Fenugreek - Side Effects, Uses and Benefits

What Is Fenugreek?

Fenugreek is an annual herb with light green leaves and small white flowers. It's part of the pea family (Fabaceae) and also known as Greek hay (Trigonella foenum-graecum).

 

Fenugreek plants are about 2 to 3 feet tall. Seed pods have 10-20 small yellow-brown, pungent, aromatic seeds.

 

Fenugreek is often used as medicine because of its bitter taste. It tastes similar to maple syrup, celery, and burnt sugar. It is much more pleasant when it is cooked.

 

Fenugreek is most commonly used for its graecum seeds. These are typically dried and ground. You can also use the leaves for cooking.

 

Fenugreek can be taken by mouth or used to form a paste that's applied to the skin to help heal inflammation. Fenugreek extracts are used in cosmetics and soap manufacturing.

 

The book Essential Oils in Food Preservation, Flavor and Safety explains that fenugreek oil and extract have antimicrobial, antioxidant, antitumorigenic, and antidiabetic properties. Cultivated in North Africa, the Middle East, Egypt and India, it has a long history as an ingredient in traditional medicine.

 

Fenugreek is a gum and emulsifier. This makes it useful for thickening food as well as stabilizing it. It is also used as an ingredient in food preparation to add flavor and spice.

 

Nutrition Facts

One serving -- 1 tablespoon -- of fenugreek seeds contains:

 

35.5 calories

Carbohydrates: 6.4 grams

2.5 grams protein

Fat of 0.7 grams

Fiber: 2.7g

3.7mgs iron (20% DV).

0.1 milligram manganese (7 percent DV)

Copper 0.1 mg (6 percent DV).

21 milligrams magnesium (5 percent DV)

32.6 milligrams phosphorus (3 percent DV)

0.1 milligram vitamin B6 (3 percent DV)

Health Benefits

Although more research is required to confirm all the benefits of this herb, it has been proven to be beneficial for many health problems. Here are nine benefits of fenugreek.

 

1. This can help improve your digestion and reduce cholesterol

This herb is good for digestive problems such as constipation, upset stomach, and inflammation. Research shows that fenugreek among other foods has water-soluble fiber which helps with constipation.

 

It also works to improve digestion and is often incorporated in an ulcerative colitis diet treatment plan due to its anti-inflammatory effects. It appears that this herb can benefit people with heart conditions such as hardening the arteries or high blood levels for certain fats like cholesterol and triglycerides.

 

It can also be used to treat diabetes. In fact, a study out of India showed that administering 2.5 grams of fenugreek supplement twice daily for three months to people dealing with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus significantly lowered cholesterol naturally, along with triglycerides, without affecting HDL cholesterol.

 

2. Combats Inflammation Inside the Body

Fenugreek is a natural remedy for inflammation, which can lead to health problems and diseases such as:

 

Mouth ulcers

Boils

Bronchitis

Infection of tissues below the skin's surface

Tuberculosis

Chronic cough

Cancer

Kidney disease

This herbal remedy may not only have preventative benefits for these conditions but it is also thought to lower blood sugar. It could be helpful in managing metabolic and nutritional disorders such as diabetes. A 2017 study concluded that "a simple complementary addition of fenugreek seeds can have a synergistic effect along with diet control and exercise on fasting blood glucose."

 

Patients with type 2 diabetes were given 10 grams of the seeds, soaked in hot water each day.

 

Fenugreek is believed to slow down the absorption of sugars from the stomach and increase insulin. Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to Fenugreek as a "phlegm moving" spice. It is believed to be able to release stuck energies and reduce inflammation.

 

International Immunopharmacology published research on the anti-inflammatory as well as antioxidant effects of Fenugreek Mucilage on arthritis rats. It also confirmed its ability to reduce inflammation. The study also showed that fenugreek may have a beneficial effect on adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats, which could indicate that this herb may be a natural treatment for arthritis.

 

3. Helps Increase Libido in Men

Some fenugreek uses for men include treating hernias, erectile dysfunction and other male problems, such as baldness. This is because it can increase sexual arousal or testosterone levels.

 

While it's best to consult with a physician before using natural therapies for treating disease or improving sexual performance, fenugreek seed powder, fenugreek tea and tablets have been shown to increase sexual desire and performance in men, as well as naturally remedy impotence.

 

A study published in Phytotherapy Research found that 60 men aged between 25 and 52 with no history or erectile dysfunction received either a placebo, 600 mgs of fenugreek extract daily for six weeks.

 

The participants completed self-evaluations and noted the effects of fenugreek on their libidos. Ultimately, the study found that fenugreek extract had a significant influence on sexual arousal, energy and stamina and helped participants maintain normal testosterone levels.

 

4. Promotes Milk Flow in Breastfeeding

Fenugreek also helps breastfeeding women who may experience low milk supply. It can increase breast milk production because it acts as a galactagogue.

 

Galactagogues can be substances that increase milk supply. They stimulate the milk ducts and can increase milk production in as little as 24 hours.

 

While further research is necessary to determine the exact safety and efficacy fenugreek has for breast milk production, many scientific journals have published studies that show its effectiveness in promoting milk flow.

 

Although this is a potential fenugreek seeds benefit for women, researchers generally recommend that seeking help from a lactation consultant should be your first course of action if you're having issues with breast milk production.

 

5. It can be used to treat skin, scalp and wound issues

Fenugreek has been shown to reduce inflammation. It can also be used externally as an ointment. This can be used to treat external inflammation, according to research.

 

Muscle pain and swelling, as well as lymph nodes irritation

Gout

Wounds

Leg ulcers

Sciatica

Dandruff

Eczema

To ensure the area does not become further inflamed or burn, it is important to first test it.

 

There are also fenugreek benefits for hair. Although limited research has been done, it is believed that fenugreek and fenugreek seed paste can be used to enhance hair texture and promote hair growth.

 

6. Adds flavor and spice

In foods, fenugreek powder is often included as an ingredient in spice blends, mostly found in Indian fare, such as curried dishes. It is also used in imitation maple syrup, tobacco, foods, drinks, and tobacco as a flavoring agent.

 

You can also use fenugreek leaf in salads. Indian cuisine uses both dried and fresh fenugreek.

 

7. It helps increase appetite

Fenugreek's flavor enhancement properties are not the only benefits. It also increases appetite, which is a result of its nutritive and restorative properties.

 

A study was published in Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior. It examined the impact of a fenugreek seeds extract on feeding behavior. Experiments were performed to determine food consumption and motivation to eat, as well as metabolic-endocrine changes.

 

The results showed that chronic oral administration of the fenugreek extract significantly increased food intake and the motivation to eat. The report also indicated, however, that the treatment does not prevent anorexia nor the decreased motivation to eat.

 

8. May Enhance Exercise Performance

The Journal of Sports Science and Medicine reports a study on the effects of combined creatine and fenugreek oil supplementation on strength and body composition in men.

 

47 resistance-trained men were split into two groups based on their body weight. Each group then took either 70 grams of a dextrose placebo, five grams of creatine and 70 grams of dextrose, or 3.5 grams of creatine and 900 milligrams of fenugreek extract and participated in a four-day-a-week periodized resistance-training program for eight weeks.

 

Body composition, muscular strength endurance and anaerobic capacity of participants were tested. The creatine/fenugreek group showed significant increases in lean mass, bench press and leg press strength.

 

The study concluded that creatine combined with fenugreek extract supplementation had a significant impact on upper body strength and body composition as effectively as the combination of creatine with dextrose.

 

This is why it's so good. This is why fenugreek is so good.

 

9. Increases blood sugar

Ingestion of hot-water-soaked fenugreek seed extracts in combination with type 2 diabetes treatment was shown to be effective in a clinical trial.

 

In the eight-week study, 11 participants consumed hot water-soaked fenugreek nuts, and seven consumed yogurt-mixed fenugreek nuts over the same period. The participants who consumed the seeds soaked in hot water showed significant improvement in blood glucose levels compared with the group that ate the seeds mixed with yogurt.

 

What is fenugreek, exactly? - Dr. Axe

How to Use (plus Recipes)

Fenugreek's long history has been both a medicinal and culinary herb. Fenugreek is used to cook, stimulate milk production and for traditional remedies such as diabetes and lack of appetite.

 

It's also applied to the skin and hair to reduce inflammation.

 

Here are some of these most common uses for plants:

 

Breast milk production: Fenugreek supplements or tea may help boost breast milk production, especially in the days immediately following child birth.

Digestive issues: Fenugreek seed powder, tea or supplements can help with constipation, upset stomach, and loss of appetite.

Inflammation: Fenugreek extract can be applied topically as a poultice to reduce inflammation and pain.

Cholesterol: Although evidence is mixed, fenugreek powder or supplementation may be able to lower high cholesterol levels.

Skin health: Fenugreek seed oil or powder can be applied topically to improve skin health, and decrease the symptoms of inflammatory diseases.

Hair health: To use as an herbal remedy for your hair, combine fenugreek seed powder with coconut oil or aloe vera and massage the mixture into your scalp. Let it sit for five to 10 minutes before you rinse.

Exercise performance: Fenugreek supplementation for eight weeks can improve exercise performance as well as decrease body fat.

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