FiberWise or Metamucil: which fiber drink fits your morning?

This page compares Melaleuca's FiberWise Drink with Metamucil Sugar-Free Orange, two orange fiber drinks. Metamucil costs less, about 39 cents a serving against 80 cents for FiberWise at the member price, while FiberWise blends seven fiber sources with prebiotics and probiotics, per Melaleuca.

Metamucil is a psyllium husk powder that has been on grocery shelves for decades. FiberWise is sold online through Melaleuca's membership model. Prices change, so check each brand's site for current pricing.

How FiberWise and Metamucil compare

FiberWise prices come from melaleuca.com product pages. Metamucil prices and label facts come from a major retailer's listing, which describes it as plant based and gluten free.

What is in each fiber drink?

Metamucil is simple: psyllium husk is the active ingredient, ground coarse so it stirs into water and thickens as it sits. According to the label, a rounded teaspoon holds about 3 g of fiber, and a 2-teaspoon serving holds 6 g, with 5 g of that soluble.

FiberWise is a blend. Melaleuca describes it as a drink with "seven diverse sources of fiber, soothing herbs, antioxidants, prebiotics, and probiotics" that provides "the optimal amounts of soluble and insoluble fiber." Check the canister label for FiberWise's fiber gram count per serving.

With a single-source powder, you know exactly what is in every glass. A blend spreads the job across several ingredients, which appeals to people who like one drink to cover more ground.

What does each cost per serving?

The large Metamucil Sugar-Free container holds 36.8 oz, about 180 doses, and costs $34.99 at a major retailer, or about 19 cents a dose. A 6 g serving takes two doses, so a full glass costs about 39 cents.

The FiberWise Orange canister makes 30 servings and lists at $35.00, or $1.17 a glass. At the preferred member price of $23.99, each serving costs 80 cents.

At these prices, Metamucil costs less per serving. FiberWise's case rests on what is in the scoop and the choice of flavors.

How do the flavors and sweeteners compare?

Both lean orange. Metamucil Sugar-Free Orange is sweetened with aspartame, and the label also lists maltodextrin and Yellow 6, so anyone avoiding a specific additive can check before buying.

FiberWise offers five flavors: Orange, Orange Sugar-Free, Berry Sugar-Free, Green Apple sweetened with stevia, and a Special Dietary Orange. Melaleuca's site shows a 4.7-star rating for the drink. A household that tires of one taste has other flavors to try, and the stevia option is a different sweetener from Metamucil's aspartame.

Who is each one for?

Metamucil fits the budget-minded household. It has one fiber, psyllium husk, and costs less per glass than FiberWise at either price. You can buy it at major retail stores with no membership. For a simple daily fiber drink at the lowest price per serving, it is the straightforward pick.

FiberWise fits someone who wants more in the glass than one fiber. Melaleuca's pitch is a blend of seven fiber sources with prebiotics and probiotics in one morning drink. It costs more: the member price of 80 cents a serving is about double Metamucil's 39 cents. Whether the blend is worth the difference is up to each household.

On buying: FiberWise is sold at melaleuca.com, where anyone can order and preferred members pay the lower prices. Metamucil is on shelves you already walk past, which helps when you run out and need more today.

Questions about FiberWise and Metamucil

Is FiberWise sugar free?

Melaleuca lists both a Sugar-Free Orange and a Sugar-Free Berry flavor, alongside the regular Orange, the stevia-sweetened Green Apple, and a Special Dietary Orange. The sugar-free flavors are the ones to look at if sugar is a concern.

Does Metamucil have probiotics?

No. Psyllium husk is the fiber source, and the label lists aspartame, maltodextrin and Yellow 6. The probiotics in this comparison come from FiberWise, per Melaleuca's description.

How many servings does each canister make?

FiberWise makes 30 servings per Orange canister. Metamucil's 36.8 oz canister holds about 180 doses, or 90 two-teaspoon servings; the 15 oz canister holds 72 doses, or 36 servings.

Before starting any fiber supplement, it makes sense to ask your doctor, especially if you take medications or have a condition that affects digestion.

If you want to see how Melaleuca's other products stack up, see all the Melaleuca comparisons.

Sources

• Metamucil Psyllium Sugar Free Powder, Orange, retailer listing
• FiberWise Drink, Melaleuca