Psyllium is the common name used for several members of the plant genus Plantago whose seeds are used commercially for the production of mucilage. Psyllium is mainly used as a dietary fiber to relieve symptoms of both constipation and mild diarrhea, and occasionally as a food thickener. It is commonly used as a food ingredient in manufactured breakfast cereals. In 1998, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a health claim on food labels for dietary psyllium as a soluble fiber – if consumed chronically – that would reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering blood cholesterol.