Introduction

Fenugreek is an herb with small white flowers. Its seeds have been used to lower blood glucose. It can be taken as a pill, powder, or extract. It can also be made into a tea or used in cooking and baking.

Dosages

500 to 1000 milligrams extract or 5 to 10 grams seed once daily

What Research Shows

Likely Effective

May Be Effective

Not Enough Data to Assess

Editorial process and description of evidence categories can be found at EBSCO NAT Editorial Process.

Editorial process and description of evidence categories can be found at EBSCO NAT Editorial Process.

Safety Notes

It is likely safe for most adults to use fenugreek for a short time. Not enough studies have been done to say whether it is safe to use for a long period. Fenugreek may be unsafe for use by children and during pregnancy.

Interactions

Talk to your doctor about any supplements or therapy you would like to use. Some can interfere with treatment or make conditions worse, such as:

  • People taking anticoagulants should talk to their doctor before taking fenugreek. It may increase risk of bleeding.
  • People with diabetes should talk to their doctors before taking fenugreek. It may cause blood glucose to become too low when it is taken with medicine to control diabetes.

References

REFA Anxiety

REFA1 Pandaran Sudheeran S, Jacob D, et al. Safety, tolerance, and enhanced efficacy of a bioavailable formulation of curcumin with fenugreek dietary fiber on occupational stress: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2016 Jun;36(3):236-243.

REFB Breast Milk Production

REFB1 Turkyılmaz C, Onal E, et al. The effect of galactagogue herbal tea on breast milk production and short-term catch-up of birth weight in the first week of life. J Altern Complement Med. 2011 Feb;17(2):139-142.

REFB2 Turkilmaz C, Onal E, et al. The effect of galactagogue herbal tea on breast milk production and short-term catch-up of birth weight in the first week of life. J Altern Complement Med. 2011 Feb;17(2):139-142.

REFB3 Mortel M, Mehta SD. Systematic review of the efficacy of herbal galactogogues. J Hum Lact. 2013 May;29(2):154-162.

REFC Diabetes

REFC1 Suksomboon N, Poolsup N, et al. Meta-analysis of the effect of herbal supplement on glycemic control in type 2 diabetes. J Ethnopharmacol. 2011 Oct 11;137(3):1328-1333.

REFC2 Neelak N, Narayanan M, et al. Effect of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) intake on glycemia: a meta-analysis of clinical trials. Nutr J. 2014;13:7.

REFC3 Rafraf M, Malekiyan M, et al. Effect of fenugreek seeds on serum metabolic factors and adiponectin levels in type 2 diabetic patients. Int J Vitamin Nutr Res. 2014;84(3-4):196-205.

REFC4 Gong J, Fang K, et al. Effect of fenugreek on hyperglycaemia and hyperlipidemia in diabetes and prediabetes: A meta-analysis. J Ethnopharmacol. 2016;24(194):260-268.

REFD Impaired Glucose Tolerance

REFD1 Demmers A, Korthout H, et al. Effects of medicinal food plants on impaired glucose tolerance: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2017 Sep;131:91-106.

REFE Menopause

REFE1 Shamshad Begum S, Jayalakshmi HK, et al. A novel extract of fenugreek husk (Fenusmart™) alleviates postmenopausal symptoms and helps to establish the hormonal balance: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Phytother Res. 2016 Nov;30(11):1775-1784.

REFE2 Steels E, Steele ML, et al. Efficacy of a proprietary trigonella foenum-graecum l. de-husked seed extract in reducing menopausal symptoms in otherwise healthy women: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Phytother Res. 2017 Sep;31(9):1316-1322.

REFF Parkinson Disease

REFF1 Nathan J, Panjwani S, et al. Efficacy and safety of standardized extract of Trigonella foenum-graecum L seeds as an adjuvant to L-Dopa in the management of patients with Parkinson's disease. Phytother Res. 2014 Feb;28(2):172-178.

REFG Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

REFG1 Swaroop A, Jaipuriar AS, et al. Efficacy of a novel fenugreek seed extract (trigonella foenum-graecum, furocyst) in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Int J Med Sci. 2015 Oct 3;12(10):825-831.

REFH Sexual Function

REFH1 Rao A, Steels E, et al. Influence of a specialized trigonella foenum-graecum seed extract (libifem), on testosterone, estradiol and sexual function in healthy menstruating women, a randomised placebo controlled study. Phytother Res. 2015;29(8):1123-1130.

REFH2 Rao A, Steels E, et al. Testofen, a specialized Trigonella foenum-graecum seed extract reduces age-related symptoms of androgen decrease, increases testosterone levels and improves sexual function in healthy aging males in a double-blind randomised clinical study. Aging Male. 2016 Jun;19(2):134-142.

Revision Information

  • Reviewer: EBSCO NAT Review Board Eric Hurwitz, DC
  • Review Date: 07/2019
  • Update Date: 05/06/2020