Alfalfa
Parts Usually Used
Flowering plant, leaves petals, flowers and sprouts.
Description of Plant(s) and Culture
Alfalfa Sprouts A deep-rooted perennial plant (Medicago sativa) of the pea family with small divided leaves, purple cloverlike flowers (violet-blue) in loose heads, 1/4 to 1/2 inches long, and spiral pods loosely twisted, used extensively for fodder, pasture, and as a cover crop. The erect, smooth stem grows from an elongated taproot to a height of 12 to 18 inches. Leaves clover-like, but leaflets elongate.
Leaflets: 3-toothed above; flowers: violet; Calyx: 5-toothed; Corolla: papilionaceous, 6 lines long; Stamens: 9 united and 1 free; Pod: spirally coiled and without spines. Flowers June to August.
Where Found
Fields, roadsides. Throughout the United States. Often cultivated as a crop. Native to Asia.
Medicinal Properties
Alterative, antipyretic, diuretic, appetite stimulant, hemostatic
Biochemical Information
Contains organic minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium and almost all known vitamins, as well as very high in chlorophyll
Legends, Myths and Stories
” According to an early Oriental herbarium, alfalfa tops the list of 896 plants cited, and originated in Persia. Alfalfa (M. sativa), a native of Asia, didn’t reach North America until around 1850 or 1860. Native Americans adapted alfalfa quickly for human use, as well as for animals. In England and South Africa it is called Buffalo herb. Called Mu-su, this is one of the plants said to have been brought to China by General Chang Chien of the Han dynasty.
The mu-su is included among the vegetables, and was formerly extensively cultivated; and in some parts of China, is still grown. It is found growing almost of its own accord. The first documented use of this herb by the Chinese dates back to the 6th century. Chinese healers use alfalfa to treat kidney stones and to relieve fluid retention and swelling. Chinese name: Muxu or zimu The Sting Plant (Psoralea lanceolata) known as White alfalfa (Native American name “Pooy sonib”) has fibrous roots that can be split exceptionally fine for string, nets, etc.
Fragrant, and will not rot in water.
Uses
Herbalists historically prepared alfalfa as a beverage and medicinal tea using the fresh or dried leaves. Traditional practitioners valued it as a nutritive tonic to encourage appetite and weight gain, and administered it as a diuretic and laxative. Folk traditions also employed the plant to address bleeding, anemia, edema, indigestion, gas, cystitis, ulcers, and arthritis. Additionally, historical accounts described alfalfa as an agent to purify the blood, alkalize the system, support liver detoxification, and promote pituitary gland function.
Warning
Alfalfa has been known to aggravate lupus and other auto-immune disorders. Avoid alfalfa is you have an auto-immune problem. Consuming large quantities of Alfalfa saponins may cause breakdown of red blood cells, causing bloating in livestock (thus weight gain). Recent reports suggest that Alfalfa sprouts (or the canavanine therein, especially in the seeds), may be associated with lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus), causing recurrence in patients in which the disease had become dormant.
Bibliography
The Herb Book , by John Lust, Bantam Books, 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY. copyright 1974. Chinese Medicinal Herbs , compiled by Shih-Chen Li, Georgetown Press, San Francisco, California, 1973. Indian Herbalogy of North America , by Alma R. , Horticultural Hall, 300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, 1973 Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants , by Steven Foster and James A.
, Simon & Schuster/Fireside, Rockefeller Center 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020 The Nature Doctor: A Manual of Traditional and Complementary Medicine , by Dr. A. , 27 Pine Street (Box 876) New Canaan, CT. 06840-0876. Copyright Verlag A. , West Nyack, NY, 1987. Indian Uses of Native Plants , by Edith Van Allen Murphey, Meyerbooks, publisher, PO Box 427, Glenwood, Illinois 60425, copyright 1958, print 1990 Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Fifth Edition: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements , by James F.
D. and Phyllis A. , 15 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10023 The Yoga of Herbs: An Ayurvedic Guide to Herbal Medicine , by Dr. David Frawley & Dr. Vasant Lad, Lotus Press, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, Second edition, 1988.