Special Edition: Blood Sugar Management
Fenugreek
Another common ingredient in blood sugar management products is fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum), which has been reported to slow the absorption of sugars in the stomach and stimulate insulin.
A meta-analysis of 10 clinical trials published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2016, Vol. 194, pp. 260–268) concluded that “fenugreek significantly ameliorates fasting blood glucose”.
An earlier meta-analysis, published in the Nutrition Journal (2014, 13:7) found that high doses (at least 5 grams per day) of fenugreek seed powder were associated with significant reductions in fasting blood glucose levels in diabetics.
“Our systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that fenugreek seeds may contribute to better glycemic control in persons with diabetes mellitus with a similar magnitude of effect as intensive lifestyle or other pharmaceutical treatment added to standard treatment,” wrote the authors from the National University of Singapore, McMaster University (Canada), and Harvard University.
“Fenugreek is widely available at low cost and generally accepted in resource poor countries such as India and China where a large proportion of persons with diabetes in the world reside. Therefore, fenugreek may be a promising complementary option for the clinical management of diabetes.”
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