Bernard O'Shea: The fibre supplement you never knew you needed - your gut will sing

I saw a healthy young man scoop measures of protein powder in his pint of Guinness on a night out

Do yourself a favour: opt for the tablet form, which is still effective but without the torture of ruining your morning cereal

Ah, fibre. Nature's sweeping brush for the interior design of your gut. I thought I had this fibre thing locked down by eating my weight each week in my mother's famed brown bread. But did you know there's a particular type of fibre that's like the Liam Neeson of all fibres—gentle but effective, unassuming but heroic and has very specific ways of making you go? That's right, we're delving into the magical world of Psyllium Husks.

In dietary fibres, my experience has been somewhat akin to a cat chasing a laser pointer—always in pursuit, never quite grasping the essence. Until recently, that is. With a handful of digestive troubles in recent years that could fill an entire filing cabinet, I've often been handed a prescription for Psyllium Husks. My initial reaction? For something that sounds like a creature from "Harry Potter," they are scientifically fascinating and not some fly-by-night trend. Hailing from the seeds of the Plantago ovata plant, this fibre source is rich in both soluble and insoluble forms. It has been revered for centuries in regions like India. So, while in Ireland, our love for fibre might start and stop with a loaf of bread, the Psyllium seed has a far more storied history, serving as an age-old remedy for gut issues, high cholesterol, and weight loss.