16 Health Benefits of Fenugreek That Will Surprise You
Fenugreek is an annual herb that belongs to the Fabaceae family, the same family as soy. It is a leafy green legume native to Eurasia and Africa that is widely used for its nutritional and aromatic value, with India reported to account for its major products throughout the world.
The leaves of Fenugreek are rich in folic acid, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin K. It is also a storehouse of minerals such as potassium, calcium, and iron. Adding fenugreek to your diet in the required dosage is safe and provides beneficial nutrients, mucilage, and fibre. The benefits of this herb are so much that many are yet to be scientifically proven. For instance, fenugreek is used for beauty and health purposes all around the world.
Below are 16 benefits of fenugreek which can be obtained from its seeds and leaves.
Benefits of Fenugreek
1. Fenugreek Is Good for the Skin
Salicylic acid present in fenugreek helps to unclogs pores while potassium, carotene, and vitamin C in the seeds boost skin elasticity. The oil made from the seeds which contain mucilage help in moisturizing, softening, and hydrating skin without irritating it.
Apply the paste made from fenugreek leaves preferably at night to prevent a fresh breakout of acne. You can also apply fenugreek oil directly to the skin.
2. It Is Important For the Hair
Fenugreek seeds and leaves contain a variety of nutrients that promote hair growth as well as prevent dandruff. The paste made from the leaves promotes and preserves the natural hair colour and silky texture. Due to the high mucilage content of fenugreek seeds, it possesses hair conditioning properties that can treat dry scalp by moisturizing it.
Apply Fenugreek leaf paste to the scalp and rinse with water to improve your hair quality. Also, blend the seeds of fenugreek into powder, add into a hair mask or a conditioner in order to accentuate its benefits and soften hair.
3. Fenugreek Can be Used as a Spice
The fresh and dried seeds of this plant have been used as a spice and flavouring agent for ages. The seeds have been described to have a natural sweet nutty flavour like maple syrup or burnt sugar. Fenugreek seeds when combined with other spices will give your saucy dishes a certain sweetness and flavour.
In addition, throw in fenugreek powder to your fry or add it to your soup to obtain its unique flavour.
4. The Plant Aids Digestion and Relieve Constipation
One of the benefits of fenugreek is that it aids digestion and relieves constipation. Fenugreek can improve digestion and prevents stomach disorders by acting as a laxative.
This is typical of foods containing large amounts of soluble fibre known as bulk-forming laxatives. When fenugreek seeds absorb water in the intestines, they expand and the volume increases. This will trigger a reflex muscular contraction in response to this pressure, thereby stimulating bowel movement. However, mucilage contained in fenugreek seeds when ingested will soften the mucus membranes to ease constipation.
Take fenugreek tea or drink water in which fenugreek seeds have been soaked to ease digestion. You can also mix about a teaspoon of fenugreek powder in a cup of water strain and drink it up.
5. Fenugreek Helps Fights Inflammation
Certain acids and substantial levels of antioxidants in fenugreek seeds make it a good anti-inflammation agent. Mucilage extracted from its seeds also contributes to its anti-inflammatory properties.
Use fenugreek seed oil extract on inflamed places directly on the skin to ease inflammation.
6. Do you Know Fenugreek Treats Heartburn
One of the benefits of fenugreek is that it treats heartburn cases. Fenugreek is an effective treatment for gastritis. More so, it reduces the severity of heartburn by forming a shield over the intestinal lining to soothe gastrointestinal inflammation and prevent heartburn.
In addition, intake of a fenugreek fibre product, 30 minutes before two meals in a day will reduce the severity of heartburn.
7. It Helps with Weight Loss
Fenugreek contains fibre that promotes a feeling of fullness and keeps people from overeating. If you want to lose weight, adding fenugreek seeds to your diet is a must. Furthermore, fenugreek seeds aid in reducing fat accumulation and enhance the metabolism of lipids and glucose which help in weight loss.
That is to say, fenugreek will help with energy extraction and also increase overall energy consumption. Therefore, it is going to increase calories burned daily and thus, increase weight loss
Chew fenugreek seeds twice or thrice a day to promote a feeling of fullness and satiation without having to eat much.
8. Fenugreek Also Helps with Weight Gain
Although fenugreek seeds in themselves do not make you gain weight they can boost your appetite. Also, with the intake of the right foods, fenugreek makes you gain weight. Furthermore, taking fenugreek seeds with a glass of water will help in absorbing the saponins found in fenugreek, which will increase your appetite.
More so, take a total of four teaspoons daily of ground fenugreek seeds or otherwise known as fenugreek powder with two cups of water after having some bites of bread or an apple. Then eat foods that are rich in calories and nutrients rather than fat.
This will help you gain healthy weight.
9. An Important Benefit of Fenugreek It Improves Breast Milk Production
More so, one of the benefits of fenugreek is that it increases breast milk production. Fenugreek may help stimulate milk production and flow in lactating mothers. Women use the seed to increase their breast milk production across Asia. This herb also contains phytoestrogen that boosts milk production in lactating mothers.
Moreover, drinking fenugreek tea seems to increase the supply of breast milk in mothers, which also promotes weight gain in infants.
10. Fenugreek Also Increase Breast Size
Fenugreek contains Phyto oestrogen which builds the level of prolactin in your body and also helps increase the size of your breasts by encouraging the development of breast tissue. Massage your breasts daily with warm water which has been brought to a boil with fenugreek powder.
You can also apply the oil on the breast directly and firm it up with a bra for better effect.
11. Acts As an Aphrodisiac for Men and Women
Fenugreek was one of the foods used as aphrodisiacs by ancient people in Rome, Egypt, and Greek. It has been used as an aphrodisiac used for centuries by men and women to increase sex drive. This is because the herb contains compounds that the body can use to make sex hormones like oestrogen and progesterone.
Fenugreek also boosts testosterone levels, a hormone that plays a vital role in many bodily functions in males.
12. Fenugreek Alleviate Menstrual Cramps
In addition, fenugreek seeds have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. Ingesting fenugreek seed powder reduces pain associated with menstrual cramps and other symptoms such as fatigue, headache, and nausea.
This is one of the numerous benefits of fenugreek.
13. It Also Serves as Remedy for Fever and Sore Throat
The mucilage found in fenugreek seeds has a soothing effect on the throat. The seeds are said to provide relief for fever when taken with a tablespoon of lemon and honey.
14. Fenugreek Also Lowers Cholesterol Level
Fenugreek seeds are rich sources of steroidal saponins which intercept the absorption of cholesterol and triglycerides. The seeds discourage the production of cholesterol in the liver and stimulate the production of good cholesterol.
15. You Can Use Fenugreek to Treat Diabtes
The fibre in fenugreek forms a thick and sticky gel in the intestine, which makes it harder to digest excess sugars and bad fats. In addition, fenugreek seeds help control blood sugar and decrease insulin resistance.
Aiding diabetes treatment is definitely one of the benefits of fenugreek.
16. This Herb Reduces Aluminum Toxicity
Furthermore, fenugreek seed powder reduces aluminium toxicity by offering protection to the brain, bones, and kidneys.
Conclusion
Side effects of ingesting fenugreek may include diarrhoea, stomach upset, and other allergic reactions. People with chronic health conditions or lactating women should speak with a doctor before ingesting Fenugreek supplements.
