Fenugreek A Siddha Home Remedy for Stomach Ache

Some Siddha Home Remedies made with fenugreek will be detailed below as well as its medicinal properties.

The name fenugreek is from the Latin word "Greek hay".

It is mainly used as a digestive aid. It is also widely used by nursing mothers to increase inadequate breast milk supply. Studies have shown that fenugreek is a potent stimulator of breast milk production and its use increases milk production to as much as 800%. It is available in capsule form in many health food stores.

By itself, fenugreek has a somewhat bitter taste.

Several human trials demonstrate the anti-diabetic effects of fenugreek and helps ameliorate most metabolic symptoms associated with type-1 and type-2 diabetes in both humans and relevant animal models. It is currently available commercially in encapsulated forms and is being prescribed as dietary supplement for control of hypercholesterolemia and diabetes by practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine.

In recent research, fenugreek was experimentally shown to protect against cancers of the breast. The hepatoprotective property of fenugreek seeds is also well known.

Also fenugreek is found to have the following properties, according to some Siddha texts.

1. Pacifies ‘heat’.
2. Stops diarrhea
3. Cures hemorrhoids
4. Cures halitosis or bad breath
5. Cures mouth ulcers
6. Soothes itching
7. Helps treat skin diseases
8. Arrests hair fall
9. Cools eyes
10. Clears red eyes
11. Softens skin
12. Strengthens body
13. Cures inflammation
14. Cures cough

Following is one of the many Siddha home remedies for stomach ache using fenugreek.

Ingredients

Fenugreek – 100 gm
Cardamom seeds – 25 gm
Sugar candy – 250 gm

Wash fenugreek thoroughly. Dry it in shade. Put it in an earthen pot and pour 300 ml lemon juice to it. Close the pot with a lid and heat it over stove. Reduce the juice to half. Remove from the stove and let it cool. Now filter out the fenugreek seeds and dry it in shade. Once dried, grind the seeds to a coarse consistency.

Similarly clean the cardamom seeds thoroughly and dry it in shade. Once dried, fry the cardamom seeds slightly over fire and then powder the seeds. Add this to the powdered fenugreek. Add powdered sugar candy to this mixture.

How to Use

Take a spoonful of the powder along with a glass of warm water in the morning one hour before breakfast. Similar procedure is adopted in the afternoon and night.

Things to Avoid

Groundnuts, oily food, meat, pumpkin etc should be avoided. Do not keep awake late into the night. Do not wander about in sunlight. Avoid excessive sexual indulgence.

Preferred Diet

Fresh vegetables, ghee, buttermilk, honey, pepper, garlic, pomegranate, orange, banana etc can be taken in plenty.

Source: "Venthayathin Sirappu Maruthuvam" by Dr. Thirumalai Natarajan. (Venthayam is the Tamil word for fenugreek).

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