Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial of Psyllium Fiber in Functional Abdominal Pain Disorders in Children.
Dig Dis SciAug 4, 2026 (epub)
Manjit Kaur, Ujjal Poddar, Anshu Srivastava et al.
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In 30 seconds
This randomized controlled trial evaluated the efficacy of psyllium fiber in children aged 5-18 with functional abdominal pain disorders (FAPD), including IBS and FAP-NOS. The study found significant improvements in pain intensity, frequency, duration, and quality of life in the psyllium group compared to placebo, with 86% of psyllium users achieving over 50% pain reduction (P = 0.001).
Key findings
- Psyllium fiber reduced pain intensity scores from 5.5 to 3.2 compared to placebo.
- 86% of children on psyllium had a >50% reduction in pain versus 60% in the placebo group (P = 0.001).
- Quality of life scores improved from 4.4 in the psyllium group to 2.3 in the placebo group (P < 0.001).
- 81% of children maintained pain relief after stopping psyllium fiber for a mean follow-up of 6.7 months.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that psyllium fiber may be an effective treatment option for children with functional abdominal pain disorders, potentially improving their quality of life and reducing pain significantly.