Month: May 2012

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The humble fenugreek seed (called caimon in Armenian) has a long history of curing and preventing sickness. It has been recognized and used since the most remote antiquity for a large variety of ills. Today, it has resurfaced as an effective herb to use for the modern scourge of pollution and auto-intoxication by toxic substances that enter our body through food, air, water and the environment of the home and work place.

Fenugreek has been used by Armenians for culinary and medicinal purposes for thousands of years. One may consider it one of the giants of Armenian herbalism as a folk remedy for many minor and serious ailments. The following discussion will reveal the remarkable usefulness of fenugreek for health and beauty.

Good mucus

Moderate amounts of mucus secretion maintain good body health. In its natural, liquid, free-flowing state, mucus serves as a cleanser and lubricant. It can be compared to oil in the engine. Without mucus, the engine seizes. The mouth, nose, sinuses, throat, lungs and gastrointestinal tract are all lined with mucus-producing tissues. They produce a protective blanket of mucus over the surfaces of those body parts to prevent the tissue underneath from drying. The mucus keeps the surfaces moist, thus preventing them from forming cracks from dryness, which could become places where bacteria and other contaminants collect.

The body is a mucus making machine, churning out about 1 to 1.5 quarts of it every day. Most of the new mucus trickles down the throat and is not noticed. One becomes aware of mucus when it thickens. When its consistency changes to a thicker, sticky texture, one tries to cough it up or clear the sinuses.

At times, the mucus production of the body goes into overdrive due to a cold, allergy, or contact with something irritating like very hot peppers.

Allergies and natural histamine

During allergic responses to airborne irritants, such as pollen or ragweed, mast cells in the body release granules of a substance called histamine, which triggers sneezing, itching, and nasal stuffiness. The tissue of the mucus membranes starts leaking fluid, and your nose begins to run.

Allergies are caused by the immune system’s overreaction to histamine which is a chemical the body releases to fight microbial invaders. But in allergies, the invaders are not viruses or bacteria. They are substances like pollen, dust, mold spores or harmless microscopic bugs called mites that live in carpets, clothing and bedding.

Fenugreek can increase the production of mucus to help remove allergens and toxins from the respiratory tract. It does not act directly as an antihistamine. However, it can reduce the effects of histamine by helping the body produce new mucus to keep the nasal passages clear of the allergens and soothe dryness and itching.

Mucus – Nature’s flypaper

Mucus also acts like flypaper due to its viscous consistency, trapping substances like bacteria and dust before they can enter the body. This is especially the case for the nasal passages that permit air to enter, but must also protect against contaminants.

There are antibodies, enzymes and proteins in mucus. The antibodies identify bad bacteria and viruses; the enzymes destroy the invaders trapped by mucus. The protein fibrin, which is found mucus and blood, when exposed to air becomes sticky so that foreign matter in mucus is held for elimination. During a period of sickness, the white blood cells work to produce mucus to combat germs and toxins. Thus, the production of mucus is essential to the body because it performs an essential role in elimination of dirt and toxins.

Mucus protects the stomach lining

The mucus lining in the stomach is actually a protection barrier between the stomach and its own acids. A new layer of mucus is created bi-weekly so that the acids in the stomach don’t burn through the stomach and eventually the entire body.

Other defensive benefits of mucus

Mucus entraps microorganisms, and so helps protect the reproductive, digestive, respiratory and urinary systems. An enzyme in mucus called lysozyme kills bacteria – you find lysozyme in tears and saliva. In the stomach the hydrochloric acid in gastric juice also kills bacteria.

Other general defenses include the cilia that move the mucus in our breathing system up to the pharynx where it is swallowed, mutualistic bacteria in our large intestine and the acidic environment of the vagina.

How good mucus becomes bad

We may compare the body to the engine of a car. While driving in areas that are full of dust and smoke, the motor oil may become like sludge. Oil, grease, and other lubricants become thick and hard. Their intended function of lubricating and cleaning are compromised. The sludge begins to cake on the engine parts and continues to gather debris. If the sludge is not removed, it clogs the carburetor, valves, pistons, and even the oil filter. At one point, the accumulated sludge hinders the proper functioning of the engine.

The body, the human machine, is not different than the car engine. With every breath of air, we inhale dust and fumes from cars and other carbon fuel engines that mix with the mucus of the body. If one smokes a cigarette or eats food laced with chemical preservatives, the mucus is further thickened with foreign matter. The end result is “body sludge.”

Coughing, sneezing, and a running nose are not capable of removing all of the body’s excess mucus sludge. The mucus collects in the stomach and gradually enters the intestines and kidneys. The mucus sludge turns stale, slimy, and stringy. Its viscosity becomes sluggish. Unable to flow freely, it starts to pile up instead of passing out through normal body channels.

Negative effects of mucus sludge

When excess mucus sludge clings to the stomach and intestinal linings, these linings secrete more mucus to relieve the irritation. But, this creates an even thicker mass due to the presence of the impurities in the mucus sludge. Because this excess mucus impedes normal secretion of digestive juices through the stomach and intestinal walls, undigested food particles cling to the mucus mass, further thickening it and forming gas as they start to ferment.

When the body is riddled with excess, hardened mucus, many symptoms appear such as:

sour-tasting mouth and bad breath, frequent gas pains that are relieved only by excessive belching and passing bad air, ulcers, kidney disease, colitis, and tumors.

The mucus sludge coats cells with its thick, sticky, ropey substance that impedes oxygen and nourishment. It causes the blood and other body fluids to become thick and sluggish. Unable to circulate freely, the blood cannot perform its function of carrying away waste matter from the cells. Eventually the cells become overwhelmed by the toxicity.

A similar process takes place in the small intestine, where millions of glands extract nutritive elements from digested foods and pass them on to the blood stream. When these glands called villi, become clogged by stale mucus, they cannot freely assimilate nutrients and this results in insufficient nutrition reaching the cells of the body.

How Fenugreek can cleanse the body of toxins

Fenugreek’s mucus-cleansing power can be compared to “flushing oil” which dissolves hardened accumulations of oil and grease in your car engine. Fenugreek seeds contain a mucilaginous (sticky) gel that softens and dissolves hardened masses of accumulated mucus. Thus, fenugreek’s sticky gel will remove the mucus sludge in the body just as one oil will remove another oil or grease in your car. By regular ingestion of fenugreek, the mucus sludge is eliminated and replaced by the soothing and protective coating of fenugreek gel to heal irritated area and ulcers.

Fenugreek contains choline for liver, gallbladder, kidney and artery cleanse

The choline in fenugreek has a particularly vital function. When the liver is not working properly, it deposits fats, which are also called lipids, within its cells. These deposited lipids compromise the liver’s ability to perform efficiently. Choline is an effective fat-dissolving (lipotropic) substance that works equally well to dissolve fatty accumulations in the liver, gallbladder, kidneys and arteries. It removes fat (cholesterol) on the arterial walls, which may cause these blood vessels to lose their elasticity and to harden.

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance made by the liver; it produces some hormones, vitamin D, and substances that aid in digestion. There are two different types of lipids– low density lipoproteins known as LDL and high density lipoproteins or HDL. LDL is considered the bad form of cholesterol because it carries fats that do not dissolve in the blood which slowly build up in the inner walls of the arteries that feed the heart and the brain. Together with fibrin, a sticky substance in blood that may come out of solution when there is a lack of potassium chloride, the cholesterol can form plaque, a thick, hard

deposit that can narrow the arteries and make them less flexible. This condition is known as arteriosclerosis. If a clot forms and blocks a narrow artery, a heart attack or stroke can result.

Gallstones, Liver, and kidney stones and tubes

Gallstones are usually 30 to 70% cholesterol mixed with minerals and other substances.

Liver and kidney stones differ in their composition. However, some cholesterol is involved in most stone production. Fenugreek dissolves fat not only in the gallbladder, but all throughout the body. There are delicate tubes which make up our kidneys which may become congested with mucus. Should that happen, the kidney which is a complex filtering organ, cannot perform its normal task of eliminating waste liquids. This may cause pain in the lower back. Waste fluids contaminate the blood, and the entire body becomes poisoned. This may lead to death, since uric acid accumulates in the blood

Following the breakdown of the kidneys, all the body functions come to a stop.

The ureters

Between the kidneys and the bladder are a pair of tubes that can be clogged with mucus –

the ureters. Whenever you have a bad cold, you may experience the result of this congestion, for the body excretes excess mucus during a cold. This mucus can end up in the ureters. Until the cold ends, one may feel the frequent need to urinate, even though smaller amounts of urine are passing from the kidneys to the bladder.

Armenian folks’ use of Fenugreek tea

Even when a cold is cured, the ureters may remain clogged. Mucus can continue to accrue. Armenian mountain folk drink up to a quart a day of fenugreek tea to clear all the passages of the body of excess mucus for at least one week after the symptoms of a cold has passed. Armenian city people drink fenugreek tea to refine their organs of taste and smell. Before each meal, Armenians enjoy the tea to stimulate these two vital senses.

Fenugreek’s mucus cleansing power cleans away mucus deposited on the tongue that clog the grooves of the taste buds inhibiting the enjoyment of tasting food. Similarly, when too much mucus collects around the olfactory nerves in the nose, the sense of smell is impaired. Regular consumption of fenugreek tea can unclog those vital areas restoring the senses to normal.

Anemia

There are two forms of anemia. Primary anemia results from an insufficient number of red blood cells. Secondary anemia is caused by hemorrhaging, cancer, toxic discharges, or poisoning. Because secondary anemia weakens the red cells, mucus forms a coating around them. These cells clump together in masses of mucus sludge. This sludge prevents vital tissue cells from receiving adequate nutrients, thus causing tissue starvation by blocking the entrance to tiny capillaries. Sludged blood can become tightly packed, forming large masses that settle in the blood vessels. If one of these masses is jarred loose, it can easily enter one of the main arteries, cause it to be blocked and become the cause of death.

General detoxification

When there is a general feeling of weakness, lack of energy, mental fog, mental and physical exhaustion, you may consider doing a general detoxification with fenugreek.

It may be that blood sludge has clogged the bloodstream causing these symptoms. If the vitiated blood continues to deteriorate the bodily functions, serious disease may result.

The effect of sticky mucus on the lungs

Cystic fibrosis causes abnormally thick and sticky mucus, which can collect in the lungs and airways. This makes it hard to breathe and can lead to infections, which can cause

Coughing, wheezing, and breathing difficulty. Chronic respiratory infections, including pneumonia and bronchitis, can develop. Serious lung problems can eventually lead to disability or death.

The volatile oils and gel of fenugreek seek out and penetrates the most remote crevices and creases of the membranous linings of the body cavities where unwanted mucus collects in excess amounts. Fenugreek acts as an expectorant and antispasmodic to loosen phlegm and help stop chronic coughs. It stimulates the production of mucosal fluids to help remove toxins from the respiratory tract. Fenugreek is used for lung healing formulas for treating emphysema and lung congestion, as well as allergies, bronchitis, fever, hay fever and respiratory tract infections.

Digestion and assimilation of nutrients

Fenugreek stimulates the production of digestive fluids to enhance digestion and assimilation of nutrients. In cases of anorexia(excessive weight loss), fenugreek helps to promote weight gain. It can be used during convalescence. The soothing gel of fenugreek has anti-inflammatory properties which help inflamed tissues and can be helpful for dyspepsia, gastric ulcers, and gastritis. Fenugreek acts as a mild laxative to relieve constipation. In general, fenugreek encourages an overall improvement in health, weight gain, more efficient protein utilization, reduced phosphorus secretion, and increased red blood cell counts.

Fenugreek and blood sugar

Fenugreek may be very useful for diabetics. Medical studies have pointed to its ability to lower blood sugar. The oily gel of fenugreek increases insulin receptors and encourages better metabolizing of glucose. Fenugreek supplementation may stimulate the pancreas to secrete insulin more efficiently. Because it is very effective, fenugreek can be taken in regular small doses on a regular schedule.

Fenugreek oily gel acts as a phytoestrogen

The fenugreek gel mimicks the female hormone that regulates ovulation, lactation, and overall female sexual development. It is believed that it helps to promote rounder, fuller breasts and increase milk production in lactating women. Mothers who begin to take fenugreek supplementation ensure more nutritious and copious milk for their baby. It is more prudent for mothers to take fenugreek right after child birth because it is known to cause contractions in the uterus which could result in miscarriage or premature labor.

Anticancer

Fenugreek may inhibit the growth of cancer cells without inhibiting the growth of normal cells. This amazing selective action differentiates fenugreek from chemical agents that kill both cancer cells and normal cells. In breast, prostate, and pancreatic cancer cells, fenugreek may inhibit the growth of cancer cells, but not normal cells. Thus, fenugreek acts similar to turmeric in selectively attacking cancer cells.

Anti-aging and skincare

The oily gel of fenugreek contains an essential oil rich in saponins, phytic acid, and trigonelline. The humble fenugreek seed is full of amino acids, vitamins A, B, C, zinc, iron, calcium, and other valuable micro elements. These nutrients, along with antioxidants, endow fenugreek oil with the power to fight viruses, and free radicals which lead to aging. Particularly high in niacin, which has regenerating and anti-aging effect on skin, fenugreek will help to heal sun damage, scars and recover damaged cells.

The Prophet Mohammed highly valued fenugreek. He remarked, “If my people know what there is in fenugreek, they would buy it by paying its weight in gold.”
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