Plant Family: Leguminosae

Common Names: Bird's Foot, Bockshornklee, Greek Hayseed, Mayti (Indian)

Origin: Indigenous to countries on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean and cultivated in India, Egypt and Morocco in Africa.

History: The name comes from the Greek Trigonella, 'three-angled' (leaves) and Foenum-graecum, 'Greek Hay'.  

Fenugreek is one of the oldest medicinal plants, dating back to the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans who used it as a culinary and medicinal herb. It was also used by the famous herbalist, Rev. Kneipp for sore throat.

Gerard states: 'It is good to wash the head with a decoction of the seeds for it taketh away the scurfe, scales, nits......'.

Tradition:

• It was thought that if you added a few Fenugreek seeds to the water used to clean your household floors it would bring money into the household

Plant Constituents

Contains:

• anti-inflammatory steroid-like substance
• betain
• bitter fixed oil
• Calcium
• Choline, an alkaloid
• Diosgenin (similar to estrogen)
• lecithin
• mucilage
• neurin
• nucleoalbumin
• organic iron
• phosphates
• proteids
• Trigonelline, an alkaloid
• trimethylamine
• volatile oil
• yellow coloring substance

Usage

Medicinal Plants Used: Seeds

Fenugreek is used for:

Blood Conditions

• anemia

Brain and Nervous System Conditions

• neurasthenia

Female Conditions

• relaxes the uterus
• stimulates breast development
• stimulates milk production in nursing mothers

Gastrointestinal Conditions

• comforts the stomach
• enteritis
• faulty digestion (soothes the intestinal canal)
• gastritis
• increases the appetite 
• inflamed conditions of the stomach and intestines
• softens and expels mucous
• tonic effect on the digestion, particularly for convalescents

Liver Conditions

• counters cholesterol
• used by the liver for cholesterol metabolism

Metabolic Conditions

• helps aid diabetes

Respiratory Tract Conditions

• bronchitis
• dissolves mucous congestion
• kills infections in the lungs
• tuberculosis
• throat and chest disorders

Other

• debility after illness
• for weight gain
• prevents fevers (similar to quinine)
• reduces symptoms of fever (used with lemon and honey)
• rickets
• scrofula
• soothes and nourishes the body during illness

It is used as a gargle for:

• sore throat

Externally it is used as a poultice, ointment, plaster for:

• abscesses
• boils
• carbuncles
• fistulas
• gout pain
• inflamed or infected skin
• inflammations
• neuralgia
• sciatica
• skin irritations
• sores
• swollen glands
• tumors
• drawing out ulcers and swellings
• wounds

Other Uses:

• flavoring in confectionery
• spice in curry powder
• used to condition horses and cattle

Action:

• anti-inflammatory [an agent to ease inflammation]
• antiseptic [an agent for inhibiting the growth of microorganism on living tissue or destroying pathogenic or putrefactive bacteria]
• aphrodisiac [an agent for arousing or increasing sexual desire or potency]
• emollient [an agent used externally to soften and soothe]
• expectorant [an agent that promotes the discharge of mucous and secretions from the respiratory passages]
• febrifuge [an agent that reduces or eliminates fevers]
• galactagogue [an agent that encourages or increases the secretion of milk]
• mucilaginous [characterized by a gummy or gelatinous consistency]
• nutritive [gives nourishment]
• restorative [an agent that restores consciousness or normal physiological activity]
• soothing
• stimulant [an agent that excites or quickens the functional activity of the tissues giving more energy] (acts on the nervous system to stimulate the appetite)
• tonic [an agent that tones, strengthens and invigorates organs or the entire organism giving a feeling of well-being]

Precautions

Caution: 

• Fenugreek should not be taken by pregnant women because of its uterine properties.