A Literature Review: The Role of Fenugreek in Diabetes Management

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2020

Authors

Cherian, Aaron
Villavicencio, Madeleine
Ramanathan, Meenakshi
Hoque, Sanjida

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Abstract

Purpose: This review's objective is to identify evidence regarding fenugreek's role in reducing blood glucose in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) or pre-diabetes. Methods: PubMed and SCOPUS were utilized to find trials which included "fenugreek AND diabetes", "fenugreek AND glucose" and "Trigonella AND diabetes". Trials excluded were those published before 2003 and fenugreek's impact in disease states unrelated to diabetes. Results: Based on five trials describing fenugreek's effects of increased glucose uptake, increased insulin sensitivity and lowering fasting plasma glucose, fenugreek was proven to be efficacious with regards to diabetes and pre-diabetes. One trial showed fenugreek to have no statistical changes in fasting blood glucose, yet it statistically changed GIR. In addition, one study showed no statistical change in fasting blood glucose or A1c% compared with glibenclamide while another showed no change in fasting blood glucose when compared to diet and exercise. Five of the studies evaluated the safety of fenugreek and demonstrated a high safety profile and tolerability. Conclusion: Fenugreek has proven to have a role in the management of patients with diabetes or pre-diabetes via its ability to reduce insulin resistance and lower blood sugar. In order to establish the defined role in therapy, additional clinical trials with larger amounts of study subjects should be conducted. Gaining a USP approval for a fenugreek product and utilizing it in future trials would increase the validity of the results, making it more applicable to specific guidelines.

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