A wide of range of uses were found for fenugreek in ancient times. Medicinally it was used for the treatment of wounds, abscesses, arthritis, bronchitis and digestive problems. Although originally from southeastern Europe and Western Asia, fenugreek grows today in many parts of the world, including India, northern Africa and the United States.

Traditional Chinese herbalists used it for kidney problems and conditions affecting the male reproductive tract . Fenugreek was and remains a food and a spice commonly eaten in many parts of the world.

In Fenugreek Extract, most well-known compound is 4-hydroxyisoleucine, which works to normalize glucose metabolism. The other compounds, called trigonelline, galactomannan, and trigoneosides, also work together to provide benefits for blood sugar. Some important NSP's include saponins, hemicellulose, mucilage, tannin, and pectin. These compounds help lower blood LDL-cholesterol levels by inhibiting bile salts re-absorption in the colon. They also bind to toxins in the food and help to protect the colon mucusa from cancers.

Supplementing fenugreek may cause body secretions, including urine, to smell like maple syrup. This is due to a metabolite called sotolon.

Fenugreek appears to slow absorption of sugars in the stomach and stimulate insulin. Both of these effects lower blood sugar in people with diabetes. Fenugreek Extract and oil are known to possess antimicrobial, antioxidant, antidiabetic and antitumorigenic activities. Fenugreek also seems to benefit those with heart conditions, such as hardening of the arteries and high blood levels of certain fats, including cholesterol and triglycerides.

It reduces inflammation inside the body such as mouth ulcers, bronchitis, chronic cough and kidney ailments. Some fenugreek uses for men include treating hernias, erectile dysfunction and other male problems such as baldness. That’s because fenugreek may increase sexual arousal and testosterone levels.

Fenugreek also helps breastfeeding women who may experience low milk supply. Fenugreek can increase a woman’s breast milk supply because it acts as a galactagogue, which is a substance to increase milk supply.