Fenugreek and Testosterone: What the Research Says

Fenugreek is one of the most common ingredients in “testosterone booster” supplements. So what does the research on fenugreek and testosterone actually show? In short: a small bump in some trials, but the evidence is weak, and most of the studies were small and linked to the companies selling the extracts.

Summary

Pooled results from small, placebo-controlled trials suggest fenugreek extracts may nudge total testosterone up slightly in men, but the evidence is rated very low certainty and there’s no consistent effect on free testosterone. Company-linked trials reported better libido and a little extra fat loss and bench-press strength in men who lift, but these results are low quality and don’t show a testosterone effect. Fenugreek may modestly lower blood sugar in people with diabetes, its effect on breast milk is uncertain, and it isn’t safe in pregnancy above food amounts.

What is fenugreek?

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) is a clover-like herb [1]. Its seeds, which smell and taste a bit like maple syrup, are used as a spice, and its leaves (called methi) are eaten as a vegetable, especially in Indian cooking. It has been used as a medicinal plant for about 6,000 years. Today it’s promoted as a supplement for diabetes, menstrual cramps and boosting breast milk supply [1].

For men, fenugreek is marketed for testosterone, sex drive, body composition and workouts. Supplements usually contain a concentrated seed extract that is standardized (made to contain a set amount of certain plant compounds, such as saponins or glycosides) and sold under various trade names [2].

Fenugreek and testosterone: what the trials show

The best summary so far is a 2026 meta-analysis (a study that pools the results of several trials) of randomized, placebo-controlled trials in adult men [2]. “Randomized” means people were assigned to fenugreek or a placebo (a dummy pill) by chance, so the groups start out similar.

• The review found 13 trials. Six of them could be pooled for total testosterone and showed a small increase with fenugreek.
• Five trials could be pooled for free testosterone (the small share of testosterone that isn’t bound to proteins in the blood). That result was imprecise and inconsistent, with no clear effect.
• None of the 13 trials was judged to be at low risk of bias (meaning each had design or reporting weaknesses that could skew its results), and the certainty of the evidence was rated very low.
• The authors flagged industry sponsorship and small study sizes as reasons to suspect the published results may look better than reality.

Their conclusion: fenugreek “may be associated with a small favorable standardized effect on total testosterone” (a standardized effect is a size of effect scaled so studies using different lab units can be compared), but current evidence “does not support clinical or commercial testosterone-boosting claims” [2].

Here’s how some of the individual trials look:

• Young men who lift weights: 30 resistance-trained college-age men took 500 mg a day of a fenugreek extract or a placebo for 8 weeks while following a 4-day-a-week training program. Total testosterone rose slightly in the fenugreek group (by about 1 ng/mL) and fell in the placebo group (by about 2 ng/mL), so much of the difference between the groups came from the drop with placebo [3]. The product came from an extract maker, Indus Biotech [2].
• Middle-aged and older men: In a trial of 120 healthy men aged 43 to 70, 600 mg a day of a branded extract (Testofen) for 12 weeks raised total and free testosterone compared with placebo [4]. Hormones were analyzed in 97 of the men, and the 2026 review lists the trial as linked to the extract’s supplier [2].
• A newer Norwegian trial: 95 men aged 40 to 80 took 600, 1,200 or 1,800 mg a day of a fenugreek extract or a placebo for 12 weeks; all the tablets, including the placebo, contained added vitamins and minerals. Blood testosterone rose compared with where it started, but not significantly more than with placebo. Testosterone measured in saliva did rise more than with placebo [5]. The 2026 review lists this trial as funded by a supplement company (PurOmega) [2].
• Men with an enlarged prostate: In a 12-week trial of 100 men aged 45 to 80, 600 mg a day didn’t improve urinary symptoms, and testosterone and free testosterone didn’t change [6].

So the results are mixed, and even the positive trials found modest changes. None of these studies showed that a small rise in testosterone translates into more muscle, better health or better fertility.

What about DHT and estrogen?

Fenugreek has been sold as a blocker of aromatase (the enzyme that turns testosterone into estrogen) and 5-alpha reductase (the enzyme that turns testosterone into dihydrotestosterone, or DHT). In the weightlifting trial above, the extract was marketed this way, but DHT didn’t differ between the groups, and estradiol (the main form of estrogen) changed over time in both groups rather than because of fenugreek [3]. In other words, the trial didn’t show either enzyme being blocked. We found no good human evidence that fenugreek raises estrogen or causes breast growth in men, an idea in the older version of this article that came from lab and animal work.

Fenugreek, libido and sexual function

The sexual function results come mainly from trials of one branded extract. In the 120-man trial, morning erections and how often men had sex improved, and scores on a questionnaire about aging-related symptoms improved more than with placebo [4]. An earlier 6-week trial gave 60 healthy men aged 25 to 52 either 600 mg a day of the same extract (combined with magnesium, zinc and vitamin B6) or a placebo. The fenugreek group reported more improvement in sexual arousal and orgasm, while testosterone stayed within the normal range [7].

When the 2026 review pooled the questionnaire results, they favored fenugreek, but they come from a small number of company-linked trials of one brand (one of them mixed with minerals), so they’re encouraging but far from settled. The review treated them as supporting evidence only, not proof that fenugreek works through testosterone [2].

Does fenugreek help with strength or body fat?

In the 8-week weightlifting trial, body fat dropped by about 1.8 percentage points with fenugreek compared with about 0.6 with placebo. Strength on the bench press and leg press and lean body mass went up in both groups, with no significant difference between them, and body weight didn’t change [3].

When the 2026 review pooled several trials like this one, fenugreek came out ahead for body fat (about 1.4 percentage points lower) and bench-press strength (about 5 kg more), but not for leg-press strength or lean mass. Those trials used different products, were mostly industry-linked and weren’t low risk of bias, and the review warns against reading them as evidence of a testosterone effect [2]. If you’re training for strength, sleep, enough protein and a good program will matter far more. (See our article on the anabolic window for what the research says about protein timing.)

Fenugreek and blood sugar

Blood sugar is where fenugreek has the most research outside men’s health. The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) says fenugreek may help lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, but “many of the studies were not of high quality,” and there isn’t enough high-quality evidence to say whether it’s useful for diabetes [1].

• A 2014 meta-analysis of 10 trials found fenugreek seeds lowered fasting blood sugar by about 0.96 mmol/L (about 17 mg/dL) and HbA1c (a measure of average blood sugar over about 3 months) by about 0.85 percentage points, the latter in only 3 trials. The effects showed up mainly in people with diabetes taking medium or high doses, and most trials were of low quality [8].
• A 2025 meta-analysis of 26 trials found similar drops (fasting blood sugar about 17 mg/dL lower and HbA1c about 0.6 points lower) and called for higher-quality studies to confirm them [9].

These trials used anywhere from 1 to 100 grams of fenugreek a day (median 25 g). In the 2014 analysis, blood sugar fell only in trials using at least 5 grams of seed powder a day, and the low-dose extracts (under 2 grams) had no effect [8]. That’s far more fenugreek than the small extract doses in testosterone products. If you take diabetes medicine, talk to your doctor before trying fenugreek, since large doses may push blood sugar too low [1].

Fenugreek and breast milk

Fenugreek is one of the best-known galactagogues (foods or herbs used to increase breast milk supply). NCCIH says it’s uncertain whether it works, since studies have had mixed results [1]. A 2020 Cochrane review of natural and drug galactagogues rated the evidence as low to very low certainty and couldn’t say how much, if at all, these herbs help [10]. The NIH’s LactMed database notes that the effect may be mostly psychological, that meta-analyses disagree, and that galactagogues should never replace an evaluation of the factors that affect milk supply [11].

How much fenugreek do studies use?

• Testosterone and libido trials: mostly 500 to 600 mg a day of a standardized seed extract for 6 to 12 weeks; one trial went up to 1,800 mg a day [2, 5].
• Breast milk: typically 1 to 6 grams of seed a day [11].

Extracts differ a lot from brand to brand, so results from one product don’t necessarily apply to another.

Fenugreek side effects and safety

Fenugreek is considered safe in the amounts found in food and possibly safe for adults in larger amounts [1]. In the men’s trials, few side effects were reported, but the trials were short and small, so long-term safety isn’t known [2]. Things to know:

• Digestive upset: diarrhea, nausea, gas and other gut symptoms [1, 11].
• Maple syrup smell: fenugreek can make urine, sweat and possibly breast milk smell like maple syrup [11].
• Allergies: fenugreek can cause allergic reactions, including serious ones [1]. People allergic to peanuts, chickpeas or other legumes may react to it too [11].
• Low blood sugar: large doses may cause a harmful drop in blood sugar [1].
• Blood thinners: fenugreek can interact with warfarin and cause bleeding [11].
• Liver: liver injury has been reported with fenugreek, both alone and in herbal mixes [11].
• Pregnancy: NCCIH says fenugreek is not safe in pregnancy in amounts larger than those in food, as it has been linked to birth defects in animals and people [1].
• Children: there isn’t enough information to say whether larger-than-food amounts are safe for children [1].

If you take any medicine, check with your doctor or pharmacist before using fenugreek or other herbal products [1].

The bottom line on fenugreek and testosterone

When it comes to fenugreek and testosterone, the best current evidence points to a small rise in total testosterone at most, with very low certainty and no clear change in free testosterone. Company-linked trials reported better libido and a little extra fat loss and strength, but the evidence is low quality. Fenugreek’s better-studied use is blood sugar: it may modestly lower it in people with diabetes, at much larger doses than testosterone products contain. It’s generally safe as a food, but supplements can upset your stomach, interact with medicines and aren’t safe during pregnancy.

Curious about other popular testosterone supplements? See what the research says about ashwagandha, D-aspartic acid and ginger.

This article is for general information only and isn’t medical advice. Talk to your doctor or another qualified health professional before starting a new supplement. See our medical disclaimer.

References

1. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Fenugreek. Updated February 2025. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/fenugreek
2. Yang P, Niu Z, Guo J, Huang T, Chang D, Huang X. Effects of oral fenugreek-derived preparations on testosterone-related outcomes in adult men: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials. Front Nutr. 2026;13:1903508. doi:10.3389/fnut.2026.1903508
3. Wilborn C, Taylor L, Poole C, Foster C, Willoughby D, Kreider R. Effects of a purported aromatase and 5α-reductase inhibitor on hormone profiles in college-age men. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2010;20(6):457-465. doi:10.1123/ijsnem.20.6.457
4. Rao A, Steels E, Inder WJ, Abraham S, Vitetta L. Testofen, a specialised Trigonella foenum-graecum seed extract reduces age-related symptoms of androgen decrease, increases testosterone levels and improves sexual function in healthy aging males in a double-blind randomised clinical study. Aging Male. 2016;19(2):134-142. doi:10.3109/13685538.2015.1135323
5. Lee-Ødegård S, Gundersen TE, Drevon CA. Effect of a plant extract of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) on testosterone in blood plasma and saliva in a double blind randomized controlled intervention study. PLoS One. 2024;19(9):e0310170. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0310170
6. Rao A, Grant R. The effect of Trigonella foenum-graecum extract on prostate-specific antigen, and prostate function in otherwise healthy men with benign prostate hyperplasia. Phytother Res. 2020;34(3):634-639. doi:10.1002/ptr.6554
7. Steels E, Rao A, Vitetta L. Physiological aspects of male libido enhanced by standardized Trigonella foenum-graecum extract and mineral formulation. Phytother Res. 2011;25(9):1294-1300. doi:10.1002/ptr.3360
8. Neelakantan N, Narayanan M, de Souza RJ, van Dam RM. Effect of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) intake on glycemia: a meta-analysis of clinical trials. Nutr J. 2014;13:7. doi:10.1186/1475-2891-13-7
9. Chehregosha F, Fakhr L, Tarighat-Esfanjani A, Maghsoumi-Norouzabad L. The effects of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) seed on glycemic parameters: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Avicenna J Phytomed. 2025;15(6):1677-1699. doi:10.22038/ajp.2025.26043
10. Foong SC, Tan ML, Foong WC, Marasco LA, Ho JJ, Ong JH. Oral galactagogues (natural therapies or drugs) for increasing breast milk production in mothers of non-hospitalised term infants. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020;5(5):CD011505. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD011505.pub2
11. Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed). Fenugreek. National Library of Medicine; last revised July 15, 2026. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501779/