Everything about Fenugreek totally explained
Fenugreek (
Trigonella foenum-graecum) is a plant in the Family Fabaceae. It is commonly known as
methi (
Hindi/
Urdu,
Bangla,
Marathi),
Menthyada soppu (Kannada),
venthayam (
Tamil),
menthulu (
Telugu), or
ulluva (
Malayalam).Arabic 'Hilbeh' Fenugreek is used both as an
herb (the leaves) and as a
spice (the
seed). It is cultivated worldwide as a semi-arid crop. It is frequently used in
curry.
History
The name fenugreek or
foenum-graecum is from
Latin for "Greek hay". Zohary and Hopf note that it isn't yet certain which wild strain of the genus
Trigonella gave rise to the domesticated fenugreek but believe it was brought into cultivation in the
Near East. Charred fenugreek seeds have been recovered from
Tell Halal,
Iraq, (
radiocarbon dating to 4000 BC) and
Bronze Age levels of
Lachish, as well as desiccated seeds from the
tomb of
Tutankhamen.
Cato the Elder lists fenugreek with
clover and
vetch as crops grown to feed cattle (
De Agri Cultura, 27).
Use
The
rhombic yellow to amber colored fenugreek seed, commonly called
methi, is frequently used in the preparation of pickles, curry powders, and pastes, and is often encountered in the
cuisine of the
Indian subcontinent. The young
leaves and
sprouts of fenugreek are eaten as
greens, and the fresh or dried leaves are used to flavor other dishes. The dried leaves (called
kasuri methi) have a bitter taste and a strong characteristic smell.
In
India, fenugreek seeds are mixed with
yogurt and used as a conditioner for hair. It is one of the three ingredients of
idli and
dosa (Tamil). It is also one of the ingredients in the making of
khakhra, a type of bread. It is used in
injera/taita, a type of bread unique to
Ethiopian and
Eritrean cuisine. The word for fenugreek in
Amharic is
abesh, and the seed is reportedly also often used in
Ethiopia as a natural herbal medicine in the treatment of
diabetes. It is also sometimes used as an ingredient in the production of
clarified butter (Amharic:
qibé, Ethiopian and Eritrean
Tigrinya:
tesme), which is similar to Indian
ghee. In
Turkey, fenugreek gives its name,
çemen, to a hot paste used in
pastirma. The same paste is used in
Egypt for the same purpose. The
Arabic word
hulba حلبة (
Helba in Egypt) for the seed resembles its
Mandarin Chinese counterpart
hu lu ba. In
Yemen it's the main condiment and an ingredient added to the national dish called
saltah. Fenugreek, or
Şambélilé in
Persian, is also one of four herbs used for the
Iranian
recipe Ghormeh Sabzi.
In
Egypt, fenugreek seeds are prepared as
tea, by being boiled then sweetened. This is a popular winter drink served in coffee shops. In other parts of the Middle East fenugreek is used in a variety of sweet confections. A cake dessert known as Helba in the Islamic world is a tasty treat during Islamic holidays. This is a semolina cake covered in sugar or maple-like syrup, and sprinkled with fenugreek seeds on top.
Jews customarily eat the fenugreek during the meal of the first and/or second night of
Rosh Hashana (The New Year). It is green and is similar to the verb ירבו (to increase) in Hebrew, which symbolically signifies a prayer that their merits will increase.
Seeds
Fenugreek seeds are a rich source of the
polysaccharide galactomannan. They are also a source of
saponins such as
diosgenin,
yamogenin,
gitogenin,
tigogenin, and
neotigogens. Other bioactive constituents of fenugreek include
mucilage,
volatile oils, and
alkaloids such as
choline and
trigonelline.
A side effect of consuming even small amounts of fenugreek (even as just an infusion in water) is a
maple syrup or
curry smell in the eater's
sweat and
urine, which is caused by the potent
aroma compound sotolone. Fenugreek is frequently used in the production of
flavoring for artificial syrups. The taste of toasted fenugreek is additionally based on
substituted pyrazines, as is
cumin. By itself, it has a somewhat
bitter taste.
Fenugreek is mainly used as a digestive aid.
Fenugreek seed is widely used as a
galactagogue (milk producing agent) by nursing mothers to increase inadequate
breast milk supply. Studies have shown that fenugreek is a potent stimulator of breastmilk production and its use was associated with increases in milk production of as much as 900%.
It can be found in capsule form in many health food stores.
Supplements of fenugreek seeds were shown to lower
serum cholesterol,
triglyceride, and low-density
lipoprotein in human patients and experimental models of
hypercholesterolemia and
hypertriglyceridemia (Basch et al., 2003). Several human intervention trials demonstrated that the antidiabetic effects of fenugreek seeds ameliorate most metabolic symptoms associated with
type-1 and
type-2 diabetes in both humans and relevant animal models (Basch et al., 2003; Srinivas, 2005). Fenugreek is currently available commercially in encapsulated forms and is being prescribed as dietary supplements for the control of hypercholesterolemia and diabetes by practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine.
In recent research, fenugreek seeds were experimentally shown to protect against cancers of the
breast (Amin et al., 2005) and
colon (Raju et al., 2006). The
hepatoprotective properties of fenugreek seeds have also been reported in experimental models (Raju and Bird, 2006; Kaviarasan et al., 2006; Thirunavukarrasu et al., 2003).
It is very helpful for reducing heat in the human body.
Cautions
Use with caution or avoid if you've a history of:
Peanut or chickpea allergy: Fenugreek is in the same family with peanuts and chickpeas, and may cause an allergic reaction in susceptible individuals. Two cases of fenugreek allergy have been reported in the literature. [Patil1997, Ohnuma 1998, Lawrence 1999]. These citations are incomplete
Diabetes or hypoglycemia: Fenugreek reduces blood glucose levels, and in the few studies using it as a hypoglycemic, also reduces blood cholesterol. Dosages higher than the recommended one (given above) may result in hypoglycemia in some mothers [HellerWHO/WHICH/WHEN]. If you're diabetic (IDDM), use fenugreek only if you've good control of your blood glucose levels. While taking this, closely monitor your fasting levels and post-prandial (after meals) levels. Mothers with hypoglycemia should also use fenugreek with caution. For more on fenugreek and glucose levels, see the references below.
Asthma: Fenugreek is often cited as a natural remedy for asthma. However, inhalation of the powder can cause asthma and allergic symptoms. Some mothers have reported that it worsened their asthma symptoms. [Dugue1993, Huggins, Lawrence 1999]. These citations are incomplete.
Abnormal menstrual cycles: Fenugreek is considered to be an emmenagogue (promotes menstrual flow). Per [White,WHO/WHICH/WHEN?], it may cause breakthrough menstrual bleeding; this source recommends using fenugreek with caution if you've a history of abnormal menstrual cycles.
Migraines: Fenugreek is often cited as a natural remedy for migraines. However, [White,WHO/WHICH/WHEN] indicates that it may trigger a migraine and/or contribute to the duration and severity of a migraine.
Blood pressure problems or heart disease: Fenugreek is commonly reported to lower blood pressure and LDL blood cholesterol levels. [White,WHO/WHICH/WHEN?] indicates, however, few sources suggest that it may cause or contribute to hypertension (high blood pressure) - this source recommends avoiding this herb if you've a history of hypertension, or if there's a strong family history of hypertension or heart disease. But there was no larger scientific confirmation.
Further Information
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