KOCHI: Metabolic syndrome is on the rise due to unhealthy lifestyle and diabetes is one of them. The moment you come to know that you have diabetes, you freak out and whatever you eat is scrutinised by you or your family in order to maintain a healthy body weight as well as healthy blood sugar levels. As mentioned above, a constantly changing bad lifestyle is turning out to be an area of growing concern.
A high-calorie diet, which is loaded with fast food, packaged food, outside meals, etc., coupled with a sedentary lifestyle, puts you at a greater risk of getting diabetes. We need to look into all aspects in order to build a healthy future; look at eating clean, balanced meals, moving around or staying active throughout the day, getting better sleep so that the hormones work in harmony, and managing stress in a better way to improve overall health.
Along with the above lifestyle, what if I tell you that you can still continue to enjoy all your favourite foods (in moderation and by eating mindfully) if you add a magical element in your diet? Does that excite you? I am talking about a very common ingredient that is used in every household in food preparations or in garam masala, etc., and the ingredient is ‘fenugreek’.
Fenugreek... Yes, you heard it right. It is an aromatic plant that has many uses, especially in India, both culinary and medicinal. The leaves are either sold as a vegetable (fresh leaves, sprouts, and microgreens) commonly known as methi, or as herb (dried leaves), which is called kasuri methi, while the seeds are used both whole and in powdered form, as a spice. Along with being a popular cooking ingredient, fenugreek has a number of health benefits and is used in Ayurvedic medicine. These super seeds are a great source of compounds and phytochemicals such as trigonelline, lysine, l-tryptophan, saponins, fibres, high content of Vitamin A and C, calcium, iron, proteins, carbohydrates, and trace minerals; all of these compounds have healing benefits on the body.
They are high in soluble fibre, which helps lower blood sugar levels by slowing down digestion and absorption of carbohydrates and may be really effective in managing sugar levels for people with diabetes. Research shows that fenugreek also contains a very rare amino acid (4HO-Ile) that has anti-diabetic properties that enhances insulin secretion under hyperglycemic conditions (for Type 1 diabetes) and increases insulin sensitivity (for Type 2 diabetes). Apart from that, it also contains galactomannan, which is a natural soluble fibre that helps slow down the rate of sugar absorption into blood.
The mucilage found in fenugreek seeds are effective against heartburn or acid reflux and soothes gastrointestinal inflammation, relieves indigestion, treats constipation and digestive problems created by stomach ulcers, and also coats the stomach and intestinal lining.
It also detoxifies the liver and helps flush out harmful toxins. With all these health benefits, it is likely that your blood sugar levels are definitely going to be under control, but this will happen gradually, as our body requires time to adapt to changes.
One can also incorporate five to 10g of methi seeds—whole or powdered—in their daily routine to win the battle against diabetes.