The Reputation of Fenugreek Seed

Experience is the best teacher, and in view of this, we must give cognizance to the experience of countless users of fenugreek seeds–usually prepared as a tea. Its reputation, correctly applied or not, is based upon its “mucous solving” properties.

The common name is “Greek Hay”, derived from the fact that the leaves of the plant, reminiscent of comfrey, are a recognized animal conditioner and are eaten by cattle, particularly in the Mediterranean and Far East countries. The seed is a popular food with the Arabic women of North Africa, who believe that it produces a well-proportioned figure. This reputation extends to India, where it is a valued food and is recommended by nature-wise Indian doctors as an emollient and for poultices.

What is Fenugreek?

The fenugreek plant resembles white clover and is classified as a leguminous herb, a member of the pea family. Fenugreek seeds sprout readily and the activated principles of the sprouts provide raw food elements in the diet. The seeds contain about 10% aromatic oil, of which 93% is unsaturated fatty acids. They are about 30% protein, being particularly high in cystine and tryptophane. According to Biological Abstracts, 1956, No. 8682, “new free amino acids” have been reported in fenugreek seeds, but these have not been identified. This is interesting in view of the now-known importance of having a diet of complete amino acid patterns. Are these new free amino acids important factors in protein metabolism?

Modern Uses

Although fenugreek seed is little known outside of a limited circle of en­thusiastic users, many will be interested to learn that it is used in making imitation maple flavoring and that curry powder (Indian spices) and chutney call for its inclusion in their preparation.

Delving Deeper

We learn that the Latin name for fenugreek is trigonella foenumgraecum, and upon referring to the U.S. Pharmacopoeia we learn that the seed is the source of trigonelline, which is described as the methylbetaine of nicotinic acid–the pellagra preventive factor. These methyl groups are very important. In Kliner’s Human Biochemistry we find this statement: “The discovery of the transfer of methyl groups from one compound to another is one of the recent great advances in biochemistry.” Although the Pharmacopoeia states that trigonelline has “no marked physiological action”, we wonder if the wording should not be changed to “pharmacological action.” The reputation of fenugreek bears out its biochemical merits.

The Raw Seeds

Recalling that the usual method of using fenugreek is steeping the seeds for tea, we can understand why its repu­tation has lagged behind that of comfrey, which also requires that it not be “boiled” for the full benefits of its inherent properties. Heat destroys enzymes, the working tools of the metabolism, otherwise known as the metabolic catalysts. We may, therefore, consider that fenugreek has been working under a most severe handicap when the diluted, steeped tea form is used. The freshly ground raw seeds, unadulterated by the heating process, furnish fenugreek in the enzymatically combined or organic form. lt is the old story: cooked foods versus raw foods! As always, the potency of the altered cooked form is very low compared with the uncooked variety from the same source.

Mucous Reputation

Were the experienced users of fenu­greek wrong when they attributed its properties to its “mucous solving” properties? Mucus is a viscid, watery secretion of mucous glands. It is a loose combination of protein with mucopoly­saccharides of high concentration in the nasal passages and sinuses, the bronchi of the lungs and the tongue. Logically, one would expect mucous accumulations to occur in the hair-like tubules of the kidneys, since they are important organs of elimination. Reports of users of fenugreek seem to substantiate the “mucous theory”, since improvement in sinusitis, bronchitis and kidney troubles are among the noticeable benefits derived from fenugreek.

A Word About Comfrey

Allantoin, the isolated factor derived from comfrey, is a well-known healing factor; so one would logically expect comfrey and fenugreek to be mutually cooperative factors in these physiological effects. In biochemical matters we must remember that the recognized “deficiency diseases”–beri-beri, pellagra, scurvy, etc.–are but the crudest platform of the nutritional structure and the rare and little understood factors such as are found in comfrey and fenugreek are the biochemical mysteries known only by their “enviable reputation.”