Metamucil is a great product with tremendous health benefits. From lowering cholesterol to controlling blood sugar levels, Metamucil is so much more than just a bowel movement aid supplement. But the one area Metamucil is not good at is weight loss.
Due to the many benefits that Metamucil brings, the natural inclination would be to think that it would also be good as a weight loss supplement. It certainly couldn’t be worse than some of the pills and fads out there. But to understand if Metamucil would work as a weight loss supplement, one must first see what its primary intent is.
The total dietary fiber intake recommended by the FDA is about 25 grams daily. cup of broccoli has about 2.5 grams. A medium banana has just over 3 grams. A cup of split pea soup has about 16 grams. Lentils are also rich in fiber. But honestly, for the “average” overweight American, getting enough fiber is a chore.
And why is fiber important? In a word (or two), it’s all about digestive health. Fiber moves things. When waste builds up in your digestive infrastructure, nothing good can come of it. It could increase your risk of colon cancer and certainly leave you constipated. Fiber goes a long way toward keeping your digestive tract clean.
Feed good bacteria to your gut. fiber also slows digestion. Which is particularly important when it comes to the subject of sugar. By slowing the absorption of sugar, fiber can help achieve and maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
So how does Metamucil work? First, its fiber from psyllium husks. When digested, these psyllium husks will expand in your digestive tract and turn into a jelly-like “glob.” This causes your intestine to contract and start to push out this droplet. Metamucil began life as a laxative, to stimulate bowel movements and reduce symptoms of constipation and perhaps diarrhea.
Along the way, the FDA concluded that a healthy diet low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and high in fiber could reduce the risk of heart disease. Also, some tests showed that fiber has a positive effect on controlling blood sugar levels. It was and is good. Because Metamucil is fiber, Metamucil reaped the benefits of this good news.
But the step to losing weight is not as concrete as some would have you believe. The notion that Metamucil can be an effective weight loss supplement comes in two parts. First, taken before a meal, it will give one a feeling of satiety. After all, the psyllium husk will expand in your stomach. And this feeling of satiety translates into eating less. In that sense, Metamucil can be great for controlling appetite. And it goes without saying that you can’t start losing weight until you can’t control your appetite.
Second, Metamucil moves things. It hinders the absorption of sugars and eliminates waste. As a side note, Metamucil not only hinders the absorption of sugars, it can also block the absorption of various things such as medications and other supplements. Metamucil recommends taking medications 2 hours before or after drinking Metamucil or consulting your doctor.
This is important because the less is absorbed, the less fat goes to the belly. But Metamucil slows down absorption. It is not like Orlistat which decreases the amount of fat absorbed in the intestines. Fiber works in a general sense. In a way, Fiber is more about balance.
Really, Metamucil is a tool. To lose weight, the general principle is simple. It is to achieve a caloric deficit in a sustained way. To lose weight in a smart way, that is, in a healthy way, the goal is to eat healthy combined with aerobic exercise to strengthen the cardiovascular system and resistance training to maintain muscle mass.
Metamucil is a great tool to help control your appetite. Bridges the fiber gap when diet may be lacking. Promotes great digestive health. While taking Metamucil is clearly good for your health, Metamucil itself will not help you lose those pounds.