Psyllium Husk: Does Daily Use Cause Lazy Bowel Syndrome?

Question
Hi Dr. Manger,

I take 3 spoons of pysllium daily to increase finer in my diet. I've heard, if taken daily, it can cause "lazy bowel syndrome." Yet it's a natural fiber made from psyllium husks and has no side effects from my research. Is there truth to the "lazy bowel syndrome?"

Answer
No, fiber "laxatives" do not cause lazy bowel syndrome.  In fact, the existence of that particular syndrome, in my opinion, is in question.  The thought is that taking too many stimulant laxatives (milk of magnesia, etc) makes the bowel dependent on these over time.  The use of "bulk laxatives" like fiber is very healthy and promotes normal bowel motility and stool consistency.

Saying that too much supplemental fiber cause lazy bowel syndrome is equivalent to saying that eating too many high fiber fruits and vegetables is bad, which is ridiculous.

My $0.02