Yesterday I explained how my attempt at a fiber “cleanse” with psyllium husks left me with nothing but a severe case of chapped lips.
When normal lip treatments didn’t help the problem, I asked my doctor about it. He told me severe chapped lips could be a symptom of a sluggish thyroid or vitamin B deficiency. But what does that have to do with psyllium husks?
After more research into fiber and digestion, here’s what I think was going on.
The Trouble with Fiber
As I explained in previous posts, fiber is the term used to describe a family of complex carbohydrates that are indigestible to humans. They continue right through the intestinal tract, supposedly absorbing “toxins” and other built-up waste.
The problem with fiber is that it is indiscriminate. Not only will it absorb waste matter, but it can also disrupt the intricate ecosystem of intestinal flora that is essential to digestive health. Did you know, of the trillions of cells contained in our bodies, most of them aren’t even human? The majority of cells in the human body are bacteria that live in our digestive system.1
Researchers believe the relationship between humans and this intestinal flora is mutually beneficial. These healthy bacteria help break down food, prevent the growth of pathogens, and produce vitamins for their human host, including vitamin K and vitamin B.
Have You Nurtured Your Intestinal Flora Lately?
Most of us rarely think about all those critters living so inconspicuously in our digestive system. But we certainly notice when they aren’t doing well. All that fiber from my psyllium cleanse must have disrupted my intestinal flora and caused a rapid drop in Vitamin B, leading to the chronic chapped lips.
Curing my chapped lips was easy once I understood the cause of the problem. Traditional cultures ate bacteria-rich foods on a daily basis, foods like naturally fermented saurkraut, raw cheeses, yogurt, or pickles. Even the American staples of ketchup, mustard, and relish were originally prepared as fermented foods for this same purpose. To treat my chapped lips, I started consuming the most bacteria-rich traditional food I could find: kefir.
Kefir is a fermented dairy beverage, similar to yogurt but thinner in consistency. It is easily made at home using kefir grains and milk (hopefully, farm fresh). Kefir is particularly effective at nourishing the bacteria in the gut. It didn’t happen over night, but within a few weeks of adding kefir to my daily diet, my lips were completely healed. I didn’t even need to use lip balm at all after that (a first for me). I won’t go into the details, but an improvement in digestion was also evident, which makes sense when you understand that the majority of matter in human waste is actually from bacteria in the digestive system.
I’ll write another post soon with directions for making kefir for anyone who is interested. Until then, has anyone else had a similar experience with fiber? It’s rare that you hear anything negative about this nutritional all-star, but my personal experience tells me otherwise.
{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
I read this twice it was very interesting. My daughter has intestinal issues and has had every test known to man. Docs are stumped. We've been trying our own remedies and are doing MUCH better than the prescriptions prescribed over the years.
)
This is interesting, I struggle with chapped lips frequently. When I was pregnant, my lips literally peeled daily. I'll have to keep this in mind the next time my lips are chapped.
Sheila, it's strange how most doctors don't seem to understand this yet. They are so set on prescribing meds but really it's what you EAT that is most important. What home remedies are working for you? Have you tried homemade bone broth? Here's an awesome article on Conserving the Digestive Fire. Maybe it will give you some more ideas??
FBS, that's exactly what was going on with my lips. It gets to the point where it's embarrassing, having your lips falling off in front of everyone!
A problem with fiber? Yes. All my life I suffered with constipation. The typical answer for that is to "eat more fiber". That only made things worse, even if I downed massive amounts of fluids.
Come to find out, I'm allergic to wheat (I had urine/skin/poop/hair tests lol!). So more fiber caused more problems. I eat a fairly high fat real food diet now (Weston a Price principles) and have no issues. Big fan of the coconut oil too.
Also relevant when I read this post: when I'm pregnant I have major issues with my lips peeling and coming off in chunks (ew!). The probiotic or Vitamin B thing may be the issue since the baby is taking these nutrients from my body. I'm already a fan of kefir, kraut etc – I guess I need to double up.
Your blog is fascinating, thanks for the info!
I haven't had her try it yet. But, I will look into it and check out that link you provided, thanks! Let me just say that she was seen at one of the best clinics in the world. And they found nothing. Seething pain and horrible discomfort continued for years. We have found through trial and error over the years that a salad a day, some Activa and avoiding soy…and transfats (uhhhhh! those transfats are horrible!) seem to keep her in check.
Thanks, Carrie! I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who noticed fiber's questionable side effects. You're exactly right, the more problems it causes, the more fiber they tell you to eat! The pregnancy connection is interesting. I wonder how common chronic chapped lips are for pregnant women. We've heard two such stories so far and this post has only been up for a few hours.
PS–We LOVE coconut oil here at the Cellulite Investigation!
Sheila, those are all really smart moves. Her story sounds a lot like Jordan Rubin's experience with digestive disorders. He wrote a fascinating book about it called The Makers Diet (I know I'm always recommending articles or books, but it's so much more info than I can provide in a blog post!!). If she sees results with the Activa, then something like kefir would really do wonders. I tried yogurt for awhile to treat the chapped lips (and probiotic pills even), but noticed a difference with the kefir almost immediately. It's a much more potent probiotic. Please let us know how it goes if you end up trying any of these ideas!
This really is interesting. So, you advocate me throwing away my ChapStick?
Not if it works for you. But like I mentioned, I tried everything and my lips wouldn't stop molting. SO embarrassing! Once I fixed the vitamin B problem, I simply didn't need it anymore. Such a relief!
I'm not sure how I knew it, but the b-complex seems to always fix severely chapped lips for me. One day my mom's lips were extremely uncomfortable and I gave her a b-complex vitamin and instructed her to take another before bedtime. She called me the next day to say they were all better — she was impressed with the speed in which they seemed to heal.
Wow, that was a speedy recovery! It makes me wonder what other little symptoms can be attributed to vitamin deficiency. Thanks for sharing, Liz!
I've had digestive issues for years…I'll have to think about adding this to my diet!
oh, okay, so I guess you've been on a cleanse
Wow, you're sure finding lots of great information. Keep it up, I'm learning a lot from you.
Kristin –Kefir sounds perfect for you. You can also buy kefir at the store. It's expensive if you buy it pre-made and it's not as potent (in my experience), but it does save some time. There's a ton of other fermented foods/drinks that will have a similar effect. Sally Fallon's cookbook, Nourishing Traditions, has a whole chapter of them.
Crystal –I smiled when I saw your email about cleansing. What timing, right?! It seems to help some people, but it just didn't work for me.
The Vit. B info is super helpful!
Best things to "get on" herb-wise to help digestion and elimination, both ayurvedic: triphala (which means three fruits) and trikatu.
Triphala is a gentle colon tonifier. It strengthens the walls of the colon/intestines and helps cleanse without over stimulating. Trikatu is an herb that stimulates digestive fire so you properly assimilate all nutrients. Trikatu is a much better option than relying on enzymes.
and of course, Kefir is great.
Lindsay
Lindsay, I've been wanting to research herbs for cellulite but haven't gotten around to it yet. Part of that is because it sounds so intimidating. I wouldn't even know where to buy these herbs, let alone how to take them. I am going to email you for further info. Thanks so much for the suggestions!
omg! that does make sense!
I just started taking psyllium husk few days ago & suddenly my lips got dry & chapped! Though I only take 2 pills a day.
that’s a bummber! psyllium husk really helped with my horrible indigestion and constipation
thank you so much for the information.
I’m glad you found the info useful, N! I found the psyllium husks helpful with digestion in the beginning, but that only lasted a few days. A more permanent cure for digestive troubles is to eliminate the offending foods and build up the healthy bacteria in the digestive tract. It’s a bit more work than taking a pill, but the benefits will last a lifetime. Thanks for your comment!
I’m pretty sure I’m struggling with a lack of B vitamins. I recently had to be put on 2 rounds of antibiotics for recurrent Strep throat. I haven’t been on antibiotics in a long time and do try to avoid them. I had severe diarrhea at the end of the first round then seemed to get better. Now at the end of the 2nd round….my lips are very chapped and peeling. The only other time I had this happen was when I was on an extreme elimination diet while nursing…desperate to find the possible allergen causing my baby boy’s eczema. At that time…my lips were actually worse than they are now with cracking in the corners of my mouth and the chapped area seemed to spread above my upper lip and was sort of itchy and burning. I’m guessing maybe it was a bit of both candida and vitamin B deficiency. I actually started eating healthier lately too….to help my immune system to fight off any lingering strep if possible. The last time this happened…I believe I stopped “dieting” and began eating everything I had before and I think I started to clear up pretty quickly. I’m definitely going to buy some Kefir. I’m not sure dairy products agree with me that well…but I really can’t deal with these lips! What are the other best options that are dairy-free? (Saurkraut?) I also have hypothyroidism. I suppose that could play a factor….but I’m thinking this is from the lack of vitamin B. Thanks for a great post! I really appreciate it!
Hi, Jessica. Definitely sounds like a nutritional deficiency. Nutritional yeast is another recommended source of B Vitamins (it tastes like Parmesan cheese). Liver too, as long as it’s pastured. As for the probiotics, yes, anything that’s naturally fermented will contain beneficial bacteria: sauerkraut, fermented salsa… there’s a whole chapter about fermented foods in Sally Fallon’s cookbook, Nourishing Traditions. Lots of good ideas and most are pretty easy to make at home.
If you’re planning to buy kefir at the store, I really like the Redwood Hills Farms brand. It’s usually the most expensive one, but it’s a much better quality. I like having a small glass in the morning. I hope it helps. Thanks for your comment!
Good Info, will look into. Thanks so much
Very interesting to connect all of this. Try chia seeds to keep the bowel hydrated and moving…. rather than psyllium. Lots of EFAs etc… working on healing my gut and feeling better and better…
Be Well!
Chia seeds… I’ll have to research that one. Thanks for the suggestion, Shelly! I’m about to test the T-Tapp CRT Skin Tightening System which includes a supplement called “Fibertox.” The ingredients are psyllium, licorice extract, hibiscus okra, aloe extract, and senna extract. I’m hoping it goes better than my last psyllium experiment! At least this comes in pill form so I can take a very small dose. I’m hesitant to try fiber again but I promised Teresa Tapp I would review the product and I can’t back out now. I thought it would be an exercise video!