Low Carber Daily Forum

Join

Fenugreek for PCOS, menopause, diabetes and parkinson's

Options
cstehansen
cstehansen Posts: 1,984 Member
in Social Groups
In doing research for supplements for BG control, fenugreek was one that seemed to have the most scientific evidence backing up claims, so I have recently started taking it in the amounts referenced in one of the clearest studies I could find.

Below is a link to an article from GreenMedInfo.com about fenugreek and other things for which there is scientific data supporting the claims. For those who are not familiar with this site, it has been a great resource for me. Sayer Ji started it almost 10 years ago. It is basically a website that has pulled all the abstracts from Pubmed for any study that evaluates a natural treatment (i.e. supplement or dietary change) for disease. It also provides links to the original abstract, and for some it has the complete study.

http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/why-you-should-incorporate-fenugreek-your-diet

I know there are many in this group with PCOS and I assume some with menopause. Being a man, I am not in either of these categories. Although, after reading this, I am planning on looking into the full studies on menopause to see if I should recommend my wife trying this. It would be nice to not have to wear a parka while riding in a car with her. :p

Replies

  • 1thankful_momma
    1thankful_momma Posts: 298 Member
    Options
    I have only used it to help keep my milk supply up when I was breastfeeding. You smell like maple syrup when you take it.
    Interesting data.
  • SuperCarLori
    SuperCarLori Posts: 1,248 Member
    Options
    I'm in perimenopause...and I'd love to smell like Maple syrup!!!! :D
  • ccrdragon
    ccrdragon Posts: 3,370 Member
    Options
    I had not heard of these benefits. I know that it has been recommended for men because it helps with prostrate regulation and 'manly' issues.
    food_lover16 wrote: »
    You smell like maple syrup when you take it.

    I might get chased around by my daughter if I take too much of it... she's one of those that uses pancakes as a transport for ingesting maple syrup :smiley:

  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,104 Member
    Options
    @cstehansen - Updates on experimental testing of these?
  • cstehansen
    cstehansen Posts: 1,984 Member
    Options
    KnitOrMiss wrote: »
    @cstehansen - Updates on experimental testing of these?

    So in looking at the dosing used in the study, I suggested to my wife to take one of the capsules I already had twice a day to closely mirror what the study did. She is stubborn. She agreed to take one in the morning only to see what it did.

    Within a few days she told me she realized she was going all day without hot flashes or with maybe one or two. This is a huge improvement over 3 or 4 per hour. However, she was still having them at night.

    Of course my response was to take the second one at night like I had originally suggested. Despite what has been a little over 2 weeks of significantly reduced hot flashes during the day, she is still hesitant to add the second one before bed. I am not really sure why this is.

    What I can say is car rides are more pleasant because she isn't a constant furnace so we can keep the car at a much more reasonable temperature. At night, well, let's just say I am glad to have a nice warm blanket.

    I will keep working on her to add that second capsule.
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    Options
    Given the information on Examine, it looks like Fenugreek is adaptogenic, which is cool.
  • LizinLowell
    LizinLowell Posts: 208 Member
    Options
    I'm premenopausal but tried fenugreek to see if it would help me around my TOM and it made me so depressed and anxious for three days I had to stop. After I stopped taking it I went right back to normal so I guess it isn't for me, at least not right now :(
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    Options
    sixaround1 wrote: »
    I'm premenopausal but tried fenugreek to see if it would help me around my TOM and it made me so depressed and anxious for three days I had to stop. After I stopped taking it I went right back to normal so I guess it isn't for me, at least not right now :(

    It happens. From the looks of the Examine sore, it has MAO inhibiting properties, so it's definitely worth researching and being mindful of effects like that.
  • LizinLowell
    LizinLowell Posts: 208 Member
    Options
    @Dragonwolf Aha. I didn't do a ton of research before I tried it but I knew it was causing me trouble by day 2. Oh well!
  • mmultanen
    mmultanen Posts: 1,029 Member
    Options
    I took it while nursing and theres no doubt it compounded my post partum anxiety. Everyone kept telling me How amazing it is for breast feeding so I pushed on. I finaly realized it was impacting my already fragile mental health and with my second I didnt use it.
  • LizinLowell
    LizinLowell Posts: 208 Member
    Options
    @mmultanen Ugh, sorry you suffered that, I feel for you. Glad you were able to ditch it.

Categories