At a dinner party tonight, I met a friend who has been taking fenugreek seed powder daily for the last 6 years. The result? Over this time period, he has been able to slowly reduce, and now stop his cholesterol medication. I like the way he approached this — he started by adding fenugreek to his daily routine, he stuck to it, monitored his blood lipid levels and worked with his doctor to reduce and then, when the time was right, stop his medication.

Studies have also shown that fenugreek can help stabilize blood sugar in diabetics. It works so well that sometimes it can cause the blood sugar to dip too low, so be sure to talk to your doctor before trying it for this condition. It should also be used cautiously if someone is on blood thinning drugs, and it is not for pregnant women — but it is very effective post-pregnancy to encourage milk production