Spice Up Your Life with Fenugreek

by: Julia Hanf

While Fenugreek seeds are used extensively in the recipes of countries in the Middle and Far East it is not as well known as many other spices in the US. In the US you can typically find Fenugreek as a flavoring in artificial maple syrups. Not only does Fenugreek give a remarkable flavor to food but it also has several very important disease preventing characteristics.

Historically the ancient Assyrians cultivated fenugreek centuries before the time of Christ, and dried fenugreek seeds were used medicinally in traditional Indian, Greek, and Arabian medicine. Ancient Egyptians used fenugreek to induce childbirth. The seeds are commonly used in Indian curries, Egyptian bread, and to prepare a coffee substitute in northern Africa.

Fenugreek, which has anti-diabetic potency similar to cinnamon, is one of the most valuable spices for the control of glucose metabolism and thus the prevention and treatment of Type II diabetes. Remarkably, it has been shown to lower blood glucose levels of Type II diabetics by as much as 46 percent.

Recent studies have investigated the blood cholesterol-lowering and blood glucose-lowering properties of fenugreek seeds, both in normal subjects and in those with diabetes. Significant reductions in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, but not HDL cholesterol levels, have been observed in non-insulin-dependent diabetics consuming 25 grams of fenugreek per day. The beneficial effects were sustained over five to six months. With only five grams of fenugreek a day, fasting and post-meal blood glucose levels were significantly reduced in those persons with diabetes. Today fenugreek is recognized as a useful botanical aid in the treatment of persons with diabetes.

Fenugreek seeds are rich in a type of dietary fiber that alters blood glucose levels by delaying the absorption of sugar in the intestines. It has also been shown to reduce the absorption of fat and cholesterol from the intestines thereby providing added protection against heart disease and obesity.

Fenugreek has also been proven to be beneficial when dealing with diabetes-related cataracts. In diabetics the enzymes that control glucose uptake into the lens of the eye do not function normally. Fenugreek has been shown to partially reverse both the metabolic changes in the lens and to reduce the density of the cataract.

While other spices like chilies and cinnamon hold the culinary and medicinal headlines, the research into fenugreek is showing us that this spice has health benefits on a par with, or even superior to, those of the better known spices.