IT’S been dubbed ‘nature’s Ozempic’ by curbing appetite with little to no effort – and for a fraction of the cost of fat jabs.
And for Zack Chug, it was the antidote to his comfort eating after a break-up, helping him shift 10kg he’d piled on in just three months.
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Heartbreak, grief and being left homeless all at once led him to emotional eating.
Looking in the mirror at his podgy belly in early 2026, his heart sank – he needed some extra help to get his defined abs back, but he didn’t want to go down the route of weight loss drugs.
“I would look in the mirror and feel disappointed,” Zack, 26, tells Sun Health. “I had worked hard for years.”
Zack, an influencer from Alton, Staffordshire, who shares fitness content on Instagram and TikTok, was also facing criticism from fans.
“It was basically people saying I was fat online,” he says.
“It didn’t make me feel good when you try, and then people attack you and your body. It’s not ideal when you have a lot of people watching and looking up to you.
“People basically said, ‘You’re meant to be like a health expert and looking the way you look, you’re kind of overweight‘.
“That slowly started to build up and it was the pressure. I was never obese, but you have standards for yourself.”
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Plunged into a dark place, Zack was using sugary food as a comfort and began “numbing emotions with food”, he said.
“I have a big sweet tooth and I was just binge eating until the point I felt sick,” he says.
He admits he would “reach for cookies, chocolate, whatever was around the house”, as his weight crept from a slender 71kg to 84kg – an extra 13kg.
But four months after purchasing a supplement dubbed ‘nature’s Ozempic’, Zack was 10kg lighter, going from 84kg to 74kg.
“I have a lot more energy, less inflammation and brain fog,” he says.
He now swears by the product to keep sugar cravings at bay and help people stick to their diets.
Psyllium husk is a natural fibre supplement that’s usually found in powder form.
When mixed with liquid, it turns into a gel which can be drunk or, when thicker, eaten like jelly.
Rob Hobson, a registered nutritionist and author of The Low Appetite Cookbook explains that the gel’s viscosity can “slow the digestion and absorption of nutrients and help you feel fuller for longer”.
He tells Sun Health that while it isn’t an appetite suppressant as such, it can “increase satiety, which may make hunger a little easier to manage”.
“Randomised controlled trials have found that psyllium taken before meals can reduce hunger and the desire to eat and increase feelings of fullness,” he says.
“One study showed that around 6.8g before breakfast and lunch produced fairly consistent effects.”
Zack began drinking psyllium husk every morning, mixed with water and sugar-free Vimto squash – and says his sugar cravings fell away completely within a week.
Zack says: “After I drank it, the food noise and sugar cravings would disappear.
“Because you’re also consuming something with a high-volume, it has that psychological effect of making you feel more full.
“It’s not a magical pill or cure for losing fat but it can help you stick to a calorie deficit and control your sugar cravings. It helps build that mental discipline.”
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Penny Ward, a professor in the centre for pharmaceutical medicines research at King’s College London, explains that taking psyllium Husk “can cause natural secretion of GLP-1 in the gut”.
This is the same hormone that is activated by GLP-1 weight loss jabs like Wegovy and Mounjaro, although the supplement doesn’t work to the same extent as these ‘miracle drugs’, she explains.
“There have been some studies which have shown that intake of 10-15g/day [of psyllium husk] in divided doses prior to meals can increase weight loss and also reduce glucose and cholesterol levels in some individuals,” Penny adds.
Rob cautions, however, that studies on the supplement so far have been relatively short, meaning research on its longer-term effect is now needed.
Reviews published in the National Institute of Health’s National Library of Medicine show that consumption of psyllium husk may improve glycemic control, reduce cholesterol, enhance bowel function and promote gastrointestinal health.
There are, however, some potential side effects, which include bloating, allergic reactions and gastrointestinal obstruction.
This is usually if the supplement is not taken with a lot of liquid – water is best.
But it’s generally considered safe when taken at the correct dosage and when enough water is consumed alongside it.
Zack said: “I did my research beforehand, looking at the data and the science.
“I knew of psyllium husk already, but it was a random buy after I saw the research.
“I just thought I’d try it. I was improving my diet and exercising anyway.”
He purchased a 500g bag of Natural Health 4 Life psyllium husk for £11.49 on Amazon – which makes up 100 servings.
He took 5g each morning, which is a standard dose, about a teaspoon, mixed with Vimto.
Zack says: “A big component for me was emotional eating and numbing emotions with food, and I read that psyllium husk keeps you full for longer and controls your appetite.
“I thought I’d give it a try and within the week, I had stopped going for snacks.
“I did see a change on the scales – I have now dropped around 10kg – as an impact of it reducing the sugar cravings and my overeating.”
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Everything you need to know about psyllium husk
Dr Nichola Ludlam-Raine, a specialist registered dietitian and author of How Not to Eat Ultra-Processed, explains everything you need to know about psyllium husk.
What is the supplement and how does it work?
“Psyllium husk, also known as ispaghula husk, comes from the outer coating of seeds from the Plantago ovata plant. It is predominantly a soluble, gel-forming fibre: when mixed with fluid, it absorbs water and expands to form a thick gel,” she says.
“This adds bulk and moisture to stools, which is why it is commonly used as a bulk-forming laxative for constipation.
“Within the digestive tract, the gel can also slow digestion and the absorption of some nutrients, including carbohydrates, while increasing feelings of fullness.”
Is it comparable to GLP-1s?
“It may modestly increase fullness, but it does not mimic semaglutide’s mechanism or produce comparable results,” Dr Ludlam-Raine explains.
How does the supplement reduce appetite?
She continues: “Because psyllium absorbs water and forms a viscous gel, it increases the volume of the contents within the stomach and digestive tract and may slow gastric emptying and digestion.
“This can help someone feel fuller between meals and potentially reduce hunger or subsequent food intake.”
She notes, however, that the effect is likely to be “modest” and will vary between individuals.
Who might benefit from psyllium husk?
“Psyllium may be useful for someone experiencing constipation or struggling to meet their fibre needs through food alone. It may also have a role alongside dietary and lifestyle changes for some people with raised cholesterol or type 2 diabetes, although anyone taking medication should discuss this with their GP, dietitian or pharmacist first,” Dr Ludlam-Raine says.
“For weight management, it might help someone who finds hunger makes it difficult to maintain a balanced eating pattern.”
She adds, however, that a supplement should “complement” habits – like having regular meals containing protein and fibre and drinking enough fluids – “not replace them.”
Are there any side effects of the supplement?
“Common side effects include wind, bloating, abdominal discomfort, nausea and sometimes diarrhoea, particularly if someone begins with too much too quickly,” she says.
“It is essential to mix psyllium with the amount of fluid stated on the product and drink it promptly; taking it dry or without sufficient fluid can create a choking risk or, rarely, contribute to an obstruction.
“It can also affect the absorption of medicines and supplements,” she notes, so speak to a doctor before starting it.
Dr Ludlam-Raine adds: “Anyone with swallowing difficulties, a suspected bowel blockage, severe abdominal pain or a sudden unexplained change in bowel habits should seek medical advice rather than self-treating.
“Starting with a small amount and increasing gradually can improve tolerance.”
What’s Dr Ludlam-Raine’s conclusion on the supplement?
“My overall take is that psyllium can be a useful fibre supplement with genuine benefits, particularly for constipation and potentially cholesterol and blood-glucose management,” she says.
“However, describing it as a weight-loss ‘hack’ or ‘nature’s Ozempic’ goes far beyond the evidence.
“Any effect on appetite or weight is likely to be modest, and the wider dietary and lifestyle picture remains much more important.”
Zack, whose defined abs returned in April, also stuck to a healthy diet, regular gym training and taking several supplements – vitamin D, ashwaganda, magnesium, zinc, fish oil and creatine – as part of his standard daily routine.
Dr Nichola Ludlam-Raine, a specialist registered dietitian, says weight management stems from several different aspects of life.
“For weight management, it [the supplement] might help someone who finds hunger makes it difficult to maintain a balanced eating pattern, she says.
“But I would first look at the foundations: regular meals containing protein and fibre, adequate fluids, sleep, movement and a sustainable overall energy intake.
“A supplement should complement these habits, not replace them.”
Psyllium husk is a soluble fibre. But Rob encourages people to still “get most of their fibre from foods such as wholegrains, beans, lentils, fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds, as these bring lots of other nutrients and beneficial plant compounds with them”.
He also explains that along with curbing appetite, psyllium husk may also be “particularly useful” for people with chronic constipation.
“The latest British Dietetic Association guidelines on the dietary management of chronic constipation specifically recommend psyllium supplements,” he says.
“The research included in the guidelines found that psyllium can increase stool frequency, soften stools and increase the likelihood of getting a clinical benefit from treatment.”
Speaking about the supplement, Zack said: “I would definitely recommend people try it, especially with the social trends around GLP1s and peptides.
“It’s all natural.
“People want shortcuts these days but this is a balanced, sustainable approach to living a healthy lifestyle.
“Even for a week, it helped me – it’ll help you stick to a diet and a habitual routine, taking it every morning, knowing it’s in your body and having a positive impact.
“Even if you’re not trying to lose weight, it’s good in general to make sure you’re getting enough fibre.
“It’s rewarding to see putting the effort in and being rewarded.
“I feel great, my audience see my change, I’ve documented the glow-up.”