How To Make Full Use Of Fenugreek’s 10 Impressive Health Benefits

When it comes to dietary supplements, fenugreek is one of the most popular herbs because of its wide array of health benefits. Although many people use fenugreek for its aphrodisiac and anti-diabetic properties, as well as for its pro-weight loss effects, fenugreek actually has many other benefits to offer.

For one, male enhancement pills use fenugreek as an ingredient because the herb can help dramatically increase testosterone levels. Here are 10 of the most beneficial therapeutic effects of fenugreek.

10 Impressive Health Benefits of Fenugreek

 

1 Healthy Nutritional Profile

Methi, as fenugreek is commonly known in Indian households, is a staple culinary ingredient because of its sweet and nutty taste. Scientifically named Trigonella foenum-graecum, fenugreek is a flowering plant with golden brown seeds. The seeds are used as a spice while fresh leaves and sprouts are used as a vegetable.

Consuming a tablespoon of whole fenugreek seeds will give you 3 grams each of dietary fiber and protein, as well as 6 grams of carbohydrates, and just a gram of fat. Fenugreek is also rich in iron, manganese, and magnesium.

2 Excellent Testosterone-Boosting Effects

Among its many uses, fenugreek is best known for its positive effects on testosterone levels. Several studies have shown that men taking fenugreek supplements experience significant increases in their testosterone levels.

In one study, researchers tried to find out if young healthy men took 500 mg of fenugreek daily for 8 weeks. The study involved 30 college-aged men who participated in a resistance training program for 4 days a week during the treatment period.

Results showed that total testosterone levels, percent body fat, and free testosterone levels were significantly higher in those who took fenugreek supplements as compared to those were only taking a placebo.

3 Enhances Libido And Sexual Function

Because of fenugreek’s positive effects on testosterone levels, the herb is also able to boost one’s libido and enhance sexual function. These pro-sexual properties of fenugreek were, in fact, the subject of a 2011 study that involved 60 men with ages ranging from 25 to 52.

In this study, the male volunteers were given 600 mg of fenugreek which they took daily for 6 weeks. The results showed that fenugreek supplementation positively affected libido, with improvements in sexual arousal and orgasm.

4 Increases Insulin Sensitivity

Among the many therapeutic effects of fenugreek, its positive effects on insulin sensitivity are one of the most well-researched. Insulin resistance is particularly common in obese and diabetic people.

When your cells are resistant to the actions of insulin, it means that your cells are unable to efficiently absorb glucose from the blood, hence resulting in high blood glucose concentrations.

The relationship between obesity and insulin resistance is quite complex. Insulin resistance leads to increased fat cell dysfunction while obesity leads to increased insulin resistance. One can say that these two conditions exacerbate each other.

The good news is that fenugreek can help with both. Researchers identified a non-protein amino acid found in fenugreek called 4-Hydroxyisoleucine (4-OHIle), which exhibits beneficial effects such as improved regulation of plasma triglycerides, free fatty acid levels, total cholesterol levels, and blood glucose.

5 Protects Against Diabetes

Because of fenugreek’s positive effects on insulin sensitivity and blood-glucose lowering effects, people with diabetes are often advised to take fenugreek supplements. Even non-diabetic people, as well as those with pre-diabetes, can also benefit from the anti-diabetic properties of fenugreek.

When your blood glucose levels are significantly higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed by doctors as type 2 diabetes, that condition is referred to as prediabetes. Although it means that you are not diabetic yet, if you don’t make any lifestyle modifications, you may eventually develop diabetes.

In a 3-year study, researchers measured how fenugreek can help people with prediabetes. More than 60 men and women aged 30-70 years participated in the study. The participants were instructed to take 5 grams of fenugreek powder twice daily before their meals.

The researchers monitored the progression of type 2 diabetes in the participants. By the end of 3 years, there was a higher rate of diabetes incidence in the group of participants that did not take fenugreek. As compared to those who were taking fenugreek daily, those who didn’t take fenugreek had a four times higher chance of developing diabetes.

For men with prediabetes, taking fenugreek supplements can be beneficial in two important ways. First, fenugreek can help prevent the progression of prediabetes to type 2 diabetes. Second, and perhaps more important, by preventing diabetes, fenugreek can help you avoid erectile dysfunction.

It is a well-known fact that diabetes causes significant damage to the small nerves and blood vessels in the pelvic area. This damage results in impaired nerve signaling as well as insufficient penile blood flow during sexual arousal. Thus, if you take a sex enhancement supplement that contains fenugreek, you prevent both diabetes and impotence.

6 Protects Against Cancer

Aside from improving your testosterone levels and sex drive, fenugreek can also help protect you against cancer. Several studies have focused on the protective effects of fenugreek seeds against various types of cancer.

Although the studies have mostly been conducted on animal models and cell lines, researchers were able to show that fenugreek does have considerable effects on cancer cells.

Fenugreek extracts appear to protect against colon, pancreatic, breast, and prostate cancer through different mechanisms of action. For instance, fenugreek exhibited cytotoxic effects against cancer cell lines and induced the death of cancer cells.

Diosgenin, a steroidal sapogenin found in fenugreek, has also been found to have protective effects against hepatocellular carcinoma, a prevalent liver cancer type. Diosgenin has also been found to protect against gastric cancer, squamous carcinoma, lung cancer, and leukemia.

7 Protects Against Oxidative Stress

If you’re taking an antioxidant supplement and a sex enhancement supplement at the same time, you won’t need a separate pill for increasing your antioxidant defense if your sex enhancement pill already contains fenugreek. That’s especially true if your sex enhancer also contains Tongkat Ali, maca, and Tribulus terrestris.

These herbs are well known for their rich antioxidant content. Fenugreek seed extract, for instance, exhibits strong radical scavenging activities. Researchers note that fenugreek can help prevent lipid peroxidation, a type of oxidative stress that causes damage to the lipid molecules in the body.

The seeds, husk, as well as cotyledons of fenugreek contain high concentrations of proteins, polyphenols, and saponins. Through its antioxidant activities, fenugreek can also help reduce inflammation.

8 Helps Lower Cholesterol Levels

Your risks of developing heart diseases increase when your cholesterol levels are high since it can lead to fatty deposits building up inside your blood vessels. As those fatty deposits collect, they cause your blood vessels to narrow, thus resulting in impeded blood flow.

Fenugreek can help lower your cholesterol levels and prevent cardiovascular diseases associated with high cholesterol levels. Studies indicate that the presence of steroidal saponins in fenugreek seeds helps to reduce the rate of cholesterol absorption in the intestines.

Another mechanism by which fenugreek lowers cholesterol levels is by reducing lipid accumulation in the liver and by decreasing the liver’s secretion of very low density lipoproteins (VLDL).

If LDL or low density lipoprotein is considered as bad cholesterol, VLDL may be considered as something worse. All types of cholesterol are composed of fats and lipoproteins. VLDL, however, is comprised mainly of triglycerides. High VLDL levels are strongly associated with plaque buildup inside the arterial walls.

9 Aids In Digestion

The fiber and antioxidant content of fenugreek can greatly benefit those who suffer from various stomach illnesses. The antioxidants found in fenugreek can help flush out and get rid of whatever toxins you may have in your stomach, thus helping improve your gut health.

In addition, the high dietary fiber content of fenugreek seeds can also help digestive problems such as constipation. In fact, fenugreek tea is popularly used as a herbal remedy for stomach pain and indigestion.

10 Helps Relieve Heartburn

If you have ever experienced heartburn, then you know the burning pain is not only inconvenient but also very uncomfortable. And the bitter taste in your mouth is not very pleasant either.

If you frequently suffer from heartburn, you will gain a lot of benefits from taking fenugreek regularly. That’s because fenugreek seeds can help relieve inflammation in your gastrointestinal tract. A 2011 study indicated that taking fenugreek at least half an hour before meals for a period of two weeks can result in diminished heartburn severity.

The Bottom Line

Fenugreek is an amazing herb and it’s great not only as an ingredient for tasty meals but also as an ingredient in dietary supplements. If you’re taking a sex enhancement supplement, you should switch to a sex enhancer that contains fenugreek.

By taking a sex enhancement supplement that contains fenugreek as an active ingredient, you would also be able to avoid several health conditions that can eventually lead to sexual dysfunction such as impotence.

With fenugreek, you will be able to maximize the testosterone boost you get from your sex enhancement supplement. And that means improvements in your libido will follow suit. Hence, you will gain valuable improvements in your sexual function as well as in your overall health.