DR. WALKER

Alafalfa

What is Alfalfa?

Alfalfa is also known as Medicago sativa, lucerne, buffalo herb, purple medic, purple medical, purple medick, sanfoin, and Mu Xu. for centuries, farmers have used it as animal feed due to its high content of vitamins, minerals, and proteins. Alfalfa is part of the legume family originating from south and central Asia, but it is currently distributed to other parts of the world.¹

In addition to being used as animal feed, Alfalfa is used as a medicinal herb by humans for centuries. Its seeds or leaves are dried and consumed as supplements. The seeds are also sprouted and eaten in the form of alfalfa sprouts. Alfalfa sprouts have a sweet, bitter, grassy taste.

What is Alfalfa useful for?

For centuries Alfalfa has been used in traditional medicine to treat diabetes, high cholesterol, menstrual problems, urinary tract infections, and increased urine flow. Alfalfa is also used to treat asthma, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, stomach upset, thrombocytopenic purpura.² Alfalfa is a vitamin A, C, E, and K4 source that helps blood to clot faster. It is rich in minerals such as phosphorous, calcium, potassium, copper, magnesium, manganese, and iron. Using Alfalfa on your hair can disrupt the hair cells' oxidative stress and restore a polished youthful look.

Health benefits

• Reduces cholesterol levels as it contains saponins. They bind bile fats together, thus reducing blood cholesterol percentage.
• Controls blood sugar level by reducing glucose absorption in the intestines, thus aiding in the treatment of diabetes.
• Treats kidney stones and urinary tract infections as it is a natural diuretic.
• Treats menstrual disorders as it has phytoestrogens that act the same as the female hormone estrogen.
• Boosts breast milk production because it is a plant-based galactagogue.
• Reduces pain and inflammation brought by osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis due to its anti-inflammatory properties.
• The B1, B6, and C vitamins promote hair growth by slowing down hair loss. Besides, these vitamins improve blood circulation in the scalp.

Nutrition

One cup of Alfalfa (33 grams) contains;3

• 8 grams of calories.
• 0.2 grams of fat.
• 0.7 grams of carbohydrate.
• 0.6 grams of fiber.
• 1.3grams of protein.

Also, Alfalfa contains a variety of minerals and vitamins in various percentages of the recommended daily intake:1

• Vitamin K: 13%
• Vitamin C: 5%
• Copper: 3%
• Manganese:3%
• Folate: 3%
• Thiamin: 2%
• Riboflavin: 2%
• Magnesium: 2%
• Iron: 2%

Toxicity

Although Alfalfa is safe for most adults, long-term use might cause some people to be more sensitive to the sun leading to sunburns, rashes, or blistering. Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers should avoid it as it may act like estrogen and might affect the pregnancy.

Alfalfa might also cause the immune system to be more active, which can increase symptoms of auto-immune infections such as multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), among other conditions. It is advisable to avoid using Alfalfa if you have an auto-immune disorder.⁴

References