Fenugreek Seeds And Their Benefits

You must have heard about it, right? Yes, it is the bitter thing that is often added in the food to add flavor. Fenugreek seeds are native to the Asian continent and are exclusively used in various cuisines the most important of them being the indian cuisine. The seeds are small, yellow in color and added as a flavoring agent in various curries and vegetables. The usage of fenugreek seeds can be traced back a few thousand years ago. With the advancement in science, other useful benefits of fenugreek seeds have been discovered and guess what, they are legit healthy for your body.

Why are the seeds healthy?

There is enough scientific proof that the seeds have improved the health of the body and prevented diseases like diabetes. What makes it so healthy? There are few compounds which get activated after soaking and prove to be a boon for the body. These compounds are-

·4-hydroxyisoleucine

·Protodioscin

·Diosgenin and yamogenin

·Trigonelline (for treating diabetes)

Fenugreek seeds have a high content of water soluble fiber. It is best when it is soaked in water. the soluble fibers get activates and consuming them improves the gut health, improves the digestion, maintains the absorption rate, eliminates carcinogens and cholesterol, increase the transit time of food in the GIT, and serve as a prebiotic for the gut bacteria. It is proven to lower the blood glucose levels and is very beneficial for diabetic patients. Doctors highly recommend it to the diabetics as it is rich in fiber too.

Various ways of incorporating fenugreek seeds in the diet

All around the world, people consume fenugreek seeds in different ways. There are different recipes, curries and methods that make it suitable for consumption. If you are Indian or even Asian, you must have eaten it in one form or the other. It is a bit bitter so you have to compromise on your taste craving. Eat it bland soaked or make it into a crisp raw salad. The soaked seeds can also be ground and cooked into a curry and it taste better and less bitter too. With the advancements, people who can’t get seeds or are rather busy also go for capsules and tablets which have all the compounds present in the seeds themselves. But as the saying goes ‘nature has the best remedy’ therefore, try to consume the seeds and not the capsules. In this way, you would find better ways to satiate yourself and get more creative in the kitchen!