With added sugars present in most processed foods such as yogurts, ketchup, sodas, and even breads, over consumption of sugars is a big issue in modern times. More sugar consumption increases sugar levels in the blood which the body is not always able to break down. While medication could be used to manage blood sugar levels, increasing fenugreek consumption could also decrease sugar levels and even as a method to help manage diabetes.
While sugar is natural, consuming high levels of sugar is worrisome. In today’s food system and Western diet, there is increased consumption of processed foods and foods containing a lot of sugar such as high fructose corn syrup, which increases the risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and even some cancers.
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As a result of the increased sugar consumption in recent decades, in the US and around the world more people have become diabetic or pre-diabetic—over 34 million Americans (~1 in 10 people) have diabetes and 88 million adults (~1 in 3 people) have prediabetes. These stark numbers highlight the need to manage blood sugar in order to help combat the ever increasing presence of diabetes and increased sugar consumption.
Decreasing your sugar consumption would be the best way to prevent high blood sugar levels, but it can be a bit challenging. By following some of the tips to decrease sugar consumption from this article, you can take the first steps to decreasing your chances at getting diabetes.
Another method to decrease blood sugar levels is to eat more fenugreek, both the leaves and the seeds. Fenugreek has been used for thousands of years in Traditional Indian and Traditional Chinese Medicine as herbal treatments for diabetes. For example, fenugreek leaves known as methi in Indian cooking is traditionally found in a dish called methi aloo (fenugreek potatoes) and ground fenugreek seeds are used as an additive to various Indian curries and soups.
These blood-sugar lessening properties of fenugreek are now being studied by scientists, who have found that certain compounds, particularly diosgenin and quercetin, inside of fenugreek specifically help reduce blood sugar.
Diosgenin
Diosgenin has effects in the pancreas, liver, skeletal muscle, and adipose tissue (fat). It helps restore insulin sensitivity which makes the insulin more likely to help break down blood sugars and restore glucose (the predominant sugar the body uses for metabolism) homeostasis so that there is a balance in blood sugar levels within a healthy range.
In the pancreas, diosgenin has been found to promote insulin secretion which itself decreases blood sugar levels since insulin enables your body’s cells to use the blood glucose and transform it into an energy storage form called glycogen which then decreases blood sugar levels.
Quercetin
Quercetin is a flavonoid which is present throughout the fenugreek leaves, seeds, and flowers. It is involved with glucose homeostasis, insulin sensitizing and secreting, glucose utilization in peripheral tissues, and the inhibition of intestinal glucose absorption. Quercetin also interacts with different genes in the body to prevent fat accumulation, induce glucose metabolism, and stimulate insulin production.
Studies have been conducted with quercetin and it has been shown to increase hepatic glucokinase activity and increase pancreatic islets in diabetic rats. Glucokinase is the first step in the glucose metabolism pathway and pancreatic islets have been found to improve glucose control. This is a key finding since it means that quercetin improves glucose metabolism rates and is found, scientifically, to decrease blood sugar levels. This also means that with a greater consumption of quercetin, the lesser the chance of developing Type II Diabetes Mellitus.
While diet alone is not the sole contributor to developing diabetes, adjusting your diet to manage sugar levels can help prevent the onset of such diabetes amongst other diseases. Fenugreek consumption has long been used to decrease blood sugar levels and as a non-pharmaceutical treatment for diabetes.
More research is currently being done with fenugreek to scientifically solidify information long known and practiced in Traditional Chinese and Indian Medicine. With everything known so far, increasing consumption of fenugreek has beneficial health outcomes and can help manage blood sugar levels to prevent the development of diabetes.
While you should consult your doctor for further guidance if you concerned regarding diabetes or your blood sugar levels, eating more fenugreek can help you take charge of your health.