This popular herbal product in the US market can not only boost immunity but also lower blood sugar and regulate metabolism.
Last June, the College of Food Science and Engineering of Wuhan University of Technology published a study in the journal Food Research International. This study revealed the potential of psyllium hull powder (PHP) in improving type 2 diabetes (T2DM), and pointed out that regulating the intestinal microbiota and its metabolites is the key mechanism through which PHP exerts its effects.
The mechanism of Huqianzi shell powder in improving T2DM
T2DM is a complex metabolic disorder characterized by high blood sugar and insulin resistance. Studies have shown that increasing the intake of dietary fiber can significantly reduce the risk of developing diabetes. As a high-quality source of dietary fiber, PHP can relieve constipation, lower blood sugar levels, and enhance satiety.
Plantago Seed: Traditional Chinese Medicine
Plantago Seed is the common name for the seeds of the annual plants belonging to the Plantago genus. This genus has approximately 200 varieties. Plantago ovata Forsk is one of the widely used species. In 2014, the National Health Commission approved the hull of the round-headed Plantago seed as a new food raw material. The round-headed Plantago hull is the seed shell of the Plantago ovata of the Plantago genus, which is artificially cultivated.
In the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, plantago seeds refer to the dried and mature seeds of the plant Plantago asiatica L. or Plantago depressa Willd. of the Plantaginaceae family. These seeds have an elliptical or irregularly elongated shape, slightly flattened, approximately 2 millimeters in length and 1 millimeter in width. The surface is yellowish-brown to dark brown, with fine wrinkles, and one side has grayish-white concave seed hilum. Ancient people believed that plantago seeds have a sweet and cold nature, and belong to the meridians of liver, kidney, lung and small intestine. They have the functions of clearing heat, promoting urination, promoting diuresis, stopping diarrhea, improving vision and expectorating. In 2002, the former Ministry of Health approved plantago seeds/plantago grass as an available raw material for health food.
Plantago asiatica is widely used in the traditional Indian medical system (Ayurveda) for preventing skin irritation, hemorrhoids, constipation, and diarrhea. Additionally, in countries and regions such as Japan, South Korea, and the United States, Plantago asiatica is also used as a traditional medicinal herb and nutritional supplement. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows the use of Plantago asiatica as a dietary supplement and states that consuming 7g or more of Plantago asiatica per day helps lower the total cholesterol (TC) concentration in the blood and reduces the risk of coronary heart disease.
Modern research shows that Plantago asiatica contains alkaloids, iridoid compounds, flavonoids, polysaccharides, phenolic glycosides, etc., and has pharmacological effects such as diuresis and laxation, expectorant and expectorant, anti-inflammatory, improving vision, regulating the body’s immune function, antioxidation, lowering blood lipids, blood pressure, and blood sugar.
1) Anti-hyperlipidemia and protecting the cardiovascular system: Hyperlipidemia belongs to metabolic disorders, and elevated cholesterol (TC, TG, LDL-C, and decreased HDL-C) are its main characteristics, which are also risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. Currently, the effects of Plantago asiatica on lipid levels have been confirmed in multiple studies, and its key to lowering high cholesterol lies in its high viscosity.
Plantago asiatica is rich in soluble fiber, which can combine with bile salts in the stomach to form a gel, promoting the excretion of bile salts with feces and reducing bile acids in the body. To replenish bile acids, the liver will increase the expression of LDL receptors to enhance the conversion of cholesterol to bile, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and improving hyperlipidemia.
2) Anti-obesity: Obesity is caused by an imbalance between food intake and energy expenditure, and is closely related to fat accumulation and inflammation in the body. Animal experiments and human studies have both proved that Plantago asiatica can significantly inhibit appetite and reduce calorie intake in the body, thereby achieving weight loss and reducing BMI.
The principle by which Plantago asiatica inhibits appetite is that it can form a gel to slow down the digestion and absorption of food in the body, and its abundant fibers help enhance satiety. Studies have shown that daily consumption of 6.8g of Plantago asiatica significantly increases satiety in healthy obese individuals, and reduces hunger and food intake needs.
3) Improve hyperuricemia: Uric acid is a by-product of purine metabolism and is closely related to gout. Multiple reports have pointed out that Plantago asiatica can lower the body’s uric acid level by increasing uric acid excretion and inhibiting uric acid synthesis (through regulation of xanthine oxidase).
Market Data and Applications of Plantago ovata
According to SPINS data, in the mainstream channels of herbal supplements in the United States, the round-leaved plantago (Plantago ovata) supplement has ranked first in terms of sales for two consecutive years. In 2023, its sales reached 276 million US dollars, an increase of 2.7% compared to 2022. In the natural channels, plantago ranked ninth with sales of 12.98 million US dollars, a year-on-year growth of 10.3%.
Post time: May-20-2026