- Region
- Africa
- Origin
- Eastern Mediterranean, North Africa and western Asia; widely grown in India. Trigonella foenum-graecum
- Sanskrit
- Medhika
Africa · Herb · № 118
Trigonella foenum-graecum
Herb · Africa
Fenugreek
Trigonella foenum-graecum
The seed has been studied for blood sugar and for increasing breast milk. NCCIH reports there is not enough strong evidence for these uses.
Safety notes
Avoid in pregnancy. May lower blood sugar and interact with diabetes medicines and blood thinners. Cross-allergy with peanut and chickpea is possible. Sweat and urine may smell of maple syrup.
Cautions by tradition (3)
- Herbal medicine worldwide: Not in pregnancy (but may be used during labour). Consult when using insulin.
- Natural skin and hair care: Do not give honey to children under one year old.
- Chinese materia medica: Not with heat from yin deficiency.
Preparation
Seed as spice, sprouted, as tea or externally as a poultice; leaf as a vegetable (methi). No dosage is given here.
Use in traditions
In ancient Egypt fenugreek was used in embalming and incense; the Ebers Papyrus mentions it. In India and the Middle East it is a staple spice. Ody describes it as a seed with a long history in Egypt, Greece and Ayurveda.
Applications
Use by tradition
How different herbal traditions describe this herb. Amounts are traditional guidelines checked for obvious errors; they are not medical advice. For poisonous plants no dosage is given on purpose.
Herbal medicine worldwide
Attributed effects
Seeds anti-inflammatory, digestive tonic, promote milk flow, locally soothing, stimulate the uterus, lower blood sugar; herb antispasmodic.
Preparation and amount
Seed decoction as a warming drink for menstrual pain, stomach complaints and to increase milk production (with fennel or anise); tincture for reproductive complaints and (with other remedies) for diabetes; 2–3 capsules after meals for type 2 diabetes and raised cholesterol; powder paste on boils.
Caution: Not in pregnancy (but may be used during labour). Consult when using insulin.
Ayurvedic materia medica
Attributed effects
Soothing, promotes menstruation, aromatic, diuretic, nourishing, tonic, promotes milk flow, astringent, carminative, aphrodisiac; for swellings, leucorrhoea, indigestion, bile complaints, burns, hair loss, diarrhoea, dysentery, colic, rheumatism, enlarged liver and spleen, chronic cough.
Preparation and amount
Seed powder 3–6 g; seeds boiled or roasted; porridge of seeds with milk and sugar (promotes milk flow); compress of the herb; leaf paste on the head or skin.
Everyday Ayurveda
Attributed effects
Warming, awakens digestion, bitter; friend of pregnant women: relieves tender breasts and promotes breast milk; against dandruff; prevents colds and cough.
Preparation and amount
Fry seeds in ghee for dishes; leaves in food; against dandruff: soak 2 tbsp seeds overnight, grind to a paste, 20 min on the scalp.
Natural skin and hair care
Attributed effects
The seed is rich in mucilage, which soothes a raw throat and can calm the urge to cough.
Preparation and amount
Internal: the seed goes into a herbal honey for the throat with thyme, peppermint and lemon balm (see the recipe).
Caution: Do not give honey to children under one year old.
Chinese materia medica
- Nature and taste
- bitter, warm
- Meridians
- kidney, liver
Attributed effects
Fenugreek seed (hu lu ba) warms the kidneys and drives out cold and dampness in pain in the lower abdomen, flanks and groin and in hernia from cold.
Preparation and amount
Traditional dosage: 3–9 g a day, usually in a decoction.
Combinations
- With fennel seed and wu zhu yu for hernia
Caution: Not with heat from yin deficiency.
Folklore and herbal magic
Symbolic meanings from folk use and modern herbal magic. These are handed-down associations, not effects.
Purifies the house, attracts money and abundance (seeds in mop water or in a jar), under the bed against nightmares.
Herbal magic and rituals
Attributed effects
In herbal magic associated with prosperity, money and a cheerful mood.
Preparation and amount
Fenugreek is one of the oldest cultivated herbs of the Mediterranean and the Middle East; in ancient Egypt the seed was found in tombs and used in embalming. In folk custom the seed stands for growth and prosperity.
Tags
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- www.nccih.nih.gov
- Michael & Lesley Tierra, Chinese Traditional Herbal Medicine, vol. II: Materia Medica and Herbal Resource (1998)
- Penelope Ody, The Complete Medicinal Herbal (1993; 2017)
- L. D. Kapoor, CRC Handbook of Ayurvedic Medicinal Plants (1990)
- Stacey Dugliss-Wesselman & Susan Gregg, Herbal Remedies Made Simple (2018)