Now Foods

Fenugreek 500 mg 250 caps.

• Exhibits healthy properties
• Regulates blood sugar
• Improves the lipid profile
• Anti-inflammatory effect
• Performs neuroprotective functions
• Beneficial for the digestive system
• Antimicrobial activity
• Helps to increase testosterone levels
• Alleviates the symptoms of PMS and menopause

Now Foods Fenugreek is a dietary supplement containing 500 mg of the extract of ecologically grown fenugreek seeds (Trigonella foenum-graecum) per capsule. The high content of biologically active compounds with a wide range of pharmacological effects makes the plant a valuable medicinal material of natural origin.

Fenugreek is an annual herbaceous plant of the Fabaceae family. Its seeds are used in both the Asian and the Indian systems of natural medicine. It is used most often as aid in diabetes treatment, as support during convalescence, in parasitic disease treatment, as a nutrient stimulating appetite and supporting digestion in the case of digestive system disorders (indigestion, flatulence, gastritis) and liver diseases, and as a material with an expectorant effect in upper respiratory tract diseases.

Fenugreek is a rich source of biologically active compounds with a complex chemical structure. Its seeds contain mucilage, galactomannan, steroid saponins, vitamins (PP, H, F, B1, carotene), bioelements (iron, phosphorus, potassium, calcium), coumarins, essential oils, phospholipids, biogenic amines (choline, trimethylamine), and a wide range of flavonoid compounds, including phytoestrogens called isoflavones.

Hypoglycaemic and antihyperglycaemic effect
The ability of fenugreek seeds to reduce blood glucose levels were known as early as in the ancient times, and modern tests have confirmed that property. The presence of galactomannan allows orally taken ground fenugreek seeds to delay the emptying of the stomach, thanks to which they eliminate the after-meal glucose spike, reduce the activity of enzymes that break down carbohydrates, and reduce urine glucose levels.

The amino acid 4-hydroxyisoleucine has been proven to increase insulin release from pancreatic cells (pancreatic islets). It is a two-phase activity, it depends on glucose levels and it can be observed without the involvement of other substances stimulating insulin release. The insulinotropic properties and the ability to reduce blood glucose levels have also been observed in animals with the insulin-resistant type 2 diabetes.

Improved lipid profile
Orally administered fenugreek seeds reduce total testosterone levels in the blood, LDL and VLDL cholesterol fractions, and triglycerides. The reduction also applies to the general level of lipids and proteins with apolipoprotein B – the main protein component of LDL. That is believed to be influenced by the presence of steroid saponins, which, partly broken down to sapogenins in the gastrointestinal tract, stimulate cholesterol metabolism and its transformation in the liver to bile acids, and stimulate their excretion. Moreover, they inhibit the activity of lipase and delay the absorption of fatty compounds.

Studies provide enough evidence that after the oral administration of fenugreek seeds, there is an anti-inflammatory effect; it also has analgesic and antipyretic properties. They are comparable with the activity of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs, namely, pentazocine and sodium or potassium diclofenac. Extracts of the plant stimulate the release of interleukins (IL-6, IL-10) and the tumour necrosis factor (TNFα) and the expression of COX-2 which is activated during an inflammatory reaction, when the immune response is developed.

A very interesting aspect of the pharmacological activity of fenugreek seed extracts is the influence of biologically active compounds contained in it on the nervous system. Research show that the main alkaloid in fenugreek, trigonelline, affects axon regeneration, stimulating the formation of synapses, which results in an improvement in memory processes. The material’s neuroprotective properties consist in preventing cerebral atrophy caused by β-amyloid, and test results allow to consider fenugreek seeds to the group of plant materials potentially helpful in the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer’s disease.

Fenugreek extracts exhibit antimicrobial properties confirmed by microbiological tests. Its bacteriostatic properties have been discovered against 26 strains of pathogenic microorganisms of Gram-positive and Gram-negative groups: S. aureus, E. coli, K. pneumoniae, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi and S. typhimurium, as well as T. vaginalis.

Fenugreek is used as aid in the treatment of various digestive system diseases. Its extracts have the ability to protect mucous membranes affected by an inflammation in the case of an ulcer. The beneficial effect takes place along with the reduction of the swelling and hyperaemia of the mucous membrane, and it is linked with the inhibition of pepsin and gastric juice secretion, as well as an antioxidant effect. Fenugreek extracts exhibit hepatoprotective properties comparable with silymarin, and its positive impact on the digestive system also applies to the protection against bowel cancer.

Fenugreek’s effect on the male endocrine system consists in its potential to increase testosterone levels. That is because the plat contains substances that work as 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors. They limit the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which results in a relative increase in this male sex hormone. Scientific evidence suggests that fenugreek extract supplementation helps young and healthy men to lose more fatty tissue and build lean muscle mass more efficiently.

Fenugreek contains diosgenin, a steroid saponin, and phytoestrogens. Both substances have properties similar to oestrogens: they can help to alleviate symptoms connected with the premenstrual syndrome, such as discomfort and menstrual pain. The substances can also alleviate the symptoms of menopause, such as hot flushes and mood swings.