citrucel
Citrucel is a soluble fiber supplement made from methylcellulose, a type of plant fiber. It is considered to be one of the more gentle types of fiber, and can work for both diarrhea and constipation. For diarrhea sufferers it can add bulk to the stool, making movements more firm; for constipation sufferers it can make the stool softer and easier to pass.
The makers of Citrucel have recently started to call the main ingredient of Citrucel SmartFiber, but the main ingredient remains the same methycellulose fiber.
What do the manufacturers say?
This is from the Citrucel website:
'Almost all types of soluble fiber can ferment in your digestive system and cause excess gas. And if you’re taking a fermentable fiber supplement like psyllium to improve regularity, you could actually be making your digestive system even more sensitive.
Citrucel with SmartFiber is proven to help restore and maintain regularity, and it’s also the only fiber that won’t ferment, to cause excess gas. And only Citrucel has SmartFiber.'
What versions of Citrucel are available?
- The basic powder version is available in standard orange and suger-free orange flavors.
- Citrucel soft chews individually wrapped, candy-sized chews with added calcium that come in bags of mixed chocolate and caramel flavors. The calcium added is calcium carbonate, which is known anecdotally for causing constipation in IBS sufferers. The makers of Citrucel say that a study by the National Institutes of Health showed that calcium carbonate did not cause constipation in the study participants (although of course the participants may not have had IBS).
- Citrucel caplets contain the original powder methycellulose compressed into small tablets.
- Finally, smoothie and shake versions are available which allow you to add the product to juice or milk.