium husks are taken. |