# Psyllium husk

13 Hacker News commenters recommended Psyllium husk and 1 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 10 of 13 months. It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** A simple, cheap fiber supplement people use for hard stools and digestion. The main caveat is that it tastes and feels unpleasant.

## Why people recommend it

- Simple, sugar-free, easy to take (4 comments): "no sugar, just 2 ingredients: psyllium husk, gelatin. Swallow w/ water, taste is not a factor." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45827597)) "Fiber is stupidly easy to supplement, something that’s not talked about enough." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46532419)) "it was just plain and not sugary" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45827774))
- Praised as the best fiber (3 comments): "Psyllium husk is a great blend of both, but it's not very palatable" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50044854)) "Psylium husk seems to be the best fiber" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49322931)) "daily psyllium husk is a miracle" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46429183))
- Helps with hard stools (2 comments): "I already take psyllium husk to mitigate problems with hard stools but I dislike the taste and consistency." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47181054)) "Gel-forming psyllium is good for both softening hard stools and firming up loose stools." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45828322))

## What people warn about

- Unpleasant taste and texture (3 comments): "I already take psyllium husk to mitigate problems with hard stools but I dislike the taste and consistency." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47181054)) "Psyllium husk by itself (power, not capsules) is utterly disgusting by the way. Tastes like dirt." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45827729)) "Psyllium husk is a great blend of both, but it's not very palatable" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50044854))
- Hard to time around medications (1 comments): "Psyllium is a convenient source of it, although it's been difficult for me to time it right to avoid meds" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47179221))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Creatine monohydrate](https://hackerapproved.com/p/creatine.md): 104 recommend
- [Melatonin](https://hackerapproved.com/p/melatonin.md): 43 recommend
- [Magnesium glycinate](https://hackerapproved.com/p/magnesium-glycinate.md): 31 recommend
- [N-acetylcysteine (NAC) supplement](https://hackerapproved.com/p/n-acetylcysteine.md): 17 recommend
- [Magnesium L-threonate](https://hackerapproved.com/p/magnesium-l-threonate.md): 9 recommend

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Psyllium husk", https://hackerapproved.com/p/psyllium-husk/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).