Psyllium husk
Hacker ApprovedRanked 5 of 10 dietary supplements by recommenders
A simple, cheap fiber supplement people use for hard stools and digestion. The main caveat is that it tastes and feels unpleasant.
A simple, cheap fiber supplement people use for hard stools and digestion. The main caveat is that it tastes and feels unpleasant.
14 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 13
- criticize it
- 1
- approval share
- 93%
Recommended in 10 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it carries the badge
- 13 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 13 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 10 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Simple, sugar-free, easy to take
“no sugar, just 2 ingredients: psyllium husk, gelatin. Swallow w/ water, taste is not a factor.”
Comment from 5 Nov 2025 in “Fiber reduces overall mortality by 23%” “Fiber is stupidly easy to supplement, something that’s not talked about enough.”
Comment from 7 Jan 2026 in “Eat Real Food – Introducing the New Pyramid” “it was just plain and not sugary”
Comment from 5 Nov 2025 in “Fiber reduces overall mortality by 23%” - Comment from 5 Nov 2025 in “Fiber reduces overall mortality by 23%”
Praised as the best fiber
“Psyllium husk is a great blend of both, but it's not very palatable”
Comment from 11 Oct 2026 in “How Protein Took over the World” “Psylium husk seems to be the best fiber”
Comment from 16 Aug 2026 in “Abdominal Fat Predicts Heart Disease Risk Better Than BMI” “daily psyllium husk is a miracle”
Comment from 30 Dec 2025 in “Google is dead. Where do we go now?” Helps with hard stools
“I already take psyllium husk to mitigate problems with hard stools but I dislike the taste and consistency.”
Comment from 27 Feb 2026 in “Men in their 50s may be aging faster due to toxic 'forever chemicals'” “Gel-forming psyllium is good for both softening hard stools and firming up loose stools.”
Comment from 5 Nov 2025 in “Fiber reduces overall mortality by 23%”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Unpleasant taste and texture
“I already take psyllium husk to mitigate problems with hard stools but I dislike the taste and consistency.”
Comment from 27 Feb 2026 in “Men in their 50s may be aging faster due to toxic 'forever chemicals'” “Psyllium husk by itself (power, not capsules) is utterly disgusting by the way. Tastes like dirt.”
Comment from 5 Nov 2025 in “Fiber reduces overall mortality by 23%” “Psyllium husk is a great blend of both, but it's not very palatable”
Comment from 11 Oct 2026 in “How Protein Took over the World” Hard to time around medications
“Psyllium is a convenient source of it, although it's been difficult for me to time it right to avoid meds”
Comment from 27 Feb 2026 in “Men in their 50s may be aging faster due to toxic 'forever chemicals'”
Other dietary supplements people recommend
The four most recommended other dietary supplements, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creatine monohydrate | 104 | 51 | 67% | 8 | 1 yr21 owners | Approved |
| Melatonin | 43 | 24 | 64% | 8 | — | — |
| Magnesium glycinate | 31 | 7 | 82% | 8 | — | Approved |
| N-acetylcysteine (NAC) supplement | 17 | 5 | 77% | 5 | — | Approved |
| Psyllium huskThis page | 13 | 1 | 93% | 10 | — | Approved |
What people said
18 of the 19 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“Psyllium husk is a great blend of both, but it's not very palatable”
“Psylium husk seems to be the best fiber”
“which is cheap and effective and has been utilized as a digestive aid in Chinese traditional medicine for centuries”
“I got my fasting glucose into the 80s by relying on psyllium husk and acacia fibers.”
“Psyllium will make it easier.”
“Try adding a bit of psyllium seed.”
“this stuff works wonders in that regard”
“I already take psyllium husk to mitigate problems with hard stools but I dislike the taste and consistency.”
“Psyllium is a convenient source of it, although it's been difficult for me to time it right to avoid meds”
“Consuming fiber daily, e.g. psyllium husk, is another way to lower some types of PFAS from the body”
“the lead levels in psyllium husks are too high for me to consume them daily”
“Fiber is stupidly easy to supplement, something that’s not talked about enough.”
“daily psyllium husk is a miracle”
“Gel-forming psyllium is good for both softening hard stools and firming up loose stools.”
“it was just plain and not sugary”
“it's just as easy to drink”
“Psyllium husk by itself (power, not capsules) is utterly disgusting by the way. Tastes like dirt.”
“no sugar, just 2 ingredients: psyllium husk, gelatin. Swallow w/ water, taste is not a factor.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.