Is psyllium fiber high in oxalate?

This week, Jill answers a listener question about psyllium fiber, oxalate, and if it’s safe for kidney stone formers.

Jeff Sarris
Welcome back to the Kidney Stone Diet podcast the show about reducing your kidney stone risk and living your best life. I’m your host and fellow student Jeff Sarris.

Jill Harris
And I’m Jill Harris, your kidney stone prevention nurse.It’s happy hour here at Kidney Stone Diet. There’s just water in my cup.

Jeff Sarris
Mine is coffee.

Jill Harris
Because you’re younger than me, and you can drink coffee this late. I have to stop drinking coffee by noon. I’ll tell you that, then that’s pushing it is that otherwise I’m up all night. And yeah, coffee is safe for kidney stones, folks.

Jeff Sarris
Nice. Yeah. And I definitely drink it a little too late. So I ended up staying up way later than I should. But yeah, that is. That’s just my, my routine as as of now. But but you know, when this airs, actually, we will be either in Arizona, me and Amara or San Diego because we’re going to a wedding. And then we’re doing an event with people shooting with real estate agents like shooting video and stuff. But going west, I get much more on a normal person schedule, which is always a benefit of heading that direction.

Jill Harris
Yeah, I get that because they’re earlier right.

Jeff Sarris
Yeah, so right now it would only be what 11am? There ish. Yeah. I don’t know what time it is. But yeah, yeah. So yeah. But anyway, enough of that. Should we dive right into another listener question this week?

Jill Harris
Yeah, let’s do it.

Listener Voicemail
Hi, my name is Teresa. And, um, my question is how much oxalate is in psyllium fiber, Psy ll iulm, psyllium. Fiber. I have a certain medical condition where I really needing to eat a lot of beans or lentils, and I can’t do that. So could substitute psyllium fiber and then I was wondering, has anyone ever checked that? So anyway, the soluble fiber is really important for, like I said, a chelation process in my body. So I appreciate very much your help. And I really appreciate your show, too. I’ve learned a lot. Thank you both.

Jill Harris
You know what I love about our community? They’re kind people. I mean that like on our Facebook group, it is so kind, of course like foster that because if you’re not crying, you’re gone. Yeah. But but they’re just there’s just kind people. And Theresa, so your question. psyllium husk psyllium. Husk is getting more and more play in the news, as as she said, as a soluble fiber. Now, Theresa, where we’re sisters, I’ll tell you why. I too, can’t handle beans. And so because of my you know, no rectum half a colon, so I’ve gotten a lot of bowel issues.

Jeff Sarris
And so anyone who doesn’t know that’s from your cancer,

Jill Harris
That’s from my cancer. Thank you. And so I have, I can’t use beans. That’s not pretty thin is not happy if I try. And you know, again, beans tend to be high oxalate, that doesn’t mean you can’t have beans. You just can’t have five cups. No more like vegan people did to get their protein. Okay. But psyllium husk you’ll see things on the internet, low oxalate hasn’t been studied by big wigs, PubMed, and I, ah, you know, things like that. No, it is the husk of this seed of this plant. It’s the husk. And it it is it’s a soluble fiber that can absorb water from your colon and it forms like a gel like substance and it helps poop move along, it bulks it up and helps it move along. So for somebody like Teresa who can eat get she’s maybe missing a lot of fiber because she can’t eat beans. It can be helpful for her. I’m using it that way. Because the colon is what makes you know, absorbs water. Okay, so your poop becomes formed and leaves Well I only have half a colon so I’m always trying to bulk up my stool. Too much information Jill too bad so sad folks. Gotta call it like it is.

So to say all of that. I’m saying that because I Use psyllium I use psyllium. Now, so it is a nice form of soluble fiber. I use it it helps me one teaspoon I use. So and it’s getting more play in the news. Here’s what’s going to happen because psyllium is getting more play in the news. Kathleen, I heard that psyllium is good for us. I was reading it in Reader’s Digest. I’m wondering honey, you should we get some? Sure let’s get some. And Hank gets the psyllium puts it in a smoothie, five tablespoons because more is always better. And then Hank can’t get off the toilet for the next four days, people when you’re taking a fiber supplement, start slowly so your family members can continue living with you. Not only that, but your stomach will cramp you’ll feel bloated you’ll have very a lot of gas Believe me, I’m somebody who has tampered with a lot of fiber supplements because my I have anatomy problems due to my cancer and a lot of eating issues. So we you always start little, little. The psyllium husk I believe is also it’s in Metamucil. But Metamucil has a lot of cockadoodle extra stuff in there.

You can make your own Metamucil look it up google it, I make my own Metamucil. I just don’t have the I put a little stevia in there. So it’s sweet. Whatever, whatever. Anyway, Theresa, from all little things I’ve read, it’s low and oxalate. But again, the portions not that much. If it’s helping you continue doing it. I’m not worried about it. But again, I’m using it in a teaspoon in my smoothie. That’s what I’m using it as. And it’s been very helpful for me, what’s helpful for me, and what’s helpful for Theresa May not be helpful for you. Please know that there is no one size fits all in the diet world. Don’t let anybody tell you that there is you may have colitis, you may have Crohn’s, you may have nail absorption issues, and psyllium ain’t gonna work for you. It works for me, it works for Theresa, I know that sometimes you have to play with different cycle fibers to find the right one that’s going to work for you. Some people do well off Metamucil, some people are better with other forms, you got to see what’s good for you. And that’s why I always say start low, low and slow with the amounts you use in anything, folks, it’s very important, especially if you’re suffering from bowel issues. So constipation, all that always start lower in dose.

So to answer your question I’ve seen on the internet not reputable sources that it’s lower. I’m because it’s such a small amount, not going to worry about it. Also, in my smoothie. I’m always using a calcium base, whether it’s my silk nondairy coconut milk, or lactose free fairlife milk, so I always have calcium with that. So to make sure because Harvard didn’t study it. These are just people saying I don’t think it has high oxalate so I don’t know for sure. So we’ve got to pay attention to that. I am not stopping taking it every day. It helps me immensely. So Teresa, just make sure that you’re taking with maybe you’re taking into a smoothie to like me have it in a calcium containing smoothie and be on your way. I’m not too worried about it. But heed my warning folks, I already have had patients that are saying I heard psyllium husk is great. I’m taking lots of it. And I’ve been very uncomfortable. Please be careful. That’s it. That’s what I know that psyllium help.

Jeff Sarris
Absolutely. And the calcium sources. I know a lot of people they question like, oh, I can’t have dairy. I can’t have lactose or all these things. We have videos on that you can find on this channel on in the podcast feed wherever you’re listening or watching right now, all about different dairy non dairy options as well to get your calcium.

Jill Harris
And Jeff here’s what I’m also going to say Theresa said she’s using it because she has something. I’m using it because I have something if you guys have normal bowel patterns that you don’t need psyllium Theresa and I can’t have beans we have to take there’s a lot of vegetables. I can’t have broccoli. I can’t have cauliflower cruciferous, whatever. you know?

Jeff Sarris
Yeah,

Jill Harris
Those vegetables do a number on me because of my anatomy. So there’s so I have to get extra fiber. That’s why I’m taking it otherwise, folks, if you don’t need fiber, and you get plenty what’s plenty 25 to 35 grams a day. If you get plenty Okay, you don’t need no psyllium husk. Okay, so don’t be taking it thinking it’s gonna make super poops. It’s not we’re using it because we have medical issues. So we have to, and we can’t use normal food to make to make the difference. Okay, so don’t everybody be running out to get some psyllium husk please? Okay, now I’m done.

Jeff Sarris
Perfect. And I I do like the easing in as well, because I’ve talked to people with probiotics who’ve done the same thing where it’s like, more is better. And then they they are very, under a lot of distress, because it’s not something that our body isn’t geared for anything just as a huge influx.

Jill Harris
The other thing about probiotics, Jeff, there’s 72 million types of probiotics. We don’t know what the hell we’re supposed to get. I mean, we’re just going in there and going, Oh, the cheapest one or, or the most expensive, that must be better. There’s certain strands, that’s all whole thing to research for gut microbiome, all that stuff. This is so brand new people. Some people are saying now it’s not probiotics, prebiotics, it’s so that is so new, in the in the nutrition world, digestive world, that there’s so much research that still needs to be done. I’m not saying don’t do any of it. I’m just saying note that things get in the media. But lots of times, it’s so new, there’s not enough research, okay. And where we like I said, even me, I looked at the probiotics or prayer I’m doing that takes a whole PhD to figure it out. So you know.

Jeff Sarris
Yeah. Well, yeah. Thank you so much for your question. That was great. For a lot of people. Teresa, thank you so much. And for everyone out there with a question. 773-789-8763 is our voicemail number, you can leave a message or if you are outside of the states, you can send a voice memo, you just grab your phone, open the Voice Memo app, record it and email it to podcast at kidney stone diet.com. And we can feature you in that way. Yeah, we appreciate everyone for tuning in everyone who’s subscribed to the YouTube channel, it really helps us reach more people because that’s the whole point of doing this show. And if you’re on the podcast feed as well, we appreciate that. But of course, there’s the network effect of sorts. So if you are on Youtube, or even if you’re not nice, subscribe. Every little bit helps helps us in the algorithm and reaching more people. We can find everything you need at kidney stone diet.com, the Facebook group, the weekly free email newsletter, that course that group calls, the meal plans, just everything that you can need and more at kidney stone diet.com. So I think we’re that we will wrap for this week, and we will see you next time.

Jill Harris
Thanks, Teresa, I loved your question.