What does fact checked mean?
At Healthfully, we strive to deliver objective content that is accurate and up-to-date. Our team periodically reviews articles in order to ensure content quality. The sources cited below consist of evidence from peer-reviewed journals, prominent medical organizations, academic associations, and government data.
The information contained on this site is for informational purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for the advice of a professional health care provider. Please check with the appropriate physician regarding health questions and concerns. Although we strive to deliver accurate and up-to-date information, no guarantee to that effect is made.
How to Make a Fenugreek Drink
As its name implies, fenugreek is a Mediterranean plant. This bitter-tasting plant has clover-like leaves and pods that contain brown-colored seeds. In the Indian subcontinent, fenugreek leaves are called "methi" and considered to have anti-diabetic properties. The leaves are added to stews, while the seeds are dried or roasted and used as a spice. Add fresh fenugreek leaves and dried seeds to a smoothie, or juice the leaves to make refreshing drinks. A 100-gram serving of fenugreek leaves will give you 240 milligrams of potassium, 3 grams of fiber and only 1 gram of total fat.
Wash fresh fenugreek leaves thoroughly with warm water. Remove any roots, flowers and thick stems. Chop large bunches of fenugreek into smaller pieces 4.
How to Make Grapefruit Juice Taste Better
Learn More
Juice the fresh fenugreek leaves by adding a bunch at a time to your juicer feeder. Continue juicing the fenugreek until you have about a half-cup of juice. This may take at least four or five bunches.
Add fresh vegetables and fruits to the juicer to add flavor to your fenugreek juice. Add 1 beetroot or a few carrot sticks to sweeten the juice. Or, flavor and sweeten by juicing an apple and a lemon. Mix your fresh juice to combine all the flavors.
Turmeric Toxicity
Learn More
Make a green smoothie by blending fresh fenugreek leaves with berries, apples, bananas, avocados or other fresh fruit or vegetable combinations. Add dried fenugreek seeds and blend until crushed for additional fiber and nutrients in your smoothie.
Tips
You can also combine freshly juiced fenugreek with store-bought juice or drink it on its own. Pure fenugreek juice may have a bitter taste; sweeten it with pure honey or fruit juice if desired.
Warnings
Possible side effects of eating or drinking fenugreek include bloating, gas and diarrhea, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. If you experience any symptoms, don't eat or drink fenugreek, and seek your doctor's advice.
Pregnant women should not eat or drink fenugreek leaves or seeds. The plant can stimulate contractions in the uterus, which may harm an unborn baby or induce labor prematurely.
Related Articles
References
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fenugreek
- BBC Food: Fenugreek Recipes
- BabyCenter: Can the Herb Fenugreek Increase a Mom's Milk Supply? Kathleen Huggins R.N.
- MyFitnessPal: Calories in Leaf Fenugreek (Methi)
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Fenugreek. Updated August 2020.
- Neelakantan N, Narayanan M, de Souza RJ, van Dam RM. Effect of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) intake on glycemia: A meta-analysis of clinical trials. Nutr J. 2014;13:7. doi:10.1186/1475-2891-13-7
- Gaddam A, Galla C, Thummisetti S, Marikanty RK, Palanisamy UD, Rao PV. Role of fenugreek in the prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus in prediabetes. J Diabetes Metab Disord. 2015;14:74. doi:10.1186/s40200-015-0208-4
- Turkyılmaz C, Onal E, Hirfanoglu IM, et al. The effect of galactagogue herbal tea on breast milk production and short-term catch-up of birth weight in the first week of life. J Altern Complement Med. 2011;17(2):139-142. doi:10.1089/acm.2010.0090
- Sim TF, Hattingh HL, Sherriff J, Tee LB. The use, perceived effectiveness and safety of herbal galactagogues during breastfeeding: A qualitative study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2015;12(9):11050-11071. doi:10.3390/ijerph120911050
- Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed). Fenugreek. Updated May 1, 2019.
- Pattanittum P, Kunyanone N, Brown J, et al. Dietary supplements for dysmenorrhoea. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;3(3):CD002124. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD002124.pub2
- Younesy S, Amiraliakbari S, Esmaeili S, Alavimajd H, Nouraei S. Effects of fenugreek seed on the severity and systemic symptoms of dysmenorrhea. J Reprod Infertil. 2014;15(1):41-48.
- Steels E, Rao A, Vitetta L. Physiological aspects of male libido enhanced by standardized Trigonella foenum-graecum extract and mineral formulation. Phytother Res. 2011 Feb 10. doi:10.1002/ptr.3360
- Wankhede S, Mohan V, Thakurdesai P. Beneficial effects of fenugreek glycoside supplementation in male subjects during resistance training: A randomized controlled pilot study [published correction appears in J Sport Health Sci. 2018 Apr;7(2):251]. J Sport Health Sci. 2016;5(2):176-182. doi:10.1016/j.jshs.2014.09.005
- Podebrad, F. et al. 4,5‐Dimethyl‐3‐hydroxy‐2[5H]‐furanone (sotolone) — The odour of maple syrup urine disease. Journal of Inherited Metabolic Disease. Volume22, Issue2, April 1999 Pages 107-114 doi:10.1023/A:1005433516026
- U.S. Department of Agriculture. Spices, fenugreek seed. Updated April 1, 2019.
- American Botanical Council. Herbal medicine: Expanded Commission E: Fenugreek seed.
- Askarpour M, Alami F, Campbell MS, Venkatakrishnan K, Hadi A, Ghaedi E. Effect of fenugreek supplementation on blood lipids and body weight: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Ethnopharmacol. 2020;253:112538. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2019.112538
- Schoen C, Bielfeldt S. Fenugreek+micronutrients: Efficacy of a food supplement against hair loss. Kosmetische Medizin. 2006;27(4).
- Kulkarni M, Hastak V, Jadhav V, Date AA. Fenugreek leaf extract and its gel formulation show activity against Malassezia furfur. Assay Drug Dev Technol. 2020;18(1):45-55. doi:10.1089/adt.2019.918
Warnings
- Possible side effects of eating or drinking fenugreek include bloating, gas and diarrhea, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. If you experience any symptoms, don't eat or drink fenugreek, and seek your doctor's advice.
- Pregnant women should not eat or drink fenugreek leaves or seeds. The plant can stimulate contractions in the uterus, which may harm an unborn baby or induce labor prematurely.
Writer Bio
Nadia Haris is a registered radiation therapist who has been writing about nutrition for more than six years. She is completing her Master of Science in nutrition with a focus on the dietary needs of oncology patients.