Fenugreek for Testosterone
Fenugreek earns only a weak (Tier C) rating for raising testosterone. The most rigorous trial found no significant rise in blood testosterone versus placebo, and the modest positive signals come mainly from small, manufacturer-funded studies and from sexual-function endpoints rather than measurable hormone levels.
Why this grade7-layer evidence engine
The strongest single trial undercuts the marketing. A 2024 double-blind RCT of a fenugreek extract (PMID 39288153, n=95) found plasma total testosterone rose only +9.0% versus placebo and missed significance (p=0.122); only saliva testosterone (+37.2%) and the free-testosterone index at the highest dose reached significance, raising selective-reporting concerns. A 2023 meta-analysis in athletes (PMID 37253363, n=449) found just a small effect (SMD 0.32, 95% CI 0.09-0.55) that may not generalize, and a 2020 meta-analysis (PMID 32048383) pooled only four trials without a usable effect size.
Most upbeat studies are compromised. The Testofen (PMID 26791805), Furosap (PMID 28138310) and Fenu-FG (PMID 30356905) trials were industry-funded with manufacturer-affiliated authors; the Furosap study was open-label with no placebo, making its 'free testosterone +46%' claim unreliable. Crucially, the more consistent benefits are improvements in libido and sexual function (morning erections, sexual activity), not measurable serum testosterone, a distinction routinely blurred in advertising.
Regulators and clinics offer no endorsement. The US FDA classifies fenugreek only as a flavoring agent or adjuvant with no approved health claim; EFSA rejected the standardized fenugreek-extract claim; and the WHO monograph lists no uses supported by clinical data, only traditional ones. NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements and the Cleveland Clinic are cautious, and neither the American Urological Association nor the Endocrine Society lists fenugreek for low testosterone. Combined with heavy industry funding, this supports a weak-evidence verdict.
Scoring transparency
All scores computed by a 7-layer evidence engine — fully auditable▸View the full decision path (audit trail)
- compute_raw_score — 加權公式: L2×0.30 + L3×0.25 + L5×0.25 + L11×0.10 + L1×0.10 = 0.558
- tier_from_score — 依分數區間映射至 tier letter
- apply_hec_rules — 無高階證據可裁決
- tier_strict_requirement_check — | B→C 因 scope.conflation_risk=true 且 L11 獨評較低 (B7-2 tier cap)
- detect_disputes — 偵測到 0 個 hard + 1 個 soft dispute
- decide_status — 依 tier + dispute 結果決定 status