PlainPill

Digestive Enzymes vs Psyllium Husk for digestion

Short answer: For digestion, users rate them about the same: 90% report improvement with Digestive Enzymes (21 reports) and 89% with Psyllium Husk (84 reports).

Digestive Enzymes has 18 meta-analyses and 31 randomized trials on PubMed; Psyllium Husk has 49 and 145.

Based on 62 reports about Digestive Enzymes and 147 about Psyllium Husk. Not medical advice.

Digestive Enzymes
Supplement
Psyllium Husk
Supplement
Users say it helped72%helped27 reports · medium confidence78%helped87 reports · medium confidence
Verdict
Mostly positive
Mostly positive
ResearchAResearch: StrongAResearch: Strong
Meta-analyses / RCTs18 / 3149 / 145
Mainly used for
Digestion
% reporting improvement
90% (21)89% (84)
Heart & lipids
% reporting improvement
—100% (13)
Appetite
% reporting improvement
—100% (9)
Common side effectsstomach issuesstomach issues, dizziness, gagging/nausea from, blockage risk
Typical dose reported1 capsule / 3x daily5 g
Digestive Enzymes
Latest review conclusion

In this systematic review we present information relating to the effectiveness and safety of the following interventions: applied behavioural analysis; auditory integration training; Autism Preschool Programme; casein-free diet; chelation; Child's Talk programme; cognitive behavioural therapy; digestive enzymes; EarlyBird programme; facilitated communication; Floortime therapy; gluten-free diet; immunoglobulins; melatonin; memantine; methylphenidate; More Than Words programme; music therapy; olanzapine; omega-3 fish oil; picture exchange communication system; Portage scheme; probiotics; relati

BMJ Clin Evid, 2010 ↗
What a user said
“Digestive enzymes before every meal. I take NOW FOODS Super Enzymes. ... Noticed I was calm af. Stopped taking them. Anxiety came back in about three days.”
Full Digestive Enzymes profile →
Psyllium Husk
Latest review conclusion

Several foods distinctly modify LDL cholesterol levels. The results may aid future guidelines and dietary advice for hypercholesterolemia.

Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis, 2021 ↗
What a user said
“It helped me heal my intestinal issues. I felt amazing after about a week and my mental clarity and energy skyrocketed.”
Full Psyllium Husk profile →

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Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate