Latin Name: Medicago sativa
Alternate Names: Lucerne, Purple Medic, Buffalo Grass, Chilean Clover
Family: FABACEAE
Parts Used: Sprouts, leaves, flowers.
Properties: Anti-inflammatory, Diuretic, Galactagogue, Nutritive, Stomach Tonic, Phytoestrogenic, Tonic.
Internal Uses: Anemia, Arteriosclerosis, Arthritis, Cancer, Celiac Disease, Colitis, Convalescence, Edema, Fatigue, Halitosis, High Cholesterol, Hyperestrogenism, Hypoestrogenism, Jaundice, Menopause, Menstrual Problems, Obesity, Ulcers, Varicose Veins
Internal Applications: Tea, Capsules, Tincture
Topical Uses: Wounds
Topical Applications: Use as a bath herb, facial steam, hair rinse. Also, use as a poultice on wounds. The root can be peeled, dried and frayed (by hitting with a hammer) to be used as a toothbrush.
Culinary uses: The young leaves and flowers may be eaten as a salad or pot herb. After the seeds sprout, they are eaten as a salad vegetable.
Energetics: Salty, Neutral, Moist.
Chemical Constituents: Chlorophyll, vitamin C, vitamin K, folic acid, calcium, copper, phosphorus, manganese, iron, zinc, fluorine, electrolytes, isoflavones, coumrains, betaine, alkaloids (stachydrine), phytoestrogens antioxidant (tricin).
Contraindications: The herb is considered very safe, however there has been some concern about the safety of eating large amounts of the sprouts which contain the alkaloid, conavanine. Those with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis should avoid eating Alfalfa sprouts; however the leaves and flowers are perfectly safe for everyone.
Comments: The name Alfalfa is derived from the arabic al-fac-facah and means ‘father of all foods’. The genus name, Medicago, refers to Medea in North Africa from where this plant is thought to have originated. The species name, sativa, means ‘with a long history of cultivation’. Alfalfa was an important crop to the Arabs who fed it to their racehorses.
Where Alfalfa grows wild, it is an indicator of rich soil. It is planted by farmers and turned under to fix nitrogen and enrich the soil. When cows consume it, it increases their milk production. Alfalfa is an excellent nutritive food for people convalescing. It is a commercial source of chlorophyll.