You may know fenugreek as a cooking spice and flavoring, but it has been used medicinally since ancient times for a variety of conditions, including arthritis, bronchitis and digestive problems. Today, fenugreek is being tested for treating conditions such as diabetes and high cholesterol. However, there is not enough scientific information at this time to recommend fenugreek for any medicinal use. So if you have high cholesterol, consult with your doctor before using fenugreek.
Treatment
If you have high cholesterol, you are at risk for developing heart disease and stroke. You may not know that you have high cholesterol because it does not produce any symptoms, so have your cholesterol blood levels checked. You can take some self-care measures to help prevent or lower your cholesterol, such as maintaining a healthy diet, exercising regularly, quitting smoking and taking supplements such as fenugreek.
How Fenugreek Works
Fenugreek contains substances called steroidal saponins and mucilaginous fiber, which is a natural gummy substance found in the coating of the seeds. These substances are thought to be responsible for many of fenugreek's beneficial effects. Cholesterol absorption and production in the body may be inhibited by the steroidal saponins. A laboratory study published in the journal "Lipids" in 1991 supported the cholesterol-lowering effect of steroidal saponins in diabetic dogs.
Preparations and Dosing
Fenugreek is available as whole or ground seeds and in capsule, powder and liquid forms. One teaspoon of whole seeds, ground seeds or seed powder is equivalent to about 4.5 g. You may take fenugreek with food because it has a bitter taste. For high cholesterol, fenugreek has been used in daily doses ranging from 10 to 30 g three times per day.
Effectiveness
If you have high cholesterol, fenugreek may offer some benefits. A study published in the journal "Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes, and Essential Fatty Acids" in 1997 showed that fenugreek significantly decreased total cholesterol and triglycerides in people with heart disease and diabetes. Another study published in the "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition" in 1990 demonstrated that fenugreek significantly reduced total cholesterol, "bad" LDL cholesterol and triglycerides in diabetics.
References
- PaloAltoMedicalFoundation.org: Fenugreek
- PaloAltoMedicalFoundation.org: High Cholesterol
- DrugDigest.org: Fenugreek
- "Lipids"; Implication of Steroid Saponins and Sapogenins in the Hypocholesterolemic Effect of Fenugreek; Y. Sauvaire, et al.; March 1991
- "Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids"; Effect of Ginger (Zingiber Officinale Rosc) and Fenugreek (Trigonella Foenumgraecum L) on Blood Lipids, Blood Sugar, and Platelet Aggregation in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease; A. Bordia, et al.; May 1997
- "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Effect of Fenugreek Seeds on Blood Glucose and Serum Lipids in Type 1 Diabetes; R.D. Sharma, et al.; April 1990
