Can Psyllium Influence Blood Glucose Level?

Psyllium is sometimes fed to horses in an attempt to clear sand from the digestive tract. Interested by studies in humans that showed supplementation with oral psyllium lowered blood sugar and insulin response after meals, researchers at Montana State University investigated whether a similar effect could be found in psyllium-supplemented horses.

The trial involved feeding grass hay and a commercial grain mix to 16 stock-type horses in two daily meals. The horses were put into four groups where one group served as a control and the other groups were given 90, 180, or 270 grams of psyllium per day. After 60 days, the supplemented horses, regardless of dosage, had lower blood glucose levels, both post-feeding and average, than control horses. They also had lower insulin levels than control horses, both post-feeding and average.

This finding could lead to feeding recommendations that might be beneficial to obese horses and those with metabolic syndrome, according to the researchers.