Clinical use guide

Florasophy fiber supplements clinical use

Florasophy® soluble fiber blends are clinician-developed to improve health outcomes for those aiming to support optimal digestion, elimination, metabolism, blood sugar management, detoxification, hormone balance, microbiome, cardiovascular and colon health. Clinically, Florasophy has been effective in reducing symptoms associated with IBS-D, IBS-C, hypercholesterolemia, hormone imbalance, glucose management, and weight loss.

Florasophy offers three different formulas with a specific combination of soluble fiber to meet the needs of those suffering from IBS-D (Firm Up™), IBS-C (Loosen Up™) and to address health issues outside of those diagnoses (Daily Fix™). Each formula contains at least four of the following five ingredients: organic chia seed powder, organic acacia fiber (a.k.a. acacia gum); konjac root (a.k.a. glucomannan), organic PHGG (partially hydrolyzed guar gum trademarked as Sunfiber®), and organic psyllium husk powder. One serving (1 tablespoon) of Florasophy provides 4g of soluble fiber, which can be taken up to three times per day, depending on individualized dietary and health goals. 

Getting started with Florasophy

Introducing soluble fiber can shift many elements of digestion including motility, transit time, microbiome health and stool consistency. Because every body is unique, in most cases dosing should start small and increase gradually. Most people tolerate beginning with 1 teaspoon per day, but, in more severe conditions such as ulcerative colitis or other inflammatory conditions, it may be necessary to start with an even smaller dose.

In cases such as IBS-D or other causes of urgent or very loose stool, it may be necessary to start with 1 tablespoon and increase more quickly from there to absorb moisture in the colon. Dosing instructions below have been shown to be effective, clinically, for most people. For every tablespoon of Florasophy, patients should increase water consumption by at least 12 oz.

What is the perfect dose?

This will vary from person to person based on health conditions and goals.  During the initial progressive increase in dosing, if bloating, constipation, or acid reflux is experienced, the dose is too high and the patient should back down by one teaspoon at a time until symptoms resolve. See dosing ranges below for specific conditions.

Clinical applications

Irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects between 9-23% of the population worldwide and is the most common condition seen by gastroenterologists. The symptoms can be debilitating, chronic, and life-altering. The etiology is often unknown, but research indicates infection, autoimmune activity, and poor peristaltic activity among the possible causes. Improving fluid balance in the colon can improve symptoms and quality of life.

Florasophy has been clinically proven to support fluid balance due to the absorptive and gelatinous nature of soluble fiber.

Dosing for IBS-Diarrhea: 1 tablespoon of Firm Up 1-3 times per day with meals depending on severity of symptoms or 1 tablespoon of Daily Fix 2-4 times per day with meals depending on severity of symptoms. Complementary dietary suggestions: avoidance of gluten and dairy and 1-2 servings of electrolytes per day.

Dosing for IBS-Constipation: 1 tablespoon of Loosen Up 1-2 times per day with meals. Complementary dietary suggestions: avoidance of gluten and dairy, 80 oz. water per day, and 1-2 servings of electrolytes per day.

Dosing for IBS-C/D: 1 teaspoon of Daily Fix with breakfast, increasing as tolerated to 1 teaspoon at each meal based on symptoms. Complementary dietary suggestions: avoidance of gluten and dairy, 80 oz. water per day, and 1-2 servings of electrolytes per day.

Hypercholesterolemia

High cholesterol can be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The liver uses cholesterol as a precursor to bile acid production, removing cholesterol from circulation. Bile acids are either reabsorbed in the ileum back into circulation or trapped by soluble fiber and carried into the colon for excretion. By increasing soluble fiber, dietary cholesterol and bile can be removed from the body, reducing overall cholesterol levels.

Dosing: 1 tablespoon of Daily Fix 1-3 times per day with meals as tolerated and based on total cholesterol levels. Complementary dietary suggestions: high-fiber and plant-focused diet.

Gallbladder conditions

Bile carries cholesterol, excess hormones and toxins out of the body, but these molecules must first pass through the gallbladder. Obesity, high fat, or high sugar diets and periods of life with high hormonal output increase risk of gallstones, gallbladder sludge and the resulting gallbladder attack. Research clearly shows that diets high in soluble fiber reduce the risk of these conditions by lowering the concentration of cholesterol and chenodeoxycholic acid, likely due to the continuous binding and excretion of bile acids by soluble fiber within the digestive tract.

Dosing: 1 tablespoon of Daily Fix 1-3 times per day between meals as tolerated and based on total cholesterol levels. Complementary dietary suggestions: avoidance of gluten and dairy and a plant-based, low-fat diet until symptoms resolve.

If constipation is present, 1 tablespoon of Loosen Up 2 times per day with meals as tolerated. Complementary dietary suggestions: avoidance of gluten and dairy; 80 oz. water per day, 1-2 servings of electrolytes per day, low-fat and plant-based diet until symptoms resolve.

Hormone imbalance/Breast cancer prevention

A high soluble fiber diet has been shown in meta-analysis to be preventative for breast cancer and hormone imbalance. Clinically, we have found that increasing soluble fiber can improve hormone symptoms in premenopausal women such as PMS, acne, water retention and night sweats, possibly due to the same mechanisms that reduce breast cancer risk—consistent clearance of estrogens by binding and excreting estrogen-bile complex through the intestinal tract.

Dosing: 1 tablespoon of Daily Fix, Loosen Up, or Firm Up 1-3 times per day with meals, increasing as tolerated, to achieve 20g soluble fiber per day between diet and supplementation.

Glucose management

A high fiber diet (well above ADA recommendations) with 25g soluble fiber and 25g insoluble fiber per day has been shown to improve glycemic control, decrease hyperinsulinemia, and lower plasma lipid concentrations in patients with type 2 diabetes. Moreover, soluble fiber has been shown to be more effective for improving these risk factors due to delay of glucose absorption, increased insulin sensitivity at the cellular level, increase in hepatic extraction of insulin and binding of bile acids.

Dosing: 1 tablespoon of Daily Fix, Loosen Up, or Firm Up 1-3 times per day with meals based on total dietary soluble fiber intake. Aim to achieve 25g total soluble fiber intake per day between diet and supplementation.

Weight management

High soluble fiber diets have been shown to reduce body mass, fasting glucose and fasting insulin levels which have positive effects on microbiota known to modulate metabolism. Research shows that an increase of 14g per day soluble fiber from diet or supplementation is associated with a 10% decrease in daily caloric consumption as well as weight loss.

Dosing: 1 tablespoon of Daily Fix, Loosen Up, or Firm Up 1-3 times per day with meals based on total dietary soluble fiber intake. Aim to achieve 25g total soluble fiber intake per day between diet and supplementation.

Footnotes

  1. Saha L. 2014. Irritable bowel syndrome: Pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and evidence-based medicine. World journal of gastroenterology, 20(22), 6759–6773.
  2. Philpott H, Nandurkar S, Lubel J, Gibson PR. 2015. Food, fibre, bile acids and the pelvic floor: An integrated low risk low cost approach to managing irritable bowel syndrome. World journal of gastroenterology, 21(40), 11379–11386.
  3. Gaby AR. Nutritional approaches to prevention and treatment of gallstones. Altern Med Rev. 2009 Sep;14(3):258-67. PMID: 19803550.
  4. Schwesinger WH, Kurtin WE, Page CP, Stewart RM, Johnson R. Soluble dietary fiber protects against cholesterol gallstone formation. Am J Surg. 1999 Apr;177(4):307-10. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9610(99)00047-1. PMID: 10326849.
  5. Farvid MS, Spence ND, Holmes MD, Barnett JB. Fiber consumption and breast cancer incidence: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies. Cancer. 2020 Jul 1;126(13):3061-3075. doi: 10.1002/cncr.32816. Epub 2020 Apr 6. PMID: 32249416.
  6. Li Q, Holford TR, Zhang Y, Boyle P, Mayne ST, Dai M, Zheng T. Dietary fiber intake and risk of breast cancer by menopausal and estrogen receptor status. Eur J Nutr. 2013 Feb;52(1):217-23. doi: 10.1007/s00394-012-0305-9. Epub 2012 Feb 16. PMID: 22350922; PMCID: PMC3709253.
  7. Thompson SV, Hannon BA, An R, Holscher HD. Effects of isolated soluble fiber supplementation on body weight, glycemia, and insulinemia in adults with overweight and obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2017 Dec;106(6):1514-1528. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.117.163246. Epub 2017 Nov 1. PMID: 29092878.
  8. Chandalia M, Garg A, Lutjohann D, von Bergmann K, Grundy SM, Brinkley LJ. Beneficial effects of high dietary fiber intake in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. N Engl J Med. 2000 May 11;342(19):1392-8. doi: 10.1056/NEJM200005113421903. PMID: 10805824.
  9. Tabatabai A, Li S. Dietary fiber and type 2 diabetes. Clin Excell Nurse Pract. 2000 Sep;4(5):272-6. PMID: 11858448.
  10. Howarth NC, Saltzman E, Roberts SB. Dietary fiber and weight regulation. Nutr Rev. 2001 May;59(5):129-39. doi: 10.1111/j.1753-4887.2001.tb07001.x. PMID: 11396693.