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Garlic has been generally referred to as the monarch of herbs. Alfalfa was titled the herbal ‘king of kings’ by the Arabs. Fenugreek too is a member of the royal family of herbs.

Fenugreek has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine and traditional Indian medicine – Ayurveda and Siddha. The herb has been duly recognised in the 30-million page electronic encyclopedia of India’s traditional medical knowledge, being readied this year.

Fenugreek is one of the most versatile herbs that nature has gifted mankind. Used in earlier times by women in Libya and Egypt for weight gain and breast enhancement, it has been used in the fields of cosmetics and confectionary. In India, fenugreek seed was mixed with jaggery and used in the construction industry in ancient times. It has been used traditionally as horse and cattle feed, which helped make the animals robust and more productive.

A favourite condiment for spicing up food, it is an all-time favourite in the Jain community in particular, who are traditionally vegetarian. The leaves of the plant are used as a spinach and the seeds flavour curries. A few years ago a well-funded study was conducted by a herbal research institute in Sri Mahavirji, a revered Jain pilgrimage site in India. Amongst the findings it was noted that both the fenugreek leaves and seeds were very effective in treating a wide spectrum of skin conditions and for conditioning hair, and the seeds were an effective agent inter-alia, for treating throat infections and constipation.

For millennia, the herb has been credited with properties that can effectively overcome and cure over 40 medical conditions, some of which are life-threatening, including cancer, hypertension and diabetes. While there was no present-day scientific validation of claims made to overcome these serious medical conditions, some startling facts have emerged from recent research findings elaborated by Dr. Ray Sahclian and others in the medical profession. Studies on rodents and rabbits have proved beyond doubt that fenugreek has anti-ulcer, anti-tumour and immune-stimulating properties and acts as a cholesterol-lowering agent and antioxidant as well.

One of the most valuable findings in recent medical research has been that fenugreek is useful for blood glucose control, and in the treatment of type II diabetes in particular. Some years ago, the famous health writer Steven B. Karch, M.D. stated that “Claims about treating diabetes (with fenugreek) appear to have a basis in fact.” There appeared to be a degree of uncertainty about the hypoglycaemic action of the herb.

In studies conducted very recently at the Jaipur Diabetes and Research Centre, it was found that regular intake of fenugreek seeds improved blood sugar control, decreased serum triglycerides and increased HDL (good) cholesterol.

Another study in India concluded that “adjunct use of fenugreek seeds improves glycaemic control, and decreases insulin resistance in mild type II diabetic patients”.

Experiments at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University confirmed, after experiments on rats, that fenugreek decreased the fasting blood glucose levels considerably in the rodents under study.

An alternate and complementary therapy

Modern lifestyle, dietary habits, stress factors and the lack of physical activity are some of the factors that have contributed to a worldwide epidemic in diabetes. It is well-known that type I diabetes normally develops in children and juveniles. Type II diabetes, also called adult onset diabetes, developed in young or older adults.

Due to some of the factors stated above, an alarming flood of teenagers are developing type II diabetes. At this point of time, since there is no cure for the disease, its control is vital, and fenugreek has the ability to help in that direction.

It is inexpensive and has few side effects, if any. If one considers this complementary or alternate therapy, it is best to consult a qualified practitioner of alternate medicine.