Baby Green Bean -- My fenugreek story
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
My mother has always told me that drinking brewed fenugreek is good for health. I also discovered that it is very good for breastfeeding mothers to take as a supplement for increasing breast milk production. I drank it constantly while I breastfed my daughter, and more recently, my mother began brewing it (and diluted it) and offered it to her as she's now almost two.
One day I woke up and was near my daughter, and I could smell a syrupy sweet aroma. My first thought was that she had gotten into something sweet and sticky and it got into her hair. I dismissed this and noticed it every morning for one week that she always smelled like maple syrup. I couldn't figure it out because I did not offer my child sugar or sugary foods and I knew my family did not, either.
I mentioned this to my husband, and he was concerned, as he remembered from nursing school that a sweet smell coming from children was a symptom of a disease. Specifically Maple Syrup Urine disease which is an inherited disorder in which the body is unable to process certain protein building blocks (amino acids) properly. The condition gets its name from the distinctive sweet odor of affected infants' urine. Beginning in early infancy, this condition is characterized by poor feeding, vomiting, lack of energy (lethargy), and developmental delay. If untreated, maple syrup urine disease can lead to seizures, coma, and death.
Of course my husband and I began freaking out, and as we continued to research, I remembered my mom telling me that she remembered when she was little that when everyone in the family would drink brewed fenugreek, it would give off a certain odor. When this comment came back to me, I quickly told my husband to search "fenugreek" and "children" to my surise an article came up about a mother who's daughter always smelled like maple syrup! This news gave us great relief as we realized that alhamdullillah, she did not have MSUD, but rather, smelled sweet from the fenugreek she drank!
What is fenugreek? - Fenugreek is one of the world's oldest medicinal herbs. It has a variety of uses, including increasing breastmilk production.Fenugreek is the small stony seeds from the pod of a bean-like plant. The seeds are hard, yellowish brown and angular. Some are oblong, some rhombic, other virtually cubic, with a side of about 3mm (1/8"). A deep furrow all but splits them in two. They are available whole and dried , or as a dull yellow powder, ground from the roasted seeds.
What is it used for ? - Fenugreek seeds are ground and roasted and used to flavor to curry. The seeds are also soaked and then powdered and used to make lip balm and tonic. The seeds can be used to make tea, which can reduce fever and menstrual pains, or they can be used in an ointment to treat skin infections. The seeds have also been used to increase libido in men and serve as an aphrodisiac. Ground seeds are often used to give a maple flavor to sweets and candies. Ground seeds are also used to flavor cattle food, including different vegetable meals and hays. Fenugreek's leaves, which are high in iron, are used in salads. Taken internally, fenugreek is used to treat bronchitis, coughs, respiratory problems, sinus conditions and to increase milk supply (see more below).
Fenugreek and breastfeeding - Fenugreek seeds contain hormone precursors that increase milk supply. Scientists do not know for sure how this happens. Some believe it is possible because breasts are modified sweat glands, and fenugreek stimulates sweat production. It has been found that fenugreek can increase a nursing mother's milk supply within 24 to 72 hours after first taking the herb. Once an adequate level of milk production is reached, most women can discontinue the fenugreek and maintain the milk supply with adequate breast stimulation. Many women today take fenugreek in a pill form (ground seeds placed in capsules). The pills can be found at most vitamin and nutrition stores and at many supermarkets and natural foods stores. Fenugreek can also be taken in tea form, although tea is believed to be less potent than the pills and the tea comes with a bitter taste that can be hard to stomach.
Fenugreek is not right for everyone. The herb has caused aggravated asthma symptoms in some women and has lowered blood glucose levels in some women with diabetes. Please read Fenugreek Precautions and Dr. Ruth Lawrence's article Herbs and Breastfeeding for more information on fenugreek.
sourced from: http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=maplesyrupurinedisease
http://www.breastfeeding.com/all_about/fenugreek/all_about_fenugreek1.html
