Fenugreek
Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum)
Brief description
Fenugreek is a herb, spice and vegetable and is a common ingredient in dishes of Indian subcontinent origin.
Originally, Fenugreek found its place within traditional or alternative medicine remedies however more recent meta-analyses have confirmed multiple benefits.
Evidence base
Testosterone: A small number of randomised studies have identified an increase in testosterone concentrations following supplementation. These studies examined a total of 366 males, aged 18-72yrs, with sample sizes ranging from 16-120 individuals(1).
Breast Milk Production: Multiple studies examined fenugreek supplementation on breast milk production within the first 5 days post-partum and significant increases versus placebo. Interestingly, ‘Mexican mint’ (Coleus amboinicus Lour) and ‘Dates’ were able to stimulate breast milk production even more than Fenugreek supplementation(2).
Blood glucose & HbA1c: Multiple meta-analyses of randomised studies, found that Fenugreek supplementation was able to lower fasting blood glucose, post-prandial blood glucose and significantly lower HbA1c(3, 4).
Thought to work by prolonging gastric emptying, lowering blood glucose uptake in the small intestine (due to its high fibre content) and slowing down carbohydrate metabolism.
Recommended serving & duration.
For women wishing to increase breast milk production, a dose of 500- 1000mg per day is suggested.
For males wishing to increase libido or testosterone should consider 500-600mg/day of fenugreek.
Safety & tolerability
Supplementation may cause body secretions e.g. urine to smell like maple syrup (due to a compound called Sotolon which is a metabolite of fenugreek.
Gastrointestinal discomfort is a commonly reported symptom; however, no liver or kidney toxicity was found(3).
Please consult with your healthcare provider if you have any existing medical conditions, are pregnant or younger than 18 years old.
References
Mansoori A, Hosseini S, Zilaee M, Hormoznejad R, Fathi M. Effect of fenugreek extract supplement on testosterone levels in male: A meta-analysis of clinical trials. Phytother Res. 2020;34(7):1550-5.
Khan TM, Wu DB, Dolzhenko AV. Effectiveness of fenugreek as a galactagogue: A network meta-analysis. Phytother Res. 2018;32(3):402-12.
Gong J, Fang K, Dong H, Wang D, Hu M, Lu F. Effect of fenugreek on hyperglycaemia and hyperlipidemia in diabetes and prediabetes: A meta-analysis. J Ethnopharmacol. 2016;194:260-8.
Shabil M, Bushi G, Bodige PK, Maradi PS, Patra BP, Padhi BK, et al. Effect of Fenugreek on Hyperglycemia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Medicina (Kaunas). 2023;59(2).
