Psyllium husks have been an important part of traditional Indian culture for over 2,000 years and have been used in Europe since ancient times. They are the shells of the seeds of the plantain species Plantago indica/ovata. These small seeds spring up when the fruits of the plant are ripe, resembling fleas; this is what gives the plant its name ("psulla" is Greek for flea).
It is mostly the husks of psyllium seeds that contain the valuable, mucous-forming fibre (mucilage). This fibre swells up when in contact with liquid, forming a gel-like substance. The gentle milling produces very fine psyllium husk powder. It has a much larger surface area and thus a significantly greater swelling index than whole husks. The swelling value of our high-quality organic psyllium husk powder is 80+, while whole husks having a swelling value of less than 40.
