What You Need to Know About Taking Fenugreek to Boost Your Libido

Life can get pretty busy and oftentimes, the first thing to go is your libido. But if you’ve written off having no sex drive to a demanding work schedule, juggling a hectic social life, or family demands, you may want to have a closer look.

That’s because your libido could have dipped due to a decrease in certain sex hormones (that yes, in some cases can be affected by stress). However, certain supplements like fenugreek in addition to lifestyle modifications can help restore that balance and with it, rev that sex drive back up. Here’s what you need to know about the connection between fenugreek and your libido.

Not exactly sure what fenugreek even is? It’s a clover-like herb that smells and tastes similar to maple syrup. It’s been used for everything from cooking to alternative medicine, and fenugreek extract is found in many products like soaps, makeup, and more. While you can consume the herb, fenugreek is most commonly taken in supplement form.

When your libido is feeling low, chances are your testosterone levels may be down with it, too. A sex hormone produced by both men and women, research published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that libido and testosterone levels were strongly associated with one another. The study looked at 1632 men ages 40 to 70 years of age, following up with roughly half of the subject group nine years later. From that pool, 23% of those who reported a low libido had total testosterone concentrations less than 300 ng/dl, which is considered as having low testosterone by the American Urology Association.

A review published in Advances in Nutrition discovered that fenugreek seed extract can positively impact testosterone levels in men. The review examined six studies that used fenugreek supplementation to improve testosterone. Four out of the six studies showed increased testosterone levels when being compared to a placebo group. Fenugreek also improved bioavailable testosterone levels, the testosterone that can be easily accessed and used by the body as it is not bound to other proteins. Bioavailable testosterone helps the body with physiological responses, such as an improved libido.

As men age testosterone levels naturally decrease. Some men may be diagnosed with hypogonadism - when the gonads (sex glands responsible for producing hormones) aren’t producing enough of the hormones needed. When this happens, it can lead to erectile dysfunction (ED).

A clinical trial published in the International Journal of Medical Sciences looked at a group of 50 men, ages 35-65 who were experiencing symptoms of hypogonadism. They took 500 mg of fenugreek daily for 12 weeks and had a significant increase in bioavailable testosterone, up to 46% in 90% of the study group. This means that for those who may experience ED as a result of low testosterone levels, fenugreek may help reduce symptoms by restoring the balance of sex hormones in men.

When women experience a low libido, it may not be their sex drive at all. For example, women who are going through menopause often deal with vaginal atrophy - when the vaginal walls become thin, dry, and irritated. This happens due to a decrease in estrogen and it can make sex extremely painful, to the point of not wanting to do it at all.

Research published in the Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care looked at the effect of using fenugreek vaginal cream in a group of postmenopausal women suffering from vaginal atrophy. Split into two groups, one group took a placebo while the other used fenugreek vaginal cream for a period of eight weeks. That group saw a significant improvement in vaginal atrophy symptoms due to the estrogenic properties of the herb. For those who may be concerned with complications of long-term synthetic estrogen use, fenugreek may be an acceptable natural alternative to stabilizing hormones like estrogen, improving vaginal health and with it - your libido.

When your libido seems low, there could be many reasons behind it. Especially in the instance of aging and menopause, it may not be your libido at all but a combination of hormonally-based mood changes and physical discomfort that trickles down to reduced sexual desire. In order to get to the root of why your libido is lacking, it’s important to understand your entire hormonal profile. An at-home test like Base can help with this. By measuring hormones, nutrients, and even vitamins that can help with libido (like vitamin D) you can see if you’re producing enough sex hormones such as testosterone and estrogen. Then, you’ll receive in-app recommendations (such as possibly implementing fenugreek into your daily supplement routine) in order to help increase and balance sex hormone to restore your sex drive.

As you likely know, there is no one magical supplement that will solve a sluggish libido. There are, however, many alternatives to medication as well as lifestyle changes that can reduce and reverse symptoms of a low libido. Daily exercise, logging enough sleep, and, for some, taking fenugreek can help increase sex hormones that may have slowly dipped without noticing it. If low testosterone or estrogen particularly are causing libido issues, ED, or menopause symptoms like vaginal dryness, fenugreek may be able to help in addition to easing discomfort.