What is Psyllium?
Psyllium, Plantago Ovata, swells and becomes gelatinous when moist. Psyllium is a proven laxative in humans and pigs. Many people feed it to their horses to maintain a healthy gut and help move small amounts of sand out of the horse’s gut. Psyllium is helpful for its mucilage content. The term mucilage describes a group of clear, colorless, gelling agents derived from plants. The mucilage obtained from psyllium comes from the seed husk. Psyllium is hydrophilic, meaning that its molecular structure causes it to attract and bind to water. Upon absorbing water, the clear, colorless, mucilaginous gel that forms, increases in volume by tenfold or more. In summary, psyllium is a high- fiber product that may collect sand and make it easier for the horse to pass it through the tract, and stimulate motility of digestive matter in the gut.
Why Additional Fiber?
Beet pulp and Wheat Bran are good sources of fiber that improve gut motility. Both are good laxatives and help move the psyllium mucilaginous gel through your horses gut adding efficiency and synergy when fed with psyllium.
What is 4-in1™?
4-in-1™ is a digestive support enhancement to Fiberpsyll™ that contains probiotics (direct fed microbials), prebiotics (mannaoligysides), live yeast, and enzymes that work together to promote healthy and efficient digestion. Healthy digestion supports efficient nutrient absorption and may help reduce the risk of colic. Recent research shows that the inclusion of microbial support greatly improves the removal of sand in the ventral cecum over straight psyllium only.
What are Prebiotics?
Prebiotics are non-digestible food ingredients that stimulate the growth and/or activity of bacteria in the horses hind gut and cecum, shown to be beneficial to health. Mannan- oligosaccharide (MOS) has been shown to improve hind gut health by blocking adhesion of bad bacterium like Salmonella and enhancing growth of good bacterium like Lactic acid bacterium and bifidobacterium in the gut.
What are Probiotics?
Probiotics are live microorganisms that are beneficial to the horse’s digestion and nutritional uptake. Specifically probiotics are live bacterium of which the most common strains are lactic acid bacterium and bifidobacterium.
How are Yeast and Enzymes Beneficial?
Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a well known yeast used in feeds and supplements and is very beneficial to hind gut health in horses. Enzymes provide food for the beneficial bacterium to thrive as well. Both support healthy digestion and nutrient uptake.
Can Psyllium Help Healthy Blood Glucose & Insulin Levels in Horses?
New research indicates there might be another use for psyllium: the control of blood glucose and insulin concentrations. The research showed that psyllium supplementation to horses resulted in lower average blood glucose levels after feeding.
About Manufacturing:
Fiberpsyll™ with 4-in-1™ is pelleted and manufactured by Select The Best®, and audited member of NASC. All of us here at Select The Best® thank you for your consideration of our products.
References:
2008 Journal of Equine Veterinary Science Fecal Sand Clearance Is Enhanced With a Product Combining Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Psyllium in Clinically Normal Horses” Landes, Hassel, Funk and Hill March 2011 Journal of Equine Veterinary Science “Psyllium lowers blood glucose levels and insulin concentraitions in horses” Moreaux, Nichols, Bowman, and Hatfeild