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Written by Megan Ayala. Last Updated: December 27, 2023
What does it take to create a safe and effective supplement? We believe that it requires natural ingredients with a clear purpose.
When it comes to weight loss supplements, they need to promote steady weight loss at a healthy rate. Products that help consumers shed too many pounds too quickly aren’t usually safe.
Safe supplements should promote general health and boost the effectiveness of an existing diet and exercise routines.
We’ve researched hundreds of supplements and there are a few brands that stand out as truly safe and effective. Of course, not all supplements have the same intended purpose.
When it comes to fiber supplements that improve bowel movements, gut health, and weight loss, Colon Broom and Metamucil are two of the best.
These two supplements contain some similar ingredients and serve similar purposes. But which one of the supplements is right for you? What ingredients do they use and how effective are they?
We’re going to help you answer those questions by comparing the two products side-by-side.
Features Overview: What Colon Broom and Metamucil Bring to the Table
1. Colon Broom’s Best Features
Colon Broom (read our review) is a dietary-fiber supplement with the primary goal of alleviating constipation. Constipation affects millions of people every day and can vary greatly in severity.
People can suffer from symptoms like bloating, discomfort, abdominal pain, flatulence, and hemorrhoids. It can also be a sign of more serious conditions like IBS.
Anyone who has suffered from constipation can remember how unpleasant it is and understands the desire to have normal bowel movements again.
There are a variety of medications available that claim to help with constipation, but many of them rely on chemical ingredients that could cause unwanted side effects.
Colon Broom is an entirely natural, organic, and vegan supplement with only one notable side effect.
To use the supplement, you simply scoop a single dose into a glass of water and stir. You’ll begin to notice a difference within 24 hours of taking your first dose. The main ingredient cannot be digested by the body. It increases the bulk of your stool as well as the water content.
This makes it easier to move through the intestines and out of the body.
Colon Broom contains a handful of other natural ingredients that will be covered later. These additional ingredients help alleviate other symptoms related to constipation like discomfort and inflammation.
People who take at least one dose a day will continue to notice benefits going forward.
Regular bowel movements aren’t the only benefit of Colon Broom. It also makes it easier for the healthy bacteria in the gut to reproduce.
Improving gut health has widespread implications throughout the body.
It can lower blood pressure, increase metabolism, improve the immune system, boost your mood, and can benefit most of your organs.
One of the biggest additional benefits of improving gut health is weight loss. That’s why many people turn to Colon Broom primarily as a weight loss supplement.
It won’t help you magically burn fat away without living a healthy lifestyle but it will have a noticeable benefit for people who already diet and exercise.
2. Metamucil’s Best Features
Metamucil is another dietary-fiber supplement that uses the same main ingredient as Colon Broom. This means that it also helps alleviate constipation and provides some of the same additional benefits.
However, it does contain less fiber per serving and a different array of secondary ingredients.
The fiber in Metamucil helps promote gut health and thus encourages weight loss, reduced blood pressure, and a stronger immune system.
It also adds water and bulk to the stool in the same way as Colon Broom. There is some difference in the amount of fiber that these products contain.
Metamucil has the advantage of being a well-established brand with over 80 years of history. It was first introduced in 1934 and then purchased by the Procter & Gamble Company 49 years later.
It was one of the first supplements on the market to contain 100 percent natural dietary fiber.
Their brand also has a wider array of products compared to the single supplement produced by Colon Broom. They have capsule supplements, powder formulas, and additional probiotic supplements that can help boost gut health. Consumers who aren’t specifically dealing with constipation might prefer their alternative supplements if improving gut health is the goal.
The major fiber supplements from Metamucil are the “3-in-1” and “4-in-1” powder supplements.
The only difference between the two is the amount of fiber contained in each serving. The “3-in-1” contains 3 grams while the “4-in-1” contains 4 grams. By comparison, a single serving of Colon Broom has 3.6 grams of fiber.
Ingredients and Supplement Fact Comparison
1. Colon Broom Ingredient Overview
There are only four ingredients used in Colon Broom for their medicinal purposes. There are also a few ingredients used for flavor and color, including stevia leaf extract and fruit juice.
Each serving is 20 calories with 4 grams of carbohydrates, 3 mg of calcium, 60mg of sodium, and 2mg of potassium.
The most important ingredient in the supplement is the fiber itself. The dietary fiber in Colon Broom is called psyllium. This is a specific type of fiber that is commonly used to add bulk to stools.
The psyllium is gathered from the Plantago ovato herb. Specifically, it comes from the husks of the plant’s tiny seeds. Roughly 85 percent of all psyllium is sourced from India.
Psyllium fiber has been researched for decades due to its prominence in supplements like Metamucil and Colon Broom.
These studies have shown that the ingredient can help reduce cholesterol, relieve constipation, manage IBS, and improve a variety of health problems related to the digestive system.
The psyllium works so well because it cannot be properly digested by the body. It absorbs water and takes on a gelatinous form. This gelatinous form can push waste along as it moves through the intestines. That is how psyllium is able to effectively relieve constipation consistently.
It’s a natural solution to constipation that poses very little risk to the body.
- Citric Acid
The next ingredient in Colon Broom is citric acid. Chances are, you’re already familiar with this ingredient.
It comes from various citrus fruits and is in a wide variety of products, including supplements, cooking ingredients, and cleaning supplies.
It’s widely studied or used by many different professions for different reasons. In Colon Broom, it’s used for its numerous health benefits.
One of the major health benefits of citric acid is its ability to increase the bioavailability of other minerals and nutrients.
It is commonly added to supplements because it will help the body better utilize the other ingredients. But citric acid also has its own unique health benefits.
Having more citric acid in your urine can decrease the saturation of other types of more harmful acid. This makes citric acid a potent tool for preventing kidney stones.
It also binds with certain minerals in the urine to prevent the growth of crystals. Many patients who suffer from kidney stones simply have low levels of urinary citrate.
They can increase these levels by adding Colon Broom to their daily routine.
- Crystallized Lemon
This is a combination of citric acid, lemon oil, and lemon juice. It has some of the same core benefits as citric acid with some additional flavor.
There are also the added benefits of lemon oil and lemon juice. Lemon oil has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties.
It is most often used to make lemon essential oil for use in aromatherapy.
- Sea Salt
The final ingredient with medicinal properties is sea salt. Many people have the assumption that salt is bad and should be avoided.
In reality, it’s an essential mineral that our bodies require.
Consuming a healthy amount of sea salt each day can have a number of benefits on the inside and outside of the body.
Perhaps one of the biggest misconceptions is that sea salt will lead to dehydration. Drinking a glass of salty sea water is a bad idea but small amounts of sea salt can be used to boost water absorption.
The sodium also helps regulate fluid levels through osmosis.
Staying hydrated can be very difficult when you are dealing with constipation or diarrhea. The sea salt in Colon Broom will help the body retain more water throughout the day. Of course, you’ll still need to drink water during the day to experience the benefit.
Having more water in the body will also boost the effectiveness of the supplement.
Colon Broom pulls water into the stool to make it softer so that it will pass easier. If you’re dehydrated, then this won’t work and the product won’t be as effective.
The supplement instructions advise drinking a second glass of water immediately after taking the supplement.
- Other Ingredients
The remaining ingredients in Colon Broom are used for flavor and coloring. The supplement contains no sugar. Instead, it is sweetened using an extract from stevia leaves.
It is an all-natural sugar alternative that has 0 calories and can be 250 times sweeter.
Natural flavors, fruit juice, and vegetable juice are all added as well.
2. Metamucil Ingredient Overview
Metamucil has very similar key ingredients with only a few minor differences. The major ingredient in this supplement is also the psyllium dietary fiber obtained from the Plantago ovato husk.
The Metamucil 4-in-1 supplement has a slightly higher amount of fiber per serving which may be useful for people who deal with more severe constipation.
Because the main ingredient is the same; the major benefits of the supplement are also the same. Here are a few other benefits of psyllium in addition to those mentioned in the Colon Broom section.
Keep in mind that these benefits also apply to the previous supplement.
- Improve Heart Health
The boost to digestive health has a direct impact on heart health. Several studies have shown that soluble fiber can reduce cholesterol levels over time, thus reducing the risk of heart attack and other cardiovascular diseases.
Fiber supplements are an excellent investment for people over the age of 50 who have a greater risk of heart disease.
Psyllium does not affect cholesterol levels overnight. The research shows that it can take up to six weeks of daily ingestion before a noticeable difference occurs.
Psyllium supplements are a common recommendation for obese patients who want to lower their cholesterol levels without using potentially harmful medications.
- Control Blood Sugar
If you are a diabetic, then your doctor may have already recommended adding more fiber to your diet. Psyllium is a soluble fiber that is not digested by the body.
This means that it does not cause an immediate spike in blood sugar levels after eating.
In contrast, other forms of carbohydrates cause blood sugar spikes that need to be regulated with insulin.
Overall, a psyllium husk supplement can be used to control blood sugar levels if taken shortly before or after a meal. The fact that the Colon Broom and Metamucil can both help with weight loss also benefits blood sugar levels and diabetics in general.
There are only two other medicinal ingredients included in Metamucil. Then there are natural flavors, yellow 6 for coloring, and then aspartame as an alternative sweetener.
Let’s look at the other two active ingredients in the supplement.
- Maltodextrin
This is the second key ingredient in the Metamucil supplement. It is a processed carbohydrate that is commonly added to weight training supplements, nutrition bars, and certain snack foods.
It is most often seen as a white powder that is derived from rice, wheat, or potatoes.
It has very little taste and is primarily used to improve the texture and taste of the product.
A single gram of maltodextrin contains about four calories. That’s the same amount of energy as sugar. That’s why drinking Metamucil can provide a slight boost of energy after consumption despite not using sugar.
It’s also why maltodextrin is common in supplements used before working out.
The real problem with maltodextrin is that it is high on the glycemic index. It can potentially cause a spike in blood sugar levels shortly after consumption.
Luckily, the small amount of maltodextrin in Metamucil won’t likely cause a problem. And the other benefits of the supplement outweigh this setback.
If you notice that you experience significant blood sugar spikes after taking Metamucil, then you should speak with your doctor.
You may need to switch to an alternative like Colon Broom which does not contain maltodextrin.
- Citric Acid
The final active ingredient in Metamucil is citric acid. We covered this ingredient earlier for Colon Broom as well.
It has all of the same benefits, such as reducing harmful acid levels in the body and increasing the absorption rate of other minerals.
Citric acid is a great addition to just about any supplement for these benefits alone.
Taste Comparison
When two supplements are so similar in terms of ingredients it’s important to find their other differences. One of the biggest differences between these two supplements is their taste.
You will be drinking up to 2 glasses per day so you’ll want to be sure that you can stand the taste.
Of course, the taste is a personal preference so you won’t really know until you try it.
There are a few obvious taste differences that you can consider based on the ingredients alone. For example, Metamucil is an orange-flavored drink and Colon Broom is a strawberry-flavored drink.
If you don’t like either of these flavors or you are allergic to a particular fruit, then you should avoid that one and try the other.
The flavor is also going to be impacted by the sweeteners and other additives used. Colon Broom relies entirely on natural stevia leaf extract as a sweetener.
Metamucil 4-in-1 uses aspartame, maltodextrin, and yellow 6.
There is also an alternative Metamucil premium blend that uses stevia leaves instead of aspartame.
According to customer reviews, many people enjoy the strong strawberry flavor of Colon Broom. The citric acid and crystallized lemon also boost the flavor significantly.
Metamucil is said to have a more mild taste. If you don’t enjoy strong flavors, then you may prefer Metamucil.
Results Comparison: What Benefits Can You Expect from Each Product
1. Colon Broom Reported Benefits
Colon Broom works as an excellent laxative. It’s entirely natural and safe for consumption. It doesn’t contain any artificial ingredients or harmful additives.
Anyone who suffers from regular constipation, hemorrhoids, or IBS could benefit from this supplement.
Colon Broom also markets itself as a weight loss supplement. If losing weight is your primary goal, then you can still benefit greatly from adding this supplement to your daily routine.
It will improve your gut health, boost your metabolism, and help you shed a few extra pounds.
It’s important to note that this isn’t an overnight weight loss supplement. It can take 30 days before you notice any weight loss with Colon Broom.
It takes time for the body to adjust to the increased fiber intake. It also takes time for the prebiotic psyllium to encourage the growth of healthy bacteria.
You also can’t expect any weight loss results if you don’t exercise regularly and eat balanced meals. You don’t need to stick to the strictest diet in the world but consuming a healthy amount of calories and nutrients is important. Colon Broom is not powerful enough to overcome unhealthy lifestyle choices.
Many customers claim that Colon Broom helped improve their mood. This could be related to the reduced stress caused by regular bowel movements. Reduced pain and inflammation are also likely to reduce stress levels and improve mood. Some studies suggest improving gut bacteria can have a direct impact on your mood.
2. Metamucil Reported Benefits
Metamucil does not focus on the weight loss aspect of its ingredients. However, it still can encourage weight loss because it uses the same prebiotic ingredient to increase gut health. The Metamucil brand focuses more on regularity and digestive health in general.
Metamucil is a common supplement for seniors because of its potential heart health benefits. Lowering blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure are all good for long-term heart health. These are serious risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Seniors are at an increased risk of developing these conditions and thus benefit more from a supplement like Metamucil.
Price Comparison
1. Colon Broom Pricing Options
A single container of Colon Broom powder formula contains 60 servings and can be purchased for $79.99 through the Colon Broom Amazon store. The product is frequently discounted and has been available as low as $59.99.
2. Metamucil Pricing Options
Metamucil 4-in-1 is much cheaper. A single bottle contains 180 servings and can be purchased anywhere between $25 and $35 online.
Summary
Colon Broom and Metamucil are two very similar supplements that target the same demographic. They focus on improving regularity while offering a few additional benefits like weight loss and improved digestive health. The big differences between the two are the flavor, the sweeteners used, and a few secondary ingredients.
Both products have the potential to cause uncomfortable bloating after first use. It can take up to 72 hours for the initial bloating to end. The bloating is caused by the sudden increase in fiber from the psyllium husk. Continued use after 72 hours should prevent bloating from the fiber as well as constipation, IBS, and other medical conditions.
Overall, they are both great supplements that don’t make bold claims about their capabilities. They use very few ingredients that have been well-researched and are relatively harmless. At the end of the day, your decision between the two may be as simple as choosing between orange and strawberry flavors.
You Should Consider Colon Broom if…
- You want a natural and organic supplement
- You want a sugar-free, gluten-free, vegan supplement
- You want to lose weight and improve gut health over time
- You want additional ingredients like sea salt and crystallized lemon
- You prefer the taste of strawberry
You Should Consider Metamucil if…
- You prefer a brand with more experience
- You want to try a wider variety of supplements
- You want the option to take your supplement in a capsule form
- You want to spend less money on your fiber
- You prefer the taste of orange