Role of Fenugreek in the prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus in prediabetes

What this study found

Fenugreek was associated with a lower progression to type 2 diabetes over 3 years and improved several glycemic and lipid outcomes. Cumulative diabetes incidence in the fenugreek group was 23.0% at 3 years versus 55.0% in control, with a reported relative risk reduction of 0.6 and odds ratio of 4.18 (p = 0.01; 95% CI 1.34-13.09). Within the fenugreek group, fasting plasma glucose fell from 103.7 to 99.7 mg/dl (p<0.05), postprandial plasma glucose from 142.9 to 129.0 mg/dl (p<0.01), LDL cholesterol from 117.6 to 110.9 mg/dl (p<0.05), and serum insulin increased from 10.2 to 12.0 mU/l…

Study & population

Randomized controlled trial in adults with prediabetes (impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance) from Hyderabad, India.

Intervention

Oral debitterized, processed fenugreek powder 5 g twice daily, taken with 200 mL water 30 minutes before meals for up to 3 years, compared with control.

Key limitation

Single-center study with substantial attrition over 3 years, reducing precision and raising the possibility of follow-up bias.

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