Fenugreek

Last Updated: December 19, 2024

Fenugreek is a plant supplemented for its libido enhancing and anti-diabetic effects.

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Fenugreek is most often used for

Summary

Trigonella foenum-graecum, commonly known as fenugreek, is a popular herb in Arabic regions and India. It has traditionally been used to enhance libido and masculinity.

Fenugreek has also been used to treat blood sugar and metabolism conditions like diabetes.

Fenugreek tea has also been recommended to new mothers to enhance milk production. Although evidence for this claim is limited, it seems to be accurate. One human study has shown that fenugreek supplementation can also enhance testosterone, but because additional evidence shows conflicting results, further evidence is needed to confirm this effect.

Fenugreek’s most well-known compound is 4-hydroxyisoleucine, which works to normalize glucose metabolism. The other compounds, called trigonelline, galactomannan, and trigoneosides, also work together to provide benefits for blood sugar.

Supplementing fenugreek may cause body secretions, including urine, to smell like maple syrup. This is due to a metabolite called sotolon.

What are other names for Fenugreek?
Note that Fenugreek is also known as:
  • fenugreek seeds
  • Trigonella foenum-graecum
Dosage information

Fenugreek doses vary based on the goals of supplementation.

New mothers that want to increase breast milk production should aim for 500-1000 mg of fenugreek. Men who want to increase testosterone or libido could consider taking between 500-600 mg of a standardized fenugreek formulation, such as the commonly used product called ‘Testofen’. Testofen has 50% fenusides by weight.

Fenugreek seeds are very versatile. They can be eaten as seeds, brewed into a tea, made into flour and baked into bread, or pressed into oil. Eating seeds or using fenugreek flour is the most effective form of fenugreek for blood sugar control. An oral dose of 2-5 grams of fenugreek seeds can help blood glucose levels for diabetics.

In fenugreek trials, it is typically taken on a daily basis.

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References
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Examine Database References
  1. Estrogen - Wilborn C, Taylor L, Poole C, Foster C, Willoughby D, Kreider REffects of a purported aromatase and 5α-reductase inhibitor on hormone profiles in college-age menInt J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab.(2010 Dec)
  2. Estrogen - Brandon Bushey, Lem W. Taylor, Colin W. Wilborn, Chris Poole, Cliffa A. Foster, Bill Campbell, Richard B. Kreider, Darryn S. WilloughbyFenugreek Extract Supplementation Has No effect on the Hormonal Profile of Resitance-Trained MalesInternational Journal of Exercise Science.()
  3. Blood glucose - Abdel-Barry JA, Abdel-Hassan IA, Jawad AM, al-Hakiem MHHypoglycaemic effect of aqueous extract of the leaves of Trigonella foenum-graecum in healthy volunteersEast Mediterr Health J.(2000 Jan)
  4. Insulin - Chevassus H, Gaillard JB, Farret A, Costa F, Gabillaud I, Mas E, Dupuy AM, Michel F, Cantié C, Renard E, Galtier F, Petit PA fenugreek seed extract selectively reduces spontaneous fat intake in overweight subjectsEur J Clin Pharmacol.(2010 May)
  5. Appetite - Chevassus H, Molinier N, Costa F, Galtier F, Renard E, Petit PA fenugreek seed extract selectively reduces spontaneous fat consumption in healthy volunteersEur J Clin Pharmacol.(2009 Dec)
  6. Blood glucose - Kochhar A, Nagi MEffect of supplementation of traditional medicinal plants on blood glucose in non-insulin-dependent diabetics: a pilot studyJ Med Food.(2005 Winter)
  7. Blood glucose - Losso JN, Holliday DL, Finley JW, Martin RJ, Rood JC, Yu Y, Greenway FLFenugreek bread: a treatment for diabetes mellitusJ Med Food.(2009 Oct)
  8. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) - Gupta A, Gupta R, Lal BEffect of Trigonella foenum-graecum (fenugreek) seeds on glycaemic control and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a double blind placebo controlled studyJ Assoc Physicians India.(2001 Nov)
  9. Prostate Specific Antigen - Steels E, Rao A, Vitetta LPhysiological Aspects of Male Libido Enhanced by Standardized Trigonella foenum-graecum Extract and Mineral FormulationPhytother Res.(2011 Feb 10)
  10. Glycogen Resynthesis - Ruby BC, Gaskill SE, Slivka D, Harger SGThe addition of fenugreek extract (Trigonella foenum-graecum) to glucose feeding increases muscle glycogen resynthesis after exerciseAmino Acids.(2005 Feb)
  11. Glycogen Resynthesis - Slivka D, Cuddy J, Hailes W, Harger S, Ruby BGlycogen resynthesis and exercise performance with the addition of fenugreek extract (4-hydroxyisoleucine) to post-exercise carbohydrate feedingAmino Acids.(2008 Aug)
  12. Milk Production - Vida Ghasemi, Masoomeh Kheirkhah, Mohsen VahediThe Effect of Herbal Tea Containing Fenugreek Seed on the Signs of Breast Milk Sufficiency in Iranian Girl InfantsIran Red Crescent Med J.(2015 Aug 15)
  13. Milk Production - Reena Ravi, Jasmine JosephEffect of fenugreek on breast milk production and weight gain among Infants in the first week of lifeClinical Epidemiology and Global Health.()
  14. Milk Production - Siew Cheng Foong, May Loong Tan, Wai Cheng Foong, Lisa A Marasco, Jacqueline J Ho, Joo Howe OngOral galactagogues (natural therapies or drugs) for increasing breast milk production in mothers of non-hospitalised term infantsCochrane Database Syst Rev.(2020 May 18)
  15. Appetite - Mathern JR, Raatz SK, Thomas W, Slavin JLEffect of fenugreek fiber on satiety, blood glucose and insulin response and energy intake in obese subjectsPhytother Res.(2009 Nov)
  16. Milk Production - Turkyılmaz C, Onal E, Hirfanoglu IM, Turan O, Koç E, Ergenekon E, Atalay YThe effect of galactagogue herbal tea on breast milk production and short-term catch-up of birth weight in the first week of lifeJ Altern Complement Med.(2011 Feb)