Fenugreek Seeds Benefits – The Spice of Health!

Whenever we say fenugreek seeds or methi seeds in India, we tend to frown or show displeasure saying that it is quite bitter and have a pungent flavor. Fenugreek is a spice that adds flavor to our food and is also one of the main ingredients in pickles. Apart from adding flavor, it has a number of health benefits. Here in this post we will discuss fenugreek seeds benefits for overall health.

Health Benefits of Fenugreek Seeds

There is immense number of beauty and health benefits of fenugreek seeds, the important being these:-

1. Important for healthy and Shiny hair

Adding fenugreek in your diet or applying it on the hair can improve the shine of the hair. I make a hair pack  that you can apply it on the hair once in a week. here is the hair mask of fenugreek seeds for hair:

Prepare a paste of fenugreek seeds that are soaked overnight, curry leaves, tulsi leaves and hibiscus leaves. Apply this paste on the scalp and allow it to remain for 30 minutes. Wash your hair thoroughly. This pack is a great remedy for hair fall.

2. Make Your Dull and Acne Prone Skin Healthy

Fenugreek seeds can delay the chances of an outbreak of pimples. The toxins which

It can even fade the acne marks. Fenugreek seeds help to keep the skin radiant as it can remove the free radicals present in our body which are the culprit for the occurrence of various skin problems like wrinkles, dark spots and infections.

It can even brighten the skin. Fenugreek seeds can also be used as an anti ageing remedy. Here is a very simple yet very effective fenugreek seeds face mask for dull skin:

Prepare a  face pack using a paste of 2 tsp fenugreek seeds, 1 tsp boiled milk and 1 tsp honey. Apply this paste on the face and leave it for 20 minutes. This pack help to repair damaged skin cells and can rejuvenate the cells.

Check out this article for more amazing homemade face masks for glowing skin!

3. Fenugreek seeds increase the breast milk supply

Lactating mothers are always suggested to incorporate fenugreek seeds in their diet. This is because fenugreek seeds improve the breast milk supply and is therefore considered as a galactagogue. This health benefit of fenugreek seeds is due to the presence of diosgenin which increases the supply of breast milk.

Apart from this, the vitamins and magnesium present in fenugreek seeds enhances the quality of the breast milk thus improving the health of the infants.

Having fenugreek seeds as it is can be difficult because of its bitterness and pungency. But having herbal tea containing fenugreek seeds or adding fenugreek seeds in the preparation of dry fruit sweets for lactating mothers is a good option.

4. Controls Diabetes

Another important advantage of having fenugreek seeds are it helps to control type II diabetes. The natural fibre that is present in fenugreek seeds called galactomannan helps to slow down the absorption of sugar into the blood.

Anti-diabetic properties are observed in one of the amino acids called 4 – hydroxy isoleucine present in fenugreek. This amino acid increases the production of insulin and improves insulin sensitivity.

5. Fenugreek seeds reduce the cholesterol levels

Consumption of fenugreek seeds reduces the level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, thus controlling the occurrences of various conditions like atherosclerosis, heart attacks and stroke.

The fibre content present in the fenugreek helps to remove the excess cholesterol from the arteries and blood vessels in the body, reducing the chance of clot formation.

6. Helps prevent colon cancer

The anticarcinogenic properties of fenugreek seeds are attributed to the presence of diosgenin that helps to prevent colon cancer.

Apart from this, the non-starch polysaccharides like tannin, mucilage, pectin, hemicellulose and saponin bind with toxins, thus protecting the mucus membrane of the colon and decreasing the chances of colorectal cancer.

Here you can read few amazing benefits of ginger which also helps to fight cancer…

How to use fenugreek seeds in our daily diet?

• Fenugreek leaves can be dried and used as a herb, the seeds are powdered and used as a spice and the plant itself is used as a curry.
• In India, we use the seeds as well as the leaves in dals, parathas, pickles and curries. Consuming any part of Fenugreek is advisable as any part of the fenugreek have the ability to improve our health.
• An insight into the nutritional composition of fenugreek seeds will show us how much of importance should be given to this spice.

Nutritional Composition of Fenugreek seeds

Fenugreek seeds are loaded with vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients.

• About 100 gms of seeds provide 323 calories. These seeds contain soluble fibre in good amounts.
• The important vitamins present are thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine, folic acid, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. The presence of these nutrients makes it beneficial from the health point of view.
• The minerals that are present in fenugreek seeds are copper, calcium, potassium, iron, manganese, magnesium, selenium and zinc.
• The amount of fibre present in 100 gms seeds are 24.6 gms or over 65% of the dietary fibre. The fibre content in Fenugreek seeds contains Non-starch Polysaccharides in a major portion. The various Non starch Polysaccharides present are pectin, tannin, saponin, hemicellulose and mucilage.
• The phytochemicals that are present in fenugreek are choline, yamogenin, tigogenin, gitogenin, neotigogens and trigonelline diosgenin.

How to select and store fenugreek seeds

Fenugreek seeds are available in the stores in the form of the seeds, powdered or paste that has been vacuum packed. Whole seeds are golden yellow color, hard and have a delicate flavor. Avoid an old stock that are infected with fungus and does not have any flavor.

Thus, this herb is loaded with so much of goodness that it is inevitable to add fenugreek in our diet. These may just be a few fenugreek seeds benefits , the other benefits are it can relieve the menstrual discomfort, essential for weight loss and aids in digestion.

Hence, you consume fenugreek seeds as it is or incorporated in our food or use it as a pack for hair or skin, this spice always does wonder to our health and well-being.