Fenugreek diabetes is believed to control both glucose & cholesterol levels in blood. Additionally, it nourishes digestive system, liver and promotes respiratory health.
What is Fenugreek?
Trigonella foenum-graecum is a plant of the family Fabaceae. Fenugreek leaves are useful as herb and their yellow colored seeds as a spice.
Fenugreek is cultivated in Nepal, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Egypt, France, Spain, Turkey, and Morocco. Fenugreek is the small stony seeds from the pod of beans. The seeds are yellow color, hard and angular.
Fenugreek is an erect hairy annual plant of the bean family, which grow to a height of 30 to 60 cm (i.e. 1 to 2 feet). The leaves are tripartite (divided into three parts), toothed, grey green flat egg shaped of length 20 to 25 mm (i.e. 0.75 to 1 inch). The flowers are white or pale yellow. The bean or pads are thin, sword shaped with 10 to 15 cm (i.e. 4 to 6 inches) length, with a curved tip. Each pad can contain some 10 to 20 fenugreek seeds.
Diabetes Fenugreek
Fenugreek tea recipe - Take one-teaspoon fenugreek seed and add it into one cup of water, boil and steep it for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and drink with or without sweetener (Stevia). Fenugreek tea is taken as hot or cold.
Bioactive constituents - Fenugreek seeds contain alkaloid trigonelline and protein high in lysine and L-tryptophan. Fenugreek has steroidal saponins; diosgenin, yamogenin, tigogenin, and neotigogenin are thought to inhibit cholesterol absorption and synthesis. Mucilaginous fiber is thought to have beneficial effects of lower blood-sugar-levels.
Hypoglycemic action mechanisms - Studies on fenugreek show improvement in HDL-cholesterol levels (31% increase). These findings also indicate as a useful and well-tolerated treatment for insulin resistance, both directly as a hypoglycemic and as a protective agent for the liver.
Many study concluded that Trigonella foenum-graecum extract could lower kidney /body weight ratio, blood-glucose and blood-lipid levels in experimental diabetic rats following repeated treatment for six weeks.
Fenugreek dosage - Recommended dosage is 5 to 30 g of defatted fenugreek taken three times a day with meals.
Fenugreek Diabetes Safety - It is used commonly as eaten food; fenugreek is generally regarded as safe. The only common side effect is mild gastrointestinal distress, when it is take in high doses. Extracts of fenugreek; shows to stimulate uterine contractions in Guinea pigs, so pregnant women should not take high dosages of fenugreek, perhaps 5-g daily.
Fenugreek Diabetes Studies
- Soluble dietary fibre fraction of Trigonella foenum-graecum (fenugreek) seed improves glucose homeostasis in animal models of type 1 and type 2 diabetes by delaying carbohydrate digestion and absorption, and enhancing insulin action. This study is conducted by Hannan JM, Ali L, Rokeya B, Khaleque J, Akhter M, Flatt PR, Abdel-Wahab YH. at School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, UK. The study result show that the Soluble Dietary Fiber fraction of Trigonella foenum-graecum seeds exerts antidiabetic effects mediated through inhibition of carbohydrate digestion and absorption, and enhancement of peripheral insulin action.
- Effect of Trigonella foenum-graecum (fenugreek) extract on blood-glucose, blood-lipid and hemorheological properties in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. This study is conducted by Xue WL, Li XS, Zhang J, Liu YH, Wang ZL, Zhang RJ. at Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 76 West Yanta Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China 710061. This study result show, Trigonella foenum graecum extract can lower kidney/body weight ratio, blood-glucose, blood-lipid-levels and improve hemorheological properties in experimental diabetic rats following repeated treatment for six weeks.
- The hypoglycemic activity of fenugreek seed extracts is mediated through the stimulation of an insulin-signaling pathway. This study is conducted by Maleppillil Vavachan Vijayakumar, Sandeep Singh, Rishi Raj Chhipa & Manoj Kumar Bhat at National Centre for Cell Science, NCCS Complex, Pune University Campus, Ganeshkhind, Pune-411 007, India. This study result show that a dialyzed aqueous extract of fenugreek seeds possesses hypoglycemic properties, and that it stimulates insulin-signaling pathways in adipocytes and liver cells. In addition, the in vitro models and methods described in this study could be used for screening the activity of natural compounds suitable for the development of new anti-diabetic drugs. You can visit Pubmed (National Center for Biotechnology Information) for further information.
- Hypoglycemic effect of a novel dialyzed fenugreek seed extracts is sustainable and is mediated, in part, by the activation of hepatic enzymes. This study is conducted by Vijayakumar MV, Bhat MK at National Centre for Cell Science, NCCS Complex, Ganeshkhind, Pune 411 007, India. The study result show that this novel FSE preparation can correct metabolic alterations associated with diabetes by exhibiting insulin-like properties and has a potential for clinical applications. You can visit Pubmed (National Center for Biotechnology Information) for further information.
Fenugreek Benefits - Medicinal Uses
- Digestion-related conditions such as pain, cramps associated with digestion problems. It reduces intestinal gas, cure bloating of stomach, diarrhea, and restore digestive system.
- Relief chronic cough, sore throat, treats skin irritations, anemia, bad breath, respiratory infections, and mouth ulcers.
- Fenugreek helps menopausal symptoms, induces childbirth, increases milk supply in lactating women, fenugreek tea made of fenugreek leaves can relieve arthritis pain.
- Traditional Chinese Medicine (names as Hu Lu Ba) use fenugreek seeds, they consider fenugreek could warm and tonify kidneys. Swallowing 2 to 3 grams of fenugreek seeds early in the morning in an empty stomach, before brushing the teeth and having morning tea or coffee can help heal joint pains without any side effects.
Treatment procedure for Fenugreek diabetes
Diabetes fenugreek is believed to be effective in the treatment of type 2 diabetes without any major known side effects. Still do not give up your diabetes conventional medications; take the fenugreek along with it until the glucose level in blood reaches normal. Then slowly reduce the dosage of the conventional medicine and finally discard if possible. For type 1 diabetes, you can take the fenugreek along with insulin therapy, in a due course, you may be able to reduce insulin shot’s requirement.