Plantago ovata is believed to have originated in the Mediterranean (Southern Europe, North Africa, West Asia). Traditional use of psyllium fiber in plant form mirrors its common uses today.[1] However, traditionally, it has also been touted as a functional food and medicine for wound healing, bowel inflammation, and even pain throughout traditional Chinese, Brazilian, Indian, and Iranian medicine.[2]
Forty-two different First Nations tribes of the Americas (notably the Cherokee and Iroquois tribes) are known to use or have used psyllium in traditional healing of over 40 different conditions and ailments. The most frequently cited uses for psyllium among First Nations tribes include as a general aid for dermatological or gastrointestinal complaints and as a burn dressing.[3]