Fenugreek is one of the oldest recorded plants used in medicine. It has been used in Arabian, Greek and Indian health care for thousands of years and was used in Egypt going back to 1500 BCE. Fenugreek has even been used in China for thousands of years. Fenugreek has a lot of uses, but it has been mainly used for lung congestion and mucous congestion due to its excellent fenugreek oil for hair , astringent and demulcent properties. But in addition to that, Fenugreek is even used for ulcers, inflammation in the stomach intestines, gout and loss of appetite.

Recently, there has been great excitement over Fenugreek due to the discovery that Fenugreek is an effective herb for diabetes and cholesterol. Fenugreek has been shown to reduce blood sugar levels in both type I diabetes (Eur J Gun Nutr 1990) and type II diabetes (Res 1996; Phytother Res 1996; J Physicians India 2001). Fenugreek has also been shown to improve triglycerides and cholesterol in diabetics (Eur J Clin Nutr 1990; Phytother Res 1996; J Assoc Physicians India 2001) and in non-diabetics (Indian J Pharmacology 2000).

Folk medicine suggests that fenugreek may be an aphrodisiac. A very common use of Fenugreek is for breast enlargement and the promotion of breast milk.

Externally, Fenugreek can be used in creams, salves and poultices to treat skin issues such as boils, inflammations and carbuncles.