Are fenugreek seeds helpful for a diabetic?

Q: My mother (55 years) is diabetic since 24 years and is on Insulin (human mixtard); 25 units in the morning and 15 in the evening. She also takes Glycomet in the afternoons. Along with this the doctor prescribed Fenu-G tablets for diabetes (which are unavailable). How important is this and is it effective? Where can we obtain it from; we are residing in Delhi?

A:Unfortunately despite known benefits of some herbs such as fenugreek seeds, there is not much scientific evidence except karela (bitter gourd). Many diabetic patients have claimed benefit from fenugreek seeds and personally I am inclined to accept its utility. One should take natural fenugreek seeds rather than a formulated product. Since the regulatory control and monitoring over such products is very poor, it is best to take natural seeds despite great effort that is required to clean them.