Brigitte Mars, A.H.G.
See book keywords and concepts |
 Energetic Correspondences
• Flavor: bitter
• Temperature: warm
• Moisture: moist
• Polarity: yang
• Planet: Mercury
• Element: air
Contraindications
Avoid fenugreek seed during pregnancy, as it can be a uterine stimulant. Although fenugreek can be used to lower blood sugar levels, diabetics should use it for this purpose only with guidance from a qualified health-care practitioner.
Range and Appearance
Fenugreek, an annual native to western Asia and the Middle East, grows to about 1 to 2 feet in height and resembles a large clover. |
Gabriel Cousens
See book keywords and concepts |
 Administration of 5 grams of powdered fenugreek seed (as a 2.5-g capsule twice daily) resulted in significant lowering of blood glucose (fasting and post-prandial) in non-insulin-dependent diabetics with and without coronary artery disease (CAD). In the diabetic patients with CAD, fenugreek also significantly lowered total cholesterol and triglyceride levels.179 In another study, defatted fenugreek seed powder was given to insulin-dependent diabetes patients at 100 g daily in two divided doses over ten days. |
Joe Graedon, M.S. and Teresa Graedon, Ph.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 I looked up fenugreek as a spice and found that it is a medicinal herb.
It is used to lower cholesterol and control blood sugar. The only side effect I found is nausea if you take too much. What do you know about this herb?
A. Studies in animals and humans show that fenugreek can lower cholesterol and blood sugar. If diabetics take fenugreek, they should monitor their blood sugar to make sure it doesn't fall too much.
Fenugreek seeds are rich in soluble fiber and can be used to treat constipation. At high doses, this herb can cause digestive distress. |
Ben-Erik van Wyk
See book keywords and concepts |
 Trigonella foenum-graecum fenugreek
Fenugreek plant fenugreek seeds
Description A sparse annual herb of up to 0.8 m in height bearing compound leaves with three markedly toothed leaflets. The small white flowers have no stalks and are clustered in the leaf axils. They develop into slender, slightly curved pods that are prominently beaked, each containing up to 20 angular, yellowish brown seeds. Origin & history Indigenous to southern Europe and Western Asia. fenugreek has been grown since ancient times (e.g. |
Bottom Line Health
See book keywords and concepts |
| If you have enlarged tonsils, add fenugreek tea to your daily regimen. fenugreek reduces swelling and inflammation in the tonsils and lymphatic system, eventually eliminating bad breath. Use 1 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds per cup of water. Gently simmer for 10 minutes, then strain and drink 16 ounces each day. If your tonsils remain enlarged for more than one week, see your doctor. You may have a bacterial infection.
•Indigestion. Coffee not only leaves a bitter residue in the mouth, but also interferes with digestion. Both of these problems lead to bad breath. |
Gabriel Cousens
See book keywords and concepts |
| In another study, defatted fenugreek seed powder was given to insulin-dependent diabetes patients at 100 g daily in two divided doses over ten days. The treated group exhibited a 54 percent decrease in twenty-four-hour urine excretion of glucose, as well as a reduction in total cholesterol.180 fenugreek seeds are also 55 percent fiber, so they slow down the rapid absorption of glucose. fenugreek normalizes glucose after meals and improves insulin response in the body, and it lowers total cholesterol and triglycerides.
CINNAMON
Cinnamon is a powerful herb for blood sugar control. Dr. |
Brigitte Mars, A.H.G.
See book keywords and concepts |
| Although fenugreek can be used to lower blood sugar levels, diabetics should use it for this purpose only with guidance from a qualified health-care practitioner.
Range and Appearance
Fenugreek, an annual native to western Asia and the Middle East, grows to about 1 to 2 feet in height and resembles a large clover. The flowers are trifoliate and toothed; the flowers, which grow in the leaf axils, have a yellow-violet corolla. The brownish seeds are contained in long, narrow, sickle-shaped pods. Each seed is oblong, with a deep furrow dividing it into two unequal lobes. |
Gabriel Cousens
See book keywords and concepts |
| The treated group exhibited a 54 percent decrease in twenty-four-hour urine excretion of glucose, as well as a reduction in total cholesterol.180 fenugreek seeds are also 55 percent fiber, so they slow down the rapid absorption of glucose. fenugreek normalizes glucose after meals and improves insulin response in the body, and it lowers total cholesterol and triglycerides.
CINNAMON
Cinnamon is a powerful herb for blood sugar control. Dr. Richard Anderson, in a study with the U.S. |
Joe Graedon, M.S. and Teresa Graedon, Ph.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
| Studies in animals and humans show that fenugreek can lower cholesterol and blood sugar. If diabetics take fenugreek, they should monitor their blood sugar to make sure it doesn't fall too much.
Fenugreek seeds are rich in soluble fiber and can be used to treat constipation. At high doses, this herb can cause digestive distress.
• • •
GYMNEMA SYLVESTRE
This herb comes from India and has been used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. Animal studies have demonstrated that it is capable of lowering blood sugar. |
Gabriel Cousens
See book keywords and concepts |
| Fenugreek seeds are also 55 percent fiber, so they slow down the rapid absorption of glucose. fenugreek normalizes glucose after meals and improves insulin response in the body, and it lowers total cholesterol and triglycerides.
CINNAMON
Cinnamon is a powerful herb for blood sugar control. Dr. Richard Anderson, in a study with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, found that cinnamon can improve glucose metabolism in fat cells by twenty-fold. |
Brigitte Mars, A.H.G.
See book keywords and concepts |
| Topically, fenugreek can be used as a compress to treat abscesses, boils, burns, cellulitis, and swollen glands. It makes a fine gargle for sore throat, douche for leukorrhea, eyewash for inflamed eyes, and compress for chapped hands, and it also can be used as a facial wash.
Edible Uses
Fenugreek seeds can be sprouted as a salad green. They have a flavor somewhere between that of bitter celery, burnt sugar, and maple syrup, and they combine well in tea with a bit of cinnamon bark or a spoonful of honey. The roasted seeds can be brewed as a coffee substitute. |
| Green Manures: Both fenugreek and licorice make good green manures. Cultivating these plants and then turning under the crop will help fix nitrogen in the soil.
FEVERFEW
Botanical Name
Tanacetum parthenium (formerly Chrysanthemum parthenium)
Fenugreek has long been used in Egyptian, Ayurvedic, and Chinese medicine. It contains six compounds that help stabilize blood sugar levels. |
Gabriel Cousens
See book keywords and concepts |
| Middle Eastern cuisine features garlic, mint, oregano, cinnamon, parsley, sesame, and fenugreek. For Indian cuisine, one should use garlic, ginger, cardamom, curry mixtures, cumin, and the general masala taste, as well as sesame, saffron, cinnamon, fenugreek, turmeric, and fennel. For American cuisine, use garlic, oregano, dill, cinnamon, and chiles.
Each culture also emphasizes different foods. For example, in Italian and Sicilian cuisine, lemon, olives, tomato, and spinach are used. Thai and Balinese cuisines emphasize lime and coconut. Mexican and Spanish use lime, tomato, and avocado. |
Tori Hudson, N.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 Herbal sources include rose hips, parsley, saffron, dandelion, dulse (seaweed), kelp, and fenugreek.
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
Recommended dietary allowance (RDA):
Pregnant: 1.4 mg per day Nursing: 1.6 mg per day
Food sources: watercress (avoid in first trimester), brown rice
Herbal sources: rose hips, parsley, saffron, dandelion, dulse (seaweed), kelp, fenugreek
Vitamin B! (Thiamine). Direct correlation has been shown between supplementation of vitamin B) (thiamine) early in pregnancy and higher infant birth weight and size. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
See book keywords and concepts |
 And then there's fenugreek, an herb that also has a beneficial effect on blood sugar. It reduces fasting blood glucose (blood sugar) when used at the dosage of 1.5 to 2 mg per kg of body weight. (Note: Just to be on the safe side, I wouldn't use fenugreek while pregnant; be aware of this, since many people may first discover they have PCOS while trying to conceive.)
Weight Loss: Slow but Successful
The single most effective thing you can do to help the symptoms of PCOS is to lose weight. |
Tori Hudson, N.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
| Herbal sources include alfalfa, dandelion, fenugreek, raspberry leaf, red clover, and seaweed.
Vitamin Bj (Thiamine)
Recommended dietary allowance (RDA):
Pregnant or nursing: 1.4 mg per day Food sources: bell peppers, green peas, sunflower seeds
Herbal sources: alfalfa, dandelion, fenugreek, raspberry leaf, red clover, seaweed
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine). Vitamin B6 is "marginally deficient" in about 50 percent of pregnant women.37 Supplementation has been linked to relief of nausea and morning sickness, especially in extreme cases that include vomiting. |
Henry Pasternak, D.V.M., C.V.A.
See book keywords and concepts |
 Fenugreek
Fenugreek has been studied, particularly in India, for the treatment of diabetes. fenugreek seeds contain an alkaloid constituent known as trigonelline, which is thought to be responsible for at least some of fenugreek's action on reducing hyperglycemia. fenugreek also contains nicotinic acid, coumarins, and saponins, all compounds known to have important physiologic effects. Nicotinic acid has been shown to inhibit insulinase, the enzyme that breaks down insulin in humans. |
Sheldon Saul Hendler
See book keywords and concepts |
 The women of the harem were said to eat roasted fenugreek seeds to make them more shapely, while the lord of the harem ate them as an aphrodisiac. fenugreek seeds are used in curries and soups.
The list of beneficial properties claimed for fenugreek (mainly the seeds) is a long one but without supporting evidence. Some believe that consumption of fenugreek seeds helps clear mucous congestion. It is a good culinary spice and is used, incidentally, to flavor imitation maple syrup. The seeds of fenugreek have been reported to improve sugar control in experimental animals. |
Andreas Moritz
See book keywords and concepts |
 According to other research, diabetics also benefit from ground fenugreek, turmeric, ginger, bitter melon extract, bilberry extract and gymnema sylvestre extract; the latter has been shown to heal damaged pancreas cells.] Cinnamon has also been shown to lower triglycerides and cholesterol levels, and to prevent and improve heart disease.
More recent research shows that cinnamon does more than just ward off diabetes and heart disease. |
Joe Graedon, M.S. and Teresa Graedon, Ph.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
| If diabetics take fenugreek, they should monitor their blood sugar to make sure it doesn't fall too much.
Fenugreek seeds are rich in soluble fiber and can be used to treat constipation. At high doses, this herb can cause digestive distress.
• • •
GYMNEMA SYLVESTRE
This herb comes from India and has been used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. Animal studies have demonstrated that it is capable of lowering blood sugar.251 No serious side effects have been reported, but perhaps the scarcity of well-controlled clinical trials explains that to some extent.
NOPAL (Opuntia sp. |
Ben-Erik van Wyk
See book keywords and concepts |
| Cultivation & harvesting fenugreek is easily grown from seeds in dry temperate and subtropical regions. Harvesting is done mechanically or by hand. Uses & properties Seeds are soaked and cooked as a protein-rich food in the same way as beans and lentils. They are used to make a milk substitute for babies and a high quality traditional food for women (the flour is mixed with olive oil and castor sugar). fenugreek is also used as a spice - the powdered seeds are an ingredient of curry powders and may be added to fish curries, pickles and chutneys. |
Andreas Moritz
See book keywords and concepts |
| To increase their supply of breast milk, mothers can add fenugreek, an herb/spice, to their food.
For a child's healthy immune system to mature fully and properly in our less-than-perfect environment, it may be necessary to occasionally contract an infectious disease such as the measles, chickenpox, and mumps. We all have to learn to trust nature and our body more than man-made theories and practices. |
Tori Hudson, N.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
| Food sources: bell peppers, green peas, sunflower seeds
Herbal sources: alfalfa, dandelion, fenugreek, raspberry leaf, red clover, seaweed
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine). Vitamin B6 is "marginally deficient" in about 50 percent of pregnant women.37 Supplementation has been linked to relief of nausea and morning sickness, especially in extreme cases that include vomiting.38' 39 In one experimental study, 75 percent of women taking vitamin Be experienced complete relief from symptoms of morning sickness. |
Andreas Moritz
See book keywords and concepts |
| Scientists have also discovered that curry powder (mainly turmeric, cumin, cardamom, coriander, ginger, red pepper, fenugreek and fennel) with cinnamon, bay leaves and cloves triples the effectiveness of insulin. What a delicious way to help diabetes and numerous other disorders!
Turmeric—A Powerful Decongestant and Anti-Cancer Drug
Turmeric, Curcuma longa is the bright yellow constituent of curry powder. Medicinally, it is both an adaptogen and a bioprotectant. Practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine have used turmeric for millennia. |
Brigitte Mars, A.H.G.
See book keywords and concepts |
| The species name, foenum-graecum, is Latin for "Greek hay," in reference to the fact that fenugreek was once used to scent inferior grades of hay. |
Andreas Moritz
See book keywords and concepts |
| Spices such as cumin, fenugreek and turmeric are both astringent and bitter. Green leafy vegetables, including kale and spinach, that are cooked with plenty of spices also help to pacify Kapha, but care should be taken not to add too much water during cooking.
During the summer, the Kapha's body is warm enough to eat fruits, salads and some raw vegetables. These foods, however, can greatly upset his balance in the winter, when his body requires mainly cooked foods with hot spices. Cayenne pepper is especially beneficial for him, since it breaks down excessive mucus. |
Sheldon Saul Hendler
See book keywords and concepts |
| Fenugreek seeds are used in curries and soups.
The list of beneficial properties claimed for fenugreek (mainly the seeds) is a long one but without supporting evidence. Some believe that consumption of fenugreek seeds helps clear mucous congestion. It is a good culinary spice and is used, incidentally, to flavor imitation maple syrup. The seeds of fenugreek have been reported to improve sugar control in experimental animals. This requires further investigation. |
Robyn Landis
See book keywords and concepts |
 One study showing its effectiveness used fenugreek seed baked into flat bread, which proved effective for reducing blood sugar in NIDDM.5
It is not known whether the active principle in fenugreek lies in the high soluble fiber content, or in another unknown compound. But fenugreek is effective in both types of diabetes, is cheap, well tolerated, and at 28 percent protein content is a favorable food source.
Fenugreek has one disadvantage: the dose necessary to produce results. One recent successful study used 100 grams (about VA ounces) per day. |
Herbert Ross, DC with Keri Brenner, L.Ac.
See book keywords and concepts |
 To prepare Polari Tea combine the following dry herbs: fennel (1 part), flax (1 part), burdock QA part), fenugreek (1 part), and licorice (lA part). Simmer 3V2 tablespoons of this blend in 2Vi cups water for 20 minutes, then add 1 tablespoon dried peppermint and steep for an additional 10 minutes. For convenience, several quarts of Polari Tea may be prepared in advance and refrigerated.
Here is the procedure for administering a coffee enema:
1. Add 3 tablespoons of ground organic coffee (not instant or decaffeinated) to 2 pints of distilled water. |
Email this page to a friend
