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For centuries, the fenugreek plant has been used by ancient Egyptians to cure fever. Later, people in India and China, as well as Greeks and Romans, also benefited from the medicinal powers of this herb. Today, fenugreek herbal supplements are widely sold online and in health stores all over the United States for a number of medicinal and nutritional purposes.
Fenugreek is a clover-like herb that grows upright and bears white pea-shaped flowers. Its tiny seeds are hard and yellow in color. Also known as Greek Hay, Bird’s Foot and Goat’s Horn, fenugreek thrives in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Egypt, China, and southern Europe. India is the world’s largest producer of fenugreek, and the herb is a staple for its cuisine.
Other than its many traditional medicinal uses, fenugreek is used to spice up foods and make rather regular-tasting foods more aromatic and flavorful. Fenugreek seeds are typically ground and used as an important ingredient in many curry pastes and powders. Popular spicy foods in Sri Lanka are not complete without fenugreek, while the mouth-watering Indian dish, Panch Phoron, a mixture of five spices, is 1/5 fenugreek. Tuna and mackerel are best curried and spiced up using fenugreek seeds. On the other hand, vegetables and meats become more tangy and interesting when mixed with fresh or dried fenugreek leaves as herbs and greens. In the Indian subcontinent, fenugreek-based coffee is also very popular.
Before fenugreek herbal supplements were popularized by their modern manufacturers, fenugreek seeds were regularly eaten raw and roasted or steeped to make tea. Until today, people in India take a tablespoonful of raw fenugreek seeds very early in the morning to fight off any body pains, specifically arthritic discomforts. In the evening, they ingest more seeds with water to detoxify the intestines.
In China, fenugreek seeds have long been used to detoxify the kidney and cure fever, common cold, and ulcer, to name a few. It is also used as an aphrodisiac, to relieve menstrual and testicular pains, and to cure premature ejaculation.
Today, the fenugreek plant is believed to perform the following: detoxify the intestines and serve as digestive aid; serve as treatment for boils, cysts, gout and other complaints when applied on the affected area using a piece of cloth that has been dipped in warm water with fenugreek seeds; lower and maintain blood pressure; control blood sugar level, making it very helpful for diabetics; treat sinus and lung congestion by effectively loosening and removing excess mucus and phlegm; relieve congestion, fight infection, and reduce inflammation; treat allergies, bronchitis and congestion; and promote the production breast milk for lactating mothers, which is the most popular and widely accepted benefit of fenugreek thus far. Furthermore, research studies have found that the herb is rich in selenium, iron, protein, potassium, niacin, silicon, vitamin C, sodium and thiamine.
It is because of these many uses and benefits that more and more people consider taking fenugreek herbal supplements. They are sold online and in many health centers and drug stores in the country as dietary, breast-milk inducing, breast enlargement, and body building supplements.
