Native region and environment: fenugreek (also known as Egyptian hay) is a flowering, fragrant herb from the pea family. The bright green pods produce seeds that are a golden yellow color. Fenugreek is native to the north African Mediterranean and Indian subcontinent. It has been harvested and cultivated in the region for over 6000 years! It is an adaptable dry weather crop that can be grown from sea to the 2000-foot level.
This fenugreek monograph provides basic information about fenugreek—common names, usefulness and safety, and resources for more information. Browse more herbal monographs.
Fenugreek is one of the oldest known crops in India. The initial references to diabetes (madhumeha) have been found in classical texts of Ayurveda for millennia. In addition, Araee et al. (2009) reported a wide range of medicinal uses, including for the treatment of inflammation, tumors, cardiovascular diseases, renal insufficiency, infections and metabolic disorders. In Ayurveda, the primary symptom in Prameha disorder is polyuria or frequent urination and all types of Prameha are distinguished by the different types of urine. “The etiology matches with modern medicine where sedentary lifestyle, improper dietary habits and genetic factors are described as causative factors.”[1] As such, fenugreek has been used to treat diabetes for centuries in India.
Fenugreek constituents & diabetes
Fenugreek is an herb commonly used to treat T2DM on the Indian subcontinent today, both the leaves and seeds. It has been shown to improve a body’s ability to maintain glucose homeostasis through several mechanisms. Glucomannan, a mucilaginous fiber, delays sugar absorption in the intestine. Alkaloids in fenugreek seed (fenugrecin and trigonelline) help the body lower the level of sugar in the blood. Amino acids in the herb encourage the liver to release more insulin. It has also been reported that steroidal saponins in fenugreek can improve hypercholesterolemia, a disorder often associated with diabetes. The galactomannan and saponins from fenugreek lower blood glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride and free fatty acids levels and reduce abdominal fat.[2]
Fenugreek Preparation & Dosing *
*Always check with your doctor before taking any alternative therapy.
“Fenugreek leaves and seeds are commonly used for flavoring and as a spice in curries due to their strong flavor and aroma”.[3] If you are interested in working with fenugreek, I would recommend you buy this product from a trusted supplier like Mountain Rose Herbs.
Daily Dosage Table: Fenugreek seeds[4]
Format
Dosage
Preparation
Dried seed
50-100g
Divided throughout day; taken with meals
Tincture
2-6mL
1:2 (fenugreek : alcohol) 40% proof
Fenugreek safety and contraindications
With a safety rating of 2b and interaction class A, fenugreek is generally a safe herb to take, but should not be taken while pregnant. It is recommended that other drugs be taken 1 hour prior to the consumption of fenugreek. As with any hypoglycemiant, monitory your blood sugar closely while taking this herb.
Potential Drug Interactions
None known.
Fenugreek References
[1] Ranade M, Mudgalkar N. A simple dietary addition of fenugreek seed leads to the reduction in blood glucose levels: A parallel group, randomized single-blind trial. Ayurveda 2017;38:24-7.
[2] Basu TK, Srichamroen A (2010) Health benefits of fenugreek in (Trigonella foenum-graecum leguminosse) bioactive foods in promoting health: fruits and vegetables, Elsevier, pp 425–35
[3] Peter, K.V. (2012) Handbook of Herbs and Spices, Vol. 1., 2nd Edition. Woodhead Publishing
[4] Braun & Cohen (2015) Herbs & Natural Supplements Vol 2. , Elsevier, Sydney Australia
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Source: National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)[Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US), National Center for Biotechnology Information; [1988] – [cited 2018 Apr 5]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
To conduct an ethnobotanical survey and document the traditional anticancer and antidiabetic plants used by the local tribes of Mizoram, Northeast India.
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is associated with the progression of cognitive dysfunction. Physical activity benefits cognition, but no evidence from randomized clinical trials has shown whether tai chi chuan has better long-term benefits than fitness walking in cognitive function for patients with T2D and mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) accounts for >90% of the cases of diabetes in adults. Resistance to insulin action is the major cause that leads to chronic hyperglycemia in diabetic patients. T2DM is the consequence of activation of multiple pathways and factors involved in insulin resistance and β-cell dysfunction. Also, the etiology of T2DM involves the complex interplay between genetics and environmental factors. This interplay can be governed efficiently by lifestyle modifications to achieve better management of diabetes. The present review aims at discussing the major factors involved in the development of T2DM that remain unfocussed during the anti-diabetic therapy. The review also focuses on lifestyle modifications that are warranted for the successful management of T2DM. In addition, it attempts to explain flaws in current strategies to combat diabetes. The employability of phytoconstituents as multitargeting molecules and their potential use as effective therapeutic adjuvants to first line hypoglycemic agents to prevent side effects caused by the synthetic drugs are also discussed.
Obesity and diabetes are closely related metabolic disorders that have become major public health concerns worldwide. Over the past few decades, numerous studies have explored the underlying mechanisms of these disorders and identified various risk factors, including genetics, lifestyle, and dietary habits. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been increasingly recognized for its potential to manage obesity and diabetes. Weight loss is difficult to sustain, and several diabetic therapies, such as sulfonylureas, thiazolidinediones, and insulin, might make it harder to lose weight. While lifestyle changes should be the primary approach for people interested in lowering weight, drugs are also worth investigating. Since some of the newer glucose-lowering medications that cause weight loss, such as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), are additionally utilized or are under consideration for use as anti-obesity drugs, the frontier between glucose-lowering medication and weight loss drugs appears to be shifting. This review provides an overview of the literature on the underlying mechanisms of obesity and diabetes and the prospect of TCM in their management. We discuss the various TCM interventions, including acupuncture, herbal medicine, and dietary therapy, and their effects on metabolic health. We also highlight the potential of TCM in regulating gut microbiota, reducing inflammation, and improving insulin sensitivity. The findings suggest that TCM may provide a promising approach to preventing and managing obesity and diabetes. However, further well-designed studies are needed to confirm the efficacy and safety of TCM interventions and to elucidate their underlying mechanisms of action.
Plant-derived phytochemicals have been interested in as nutraceuticals for preventing the onset and progress of diabetes mellitus and its serious complications in recent years. Lam. is used in vegetables and in herbal medicine for its health-promoting properties against various diseases including diabetes mellitus. This study aimed to examine an effect of on diabetic hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia by meta-analyzing the current evidence of diabetic rodent models. Peer-reviewed studies written in English from two databases, PubMed and Embase, were searched to 30 April 2021. Studies reporting blood glucose or lipid levels in diabetic rodents with and without receiving extracts of were included. Forty-four studies enrolling 349 diabetic rodents treated with extracts of and 350 diabetic controls reported blood glucose levels. The pooled effect size was -3.92 (95% CI: -4.65 to -3.19) with a substantial heterogeneity. This effect was likely to be, at least in part, modified by the type of diabetic models. Moreover, diabetic hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia were also significantly improved in diabetic rodent models treated with .
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PubMed Articles About
Source: National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)[Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US), National Center for Biotechnology Information; [1988] – [cited 2018 Apr 5]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
