Abstract

The trend of using mixed herbal supplements has increased. Psyllium husk and selected mixed herbal supplements are commercially available in the market. This study aimed to determine the effects of psyllium husk and mixed herbal supplementation on health indicators in healthy male subjects. Male subjects were chosen, as some of the mixed herbs were specifically recommended for males, such as Eurycoma longifolia, Tribulus terrestris, and Ptychopetalum olacoides. A total of 30 respondents were involved in this study and randomly assigned into control (n = 15) and supplemental (n = 15) groups. The intervention period was 1 month with a dose of 25 g daily. Subjects were required to maintain their diet and lifestyle during the intervention period. Body mass index, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, lipid profiles, liver function, and health indicator parameters were taken at the beginning and the end of the study. The supplemental group showed improvements in health indicator parameters of “bowel movement” (p = 0.017) and “headache” (p = 0.009). Total bilirubin also showed improvement (p = 0.005) after 1-month intervention. 25 g/day of supplement with short-term intervention was not enough to demonstrate any significant effects, apart from health indicator parameters of “bowel movement” and “headache.”

Key words: Psyllium husk, selected mixed herbs, health indicators, male adults, short term supplementation