1. Is Lepicol good for...?

Of course, we often get asked whether Lepicol is good for certain bowel diseases/conditions. It is important to point out that Lepicol is regarded by the authorities in the UK as a food product. All the ingredients are therefore classified as food and Lepicol itself is regarded as a food not a medicine. For this reason, no medical claims can be made for LEPICOL. The main purpose of the formulation is to help keep the bowels as healthy as possible. We are therefore unable to comment directly on any specific bowel complaint as this is something you should discuss with your doctor. In fact, as we say many times in this web site, if you have a particular bowel disease, you should discuss Lepicol with your doctor before taking it. Within the web site, we hope you will be able to find sections that will show how you personally might benefit from taking Lepicol.

2. Is Lepicol safe to take for everyday use?

Many people do take Lepicol on a regular basis. As mentioned earlier, as a food product, Lepicol is safe to take. In fact none of the ingredients is absorbed by the body. They actually stay in the digestive tract where they do their work. There is a general feeling that taking lots of fibre in a supplement form is not as healthy as taking it from food. No one can argue with this, but plenty of people do need to take extra fibre either in the form of coarse fibre or in the form of water soluble fibre, as used in Lepicol, for numerous reasons. The criticism of taking loads of fibre is that fibre itself does not provide other nutrients such as antioxidants, vitamins and minerals etc. For this reason, those on a high fibre diet should always look at their diet as a whole and make sure that they eat plenty of nutrient rich vegetables and fruits. The best fruits with the strongest antioxidant activity are plumbs, but most fruits such as apples, oranges etc are very healthy for you. Plenty of green vegetables such as spinach, cabbage and broccoli are also advised. We have touched on this area in the section under 'Sluggish bowels.' You can also look at BOWEL BENEFIT FORMULA which is under the section 'Other Product for the Bowels'.

3. Will Lepicol affect the absorbtion of nutrients from food?

Certain types of fibre such as wheat bran fibre contain phytate which may inhibit the absorption of certain minerals. Lepicol does not contain phytate or any ingredients that may affect such absorption. A study carried out on psyllium (J R Soc Health 2000 Jun; 120(2):107-11 The long-term safety and tolerability of ispaghula husk) suggested that over a prolonged period, psyllium may reduce the absorption of some vitamins and minerals to a very limited extent and none of these were thought to be of any clinical significance. However, to be absolutely sure that no interference with nutrient absorption takes place, we advise that Lepicol is taken not less than 25 minutes before or after food.

4. Will Lepicol intereact with any drugs prescribed by my doctor?

As always, if you are on medication, please see your doctor before taking Lepicol. Lepicol contains ingredients that are considered to be 'benign' ie they are not absorbed by the body and will not intereact with any medication that you may be taking. If your doctor is happy for you to take Lepicol, as mentioned in point 3 you should still be aware of that the Lepicol formulation does have 'absorbent' qualities, and to make sure that is does not inhibit absorption of any medication, make sure there is at least 30 minutes lapse between taking the 2.

5. Is Lepicol safe for pregnant and breast feeding women?

Lepicol is safe for pregnant and breast feeding women but please take heed of points 3 and 4 as when best to take Lepicol. Also, as a responsible nutrition company, we do advise that all pregnant women seek advice on nutritional matters from the nutritionist at the hospital. A good, all round multi vitamin, mineral supplement is recommended and special consideration should be given for the recommended daily allowance of folic acid.

6. Is Lepicol safe for diabetics?

Research from the US has shown that the fibre in Lepicol (psyllium husk) when taken just before a meal can slow down, and may be reduce the amount of sugar the body will absorb from food. Although this may be considered as a beneficial affect, consumers must always discuss Lepicol with their doctor to ensure that blood sugar levels are properly monitored.