Fenugreek has a long history of use as both a food and a medicine and traditional uses include stimulating milk production, wound healing, kidney problems and arthritis. Present day interest stems from its potential to treat diabetes and high cholesterol. Research suggests it has the ability to affect cholesterol levels but not enough exists as of 2011 to draw any definitive conclusions. If you have an interest in using natural therapies to manage this condition, talk to a doctor well-versed in herbal medicine who can offer guidance and monitor your treatment.
HDL Cholesterol
While the word cholesterol has a negative connotation, HDL cholesterol actually plays a positive role in your health. This "good" cholesterol helps scour the "bad" cholesterol from the artery walls, where it can harden and increase your risk for heart attack and stroke. The Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center points to a study where diabetic subjects who took 1 g of standardized fenugreek extract experienced increases in their HDL cholesterol levels compared to subjects not using the extract. It also notes other human and animal studies that have shown similar benefit.
LDL Cholesterol
The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center reports on a human study where diabetic patients following a specific diet for two 10-day periods, where one period included the consumption of 100 g fenugreek seed daily. Researchers found the addition of fenugreek seeds led to lower levels of LDL cholesterol.
A study published in the November 2009 issue of the "Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology" studied the effects of adding fenugreek seeds to a diet designed to induce gallstones. Researchers found the mice that ate fenugreek experienced a significantly lower incidence of gallstones compared to the control group and they attributed it to the reduced cholesterol levels. Serum cholesterol levels dropped anywhere from 26 to 31 percent while cholesterol in the liver was reduced by 47 to 64 percent.
Mechanisms of Action
How fenugreek lowers cholesterol remains unclear, according to Sloan Kettering. Potential mechanisms of action include reducing cholesterol absorption in the intestines and increasing the production of bile acid. Your liver requires cholesterol to produce bile acid and the more it produces, the more cholesterol it draws from the body.
Considerations for Use
Widely consumed as a food, fenugreek appears a generally safe substance to consume. Human trials have not reported any significant negative effects and animal studies indicate it is non-toxic. Do not supplement with fenugreek if pregnant as animal studies have shown it can stimulate uterine contractions. Its potential to lower blood sugar could induce hypoglycemia when used in combination with blood-sugar lowering drugs if you do not properly adjust medication dosages to compensate for the effects of fenugreek. Only your doctor can safely determine changes to your medications. Fenugreek might also interact with blood-thinning medications and cyclosporine. Sloan Kettering notes in vitro studies that found fenugreek stimulated breast cancer cells and advises anyone with hormone-sensitive diseases to avoid this herb.
References
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Fenugreek; February 2011
- "Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology"; Fenugreek Seeds Reduce Atherogenic Diet-Induced Cholesterol Gallstone Formation in Experimental Mice; RL Reddy, et al.; November 2009
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; Fenugreek; April 2011
