The fenugreek seed uses date back to the Egyptians in 1500 B.C. Although it is commonly used in cooking, the fenugreek seed is used for many things from menopausal symptoms to inducing childbirth. Normally, the fenugreek seed is ground into a powder and taken orally or used to form a paste and applied to the skin.
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The seeds of the fenugreek contain several active biological chemicals, which makes it a medicinally potent, and nutraceutical supplement. They have a bitter taste to them and a strong and peculiar odor, so when used as a spice, it’s used in very small quantities. It is also a golden yellow, which made it an excellent dye used by the ancient Indians and Egyptians.
More commonly, the Indians and the Chinese have used the fenugreek powder, made from the fenugreek seed, for centuries as a spice to increase the taste of curries. It was first introduced to the Europeans and Arabs through spice trading. Medicinally it was used to treat abscesses, wounds, bronchitis, and digestive problems. Chinese herbalists have used the seeds for male reproductive tract and kidney problems.
The fenugreek seed uses don’t stop there. They inhibit the cholesterol absorption and synthesis; the seeds are rich in fiber which is why they can lower blood sugar levels in diabetes; the amino acids in the seeds helps lower elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels; the seeds also contain a high percentage of mucilage in their coatings which promotes evacuation of intestinal contents, aka a mild laxative.
Internally, the seed has many uses. It can be used to stimulate the appetite; if you make tea out of the seeds, mix it with lemon and honey, it can reduce fevers; it is used extensively to increase milk production in nursing mothers; and the ground seeds are used to give a maple flavoring to confections and most cattle like the fenugreek flavoring in their forage.
The fenugreek seed also has external uses such as using them in baking candy, making ice cream, chewing gum, soft drinks, and baked goods. The fenugreek leaves are dried and used as an insect repellant in grain storage facilities.
Fenugreek has a lot of fiber, lipids, vitamins, and minerals and can be used as anti-inflammatory, aphrodisiac, antiseptic, expectorant, stimulant and more. The traditional uses of the seeds include: fenugreek seeds are very rich in vitamin E and are one of the earliest spices known to man, the leaves are beneficial in treating a sluggish liver or flatulence, the dried leaves are used to flavor meat, fish and vegetable dishes.
The leaves can also be used to treat recurrent mouth ulcers, and a gargle is made out of the seeds is good for the ordinary soar throat, fresh pasted fenugreek leaves applied to the scalp helps hair grow, maintain and preserve color, and keeps the hair silky and cures dandruff.
Fenugreek also restores nitrogen in the soil as it comes from the pea family, so it’s used in organic farming as a soil renovator.
As you can see, there are a wide variety of uses with the fenugreek plant, too many to list in such a short article. So do some research if interested, very educational.
