When You Take Metamucil Every Day, This Is What Happens To Your Body

Sluggish bowels can cause you to feel sluggish all over. That's when you might consider trying a fiber supplement. But is it a good idea to take products like Metamucil every day?

The short answer is that it's probably okay to take Metamucil daily to promote regular bowel movements. According to registered and licensed dietitian Katherine Zeratsky, taking in additional fiber can make sense, but she recommends getting as much fiber from food as possible so you increase your intake of other nutrients as well (via Mayo Clinic). As registered dietitian Kristin Kirkpatrick tells the Cleveland Clinic, "plenty of studies [show] that when we look at food as the bioavailable source of certain nutrients of vitamins and minerals, they tend to be one of the best options." 

That said, let's say you start taking Metamucil. As you begin your supplement regimen, your body will respond to the added fiber, psyllium. Derived from certain plants under the Plantago genus, psyllium primarily contains soluble fiber, but also has a small amount of insoluble fiber. Since soluble fiber absorbs water and forms a gel-like substance, the psyllium will cause your waste to be bulkier. Therefore, the waste will push against your intestinal walls and stimulate muscular intestinal contractions that move the waste out of your system faster, allowing you to say goodbye to constipation.

Regular bowel movements aren't the only benefit your body may get from adding daily psyllium into your diet. For starters, you might not have to work as hard to maintain a normal weight for your body composition, height, gender, and age. As noted in a 2023 review in the Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, consuming 10.8 added grams of psyllium for nearly 5 months helped lower the weight of individuals who were overweight or obese.

The reason for this phenomenon is that psyllium can help you feel less hungry. (Viscous fibers like psyllium are the specific type of fiber that can help you lose weight.) In a 2016 study in Appetite, taking 6.8 grams of Metamucil before breakfast and again before lunch proved to lessen hunger in human subjects. That said, you'll want to make sure that you're eating enough to keep yourself nourished. But if you're constantly hungry and you're looking for ways you can manage your food cravings, psyllium may be a welcome boon.

Another advantage of taking psyllium every day is that you may reduce your risk of developing colon or rectal cancer (often classified as colorectal cancer). In a 2024 review in Przeglad Gastroenterologiczny, a strong correlation was seen between psyllium intake and reduced colorectal cancer diagnoses. This result was due to improved bowel activity that shortened the time that toxins stayed in the digestive tract and discouraged related inflammation. (Good news, since colon cancer is on the rise in young people.)

Moreover, the reviewers noted that ingesting between 10 and 25 grams total of soluble fiber daily (taken in three equal doses) could ease some symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In one experiment, 82% of individuals with IBS reported relief from uncomfortable side effects after taking 10 grams of psyllium every day.

Currently, many people get too little fiber each day anyway: A 2017 article in the Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners estimates that just 5% of people reach the daily fiber intake recommendations for both men (38 grams) and women (25 grams). Consequently, if you're constipated and having trouble eating enough fiber, supplementing with Metamucil may help you; just make sure to increase your fluid intake, since psyllium requires water (or another liquid) to work effectively.