Small breast problems:Cure from your kitchen

From ancient times through the late 19th century, fenugreek played a major role in herbal healing. Then it fell by the wayside. Now things are once again looking up for the herb whose taste is a combination of celery and maple syrup. Modern scientific research has found that fenugreek can help reduce cholesterol levels, control diabetes and minimize the symptoms of menopause. In India, the herb was incorporated into curry blends. India's traditional Ayurvedic physicians prescribed it to nursing mothers to increase their milk. In American folk medicine, fenugreek was considered a potent menstruation promoter. It became a key ingredient in Lydia E. Pinkham's Vegetable Compound -- one of 19th-century America's most popular patent medicines for "female weakness" (menstrual discomforts). Today, fenugreek is most widely used in the United States as a source of imitation maple flavor. But this may change as its medicinal value becomes better known. Another potential area for fenugreek is cutting into the plastic surgery business. For centuries rumors have floated out of the Middle East that harem women were fed fenugreek seed to make them more buxom. This turns out to be more than mere hearsay. The seeds, in addition to female steroid precursors, also contain compounds that increase healthy breast tissue. Since the seeds contain diosgenin and other plant phyto-estrogens Fenugreek provides a mastogenic effect resulting in enhanced breast size. Several studies have shown that fenugreek reduces cholesterol in laboratory animals, and Indian researchers have shown the same effect in people with high cholesterol levels. "There's no question that fenugreek reduces cholesterol," says Daniel B. Mowrey, Ph.D., director of the American Phytotherapy Research Laboratory in Salt Lake City, Utah, and author of The Scientific Validation of Herbal Medicine. Fenugreek also "has great promise in alleviating Type II (non- insulin-dependent) diabetes," says Dr. Duke. And according to one study, it may also help people with Type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes.


Priya