By Health Correspondent
In a fascinating revelation of ancient medicinal practices, fenugreek, a humble herb dating back to 4000 BC, emerges as a powerhouse of nutritional and healing properties. Tracing its origins through millennia, this herb has been revered across cultures for its diverse therapeutic benefits. In ancient Egypt, it was used to embalm dead bodies and to fumigate homes. In the Middle Ages, the paste was used to cure baldness, but its smell was so offensive that they began to call it “Greek excrement”.
Ancient Wisdom and Modern Confirmation
The first-century Greek physician and herbalist Dioscorides recommended fenugreek as a treatment for gout and headaches. Pliny (AD 25-79) the great Roman philosopher and naturalist, prescribed it for deafness. Hippocrates mentioned it in The Epidemics (a massive medical treatise). Avicenna (Ibn Sina) the founder of the Unani system of medicine in his monumental work “The Canon of Medicine” lists it as one of the plants that had great medicinal value.
Ayurveda’s Early Embrace
Fenugreek entered ayurvedic pharmacopoeia late several centuries after the sage Charak and Sushruta had compiled their Samhitas. Its use as a medicine was mentioned in the 16th-century Ayurvedic text Bhava Prakash Nighantu written by Pandit Bhav Mishra, an emperor Akbar’s court physician. Amazingly, so many ancient systems of medicine are known and used as potent and multitasking medicine.
Modern Validation: Fenugreek in Contemporary Medicine
The leaves of fenugreek were used to treat flatulence, indigestion, colic, dysentery, diarrhoea, and sluggish livers. Because of their cooling nature as poultices for burns and inflammations, the seeds treat diabetes, respiratory disorders and digestive ailments and increase lactation. But is equally astonishing that modern medical research confirms this curative power in treating the same ailments.
Fenugreek: A Natural Remedy to control Blood Sugar
If fenugreek seeds are soaked in water for a few hours, they get coated with a thin layer of a jelly-like substance called mucilage that acts as a sponge absorbing blood sugar and thus lowering it. Studies have shown that one teaspoon of fenugreek significantly lowers fasting and post-prandial blood glucose levels. Fenugreek seeds are also used to soothe and clean our digestive tracts and treat peptide ulcers.
Women’s Ally: Fenugreek’s Role in Female Wellness
It reduces the symptoms of menopause and promotes lactation. Since ancient times, in Asia, North Africa, India and Egypt, various concoctions made from its seeds have been given to breastfeeding mothers to promote lactation. In modern times herbal teas in the name of mother’s milk tea – have Fenugreek seed as a key ingredient.
Nutrient Powerhouse: Unveiling Fenugreek’s Composition
The fenugreek seeds like its leaves are rich in vitamin A, vitamin B1, and vitamin C, and the protein content in it confirms it as a member of the legume family. The leaves of fenugreek are an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids, apart from having a good amount of magnesium, potassium, and dietary fiber. it is also a good source of calcium which prevents women from osteoporosis, menstrual pain, and pre-menstrual tension.
Fenugreek: From Kitchen Staple to Ancient Defensive Weapon
In ancient warfare the Jewish soldiers adds fenugreek to the boiling oil and pours it from the top of the fort wall to deter enemies from scaling it. This mixture of fenugreek with hot oil makes walls very slippery to scale.
Fenugreek’s Enduring Legacy
From ancient remedies to contemporary scientific validation, the legacy of fenugreek persists, embodying nature’s profound wisdom in addressing human ailments. In this ever-changing world, fenugreek stands as a testament to the enduring power of natural solutions, offering both solace and sustenance to those in need.