Latin Name: Medicago sativaOther Names: Medicago sativa, Buffalo herb, Lucerne, Purple Medic, Chilean clover, Feuille de Luzerne, Grand Trèfle, Herbe aux Bisons, Herbe à Vaches, Lucerne, Luzerne, Medicago, Medicago sativa, Phyoestrogen, Phyto-œstrogène, Purple Medick, Sanfoin
Alfalfa is a plant native to the Mediterranean region but widely cultivated elsewhere. It has an age-old reputation as a nutritious food. Alfalfa contains chlorophyll, protein, minerals, and beta-carotene, B vitamins, and vitamins C, E, and K.
Sources of Alfalfa
Alfalfa is best known as a food. The raw sprouts can be found in the produce section of grocery stores and health food stores.
It is also available in capsule, powder, tablet, and liquid extract forms. Many of these supplements are made from dried alfalfa leaves and/or seeds.
==Special Precautions of Alfalfa==
*The alfalfa plant, especially the seeds, contains an amino acid called L-canavanine. Excess consumption of L-canavanine may cause abnormal blood cell counts, spleen enlargement, or the recurrence of active disease in patients with lupus. Exposing the seeds to extremely high temperatures may prevent this, but it hasn't been confirmed.
*Diabetes
*Menopausal Symptoms (e.g. Hot Flashes): Alfalfa contains coumestans, which are phytoestrogens. For this reason, alfalfa has been examined in laboratory studies for menopausal symptoms.
*High Cholesterol : Although preliminary studies Lowering cholesterol in people with human subjects suggest that high cholesterol. Taking alfalfa may seeds seems to lower total cholesterol and “bad” low-density lipoprotein (LDL ) cholesterol, there haven't been any randomized, controlled trials to substantiate these initial findingsin people with high cholesterol levels.
*healing lupus and other auto-immune diseases
* [[Chlorophyll]]-benefits