Therapeutic effect of fenugreek supplementation on type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials

Numerous clinical trials have investigated the effects of fenugreek, a traditional herbal medicine, on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, the results from these studies have been inconsistent. Therefore, we aimed to perform a meta-analysis on the effects of fenugreek supplementation on weight, body mass index (BMI), lipid profile, and glycemic indices in patients with T2DM. We searched PubMed, Scopus, Embase, ISI Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases to identify clinical trial studies until October 2023. The data were analyzed using a random-effects model and presented as the weighted mean difference (WMD) along with the associated 95 % confidence interval (CI). A total of 19 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The results indicated a significant impact of fenugreek supplementation on lowering fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (WMD: 20.32 mg/dl; 95 % CI: 26.65 to −13.99), hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) (WMD: 0.54 %; 95 % CI: 0.80 to −0.28), homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (WMD: 0.36; 95 % CI: 0.67 to −0.05), total cholesterol (TC) (WMD: 33.10 mg/dL; 95 % CI: 64.31 to −1.88), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (WMD: 29.14 mg/dL; 95 % CI: 55.45 to −2.83), BMI (WMD: 0.73 kg/m2; 95 % CI: 1.40 to −0.07), and increasing the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (WMD: 5.68 mg/dL; 95 % CI: 3.51 to 7.85). However, the effect on fasting insulin, triglycerides, and weight was not significant. Fenugreek supplementation has been shown to improve FPG, HbA1C, HOMA-IR, TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, and BMI in patients with T2DM. The overall results suggest that fenugreek may have protective and therapeutic effects on T2DM parameters. •Fenugreek supplementation significantly decreased the fasting plasma glucose, hemoglobin A1C, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and body mass index in patient with T2DM.•Fenugreek supplementation significantly increased the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration in patient with T2DM.•Our results revealed that supplementation with fenugreek did not affect triglycerides, weight, and insulin in patient with T2DM.