Herb Profile: Alfalfa

alfalfa Herb Profile: AlfalfaI use herbal remedies for many things on a daily basis. From homemade lotions, infused oils and salves, to teas and additions to my veggie smoothies, we use a lot of different herbs each day.

I’ve personally seen the benefit of many different herbs, even in situations where medicine or conventional remedies didn’t work at all.

Many herbs also have very nourishing properties and can be used in special combinations in foods and drinks to improve the body’s absorption of those substances.

Each week, I’ll be profiling an herb and talking about its many uses…

Enter Alfalfa…

This week: Alfalfa! To some of you, this may bring thoughts of a type of hay or a character from the Little Rascals, but Alfalfa is a powerhouse among herbs, the Pavel of herbs, so to speak.

Sometimes also called Buffalo Herb, or scientifically, Medicago sativa, Alfalfa means “Father of all Foods” and deserves its name! Alfalfa contains a wide variety of minerals including iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sulfur, chlorine, sodium, potassium, silicon, and trace elements. It is also a good source of Vitamin E, Vitamin C and Vitamin K, which is necessary for blood clotting.

Alfalfa contains essential amino acids, which are not made by the body but must be obtained from food sources. Because Alfalfa is so easy to assimilate, it is used as the base in vitamins and supplements and it contains the highest chlorophyll content of any plant (in fact, it is used in Liquid Chlorophyll, which has a very high nutrient content).

Alfalfa can be used for:

  • Cleansing the blood
  • helping alleviate allergies
  • Aids in blood clotting
  • Promotes healthy digestion
  • Can easy morning sickness
  • Is helpful in reversing tooth decay and remineralizing teeth
  • Great source of Vitamin K so it helps improve Baby’s Vitamin K levels at birth if mom drinks during pregnancy (recipe for an herbal tea for pregnancy here)
  • Supports the pituitary gland
  • Supportive during nursing
  • Helps ease morning sickness
  • Helps ease gout
  • Aids with all forms of arthritis

Alfalfa is used in alternative medicine to reduce cholesterol and blood pressure. The high concentration of alkaloids in Alfalfa make it useful in reducing blood sugar levels.

It is also commonly used as a blood detoxifier and for any types of arthritis or joint problems. It is a great source of many nutrients and is generally considered safe for children, adults and pregnant/nursing mothers.

The one caution about alfalfa is not to use in combination with blood thinning agents or medications as it is so effective it can interfere or amplify the effects of these.

How We Use Alfalfa

In our family, we add alfalfa to many of our herbal teas, tinctures and to food. I make a tea for the kids with Alfalfa, Red Raspberry and Peppermint as a source of vitamins and minerals that they love to drink. (We buy it in bulk from Mountain Rose Herbs)

We also drink a lot of Liquid Chlorophyll, which is a concentrated liquid of the chlorophyllins from the fresh alfalfa plant. We love this brand because it has a minty taste, and even the kids love to drink it. When the kids are sick, this is often all I can get them to take, and its purifying and detoxifying properties help them recover more quickly. Since it is so high in nutrients, I also don’t worry if they don’t eat as much while they are sick.

During pregnancy, I add Alfalfa to my pregnancy tea (recipe here) and give high doses of alfalfa in herbal teas if anyone gets sick. Due to its mild flavor, I also add scoops of dried alfalfa to smoothies and drinks. I take liquid chlorophyll daily, especially during pregnancy, since we opt out of the Vitamin K shot at birth (we do an oral version instead).

Ever used alfalfa? Taken Liquid Chlorophyll? What herbs do you use?

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About Wellness Mama

Wellness Mama is a full-time housewife with a background in nutrition, journalism and communications. Her passion is helping others achieve optimal health through a “Wellness Lifestyle.” She has helped hundreds of clients lose weight, increase athletic performance, improve fertility, and overcome numerous health problems and diseases. Connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, & Pinterest.

Disclaimer: Many of the links on my site, especially those from Amazon, Mountain Rose Herbs, Tropical Traditions and OraWellness are affiliate links. Should you click on these links and decide to purchase anything, I will receive a small commission and you will have my sincere thanks for supporting Wellness Mama!

DISCLAIMER: The statements made here have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These statements are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure or prevent any disease. This notice is required by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

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  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=621971241 Kami McFarland Noland

    Liquid chlorophyll is my favorite of all supplements.  A local herbalist recommended it to me during pregnancy because I have struggled with anemia my entire adult life.  LC makes me feel noticeably better and made my hemoglobin levels higher than I had ever seen them… 12.6.  I usually hovered between 10-11… as low as 8.6 (12 being the lowest # within normal range).

  • jacey

    You are a wealth of information. I just love your blog. Thank you for sharing! I don’t know how you get it all in in one day – all the herbs, vitamins, gelatin, etc… perhaps you could give a brief rundown of your daily regimen and include all a list of everything.

  • http://holistichealth.altervista.org/blog/ Holistic Health

    I had no idea of all the things alfalfa was good for. These herb profiles are a great idea. Would love to see my favorite – rosemary – profiled. Thanks!

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_UV4UCS2CR5SPKKWKHEDTD2TCPE Jennie

    How much would this help morning sickness? i suffer from hyperemesis and am currently pregnant.  I will give this a try.  Thanks. Any other ideas would be helpful too.  This is my fifth baby and my research over the years about this has had mixed results.  Thanks again. 

  • http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

    The liquid chlorophyll was one of the only things I could get down in the mornings and it, along with the mint taste, really helped ease the nausea. I took about a tablespoon in water each morning

  • Stephanie

    I take a few alfalfa tablets everyday in hopes of beating fatigue and keeping my Ph balance just right. As I suffer from the Autoimmune Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease, I have to battle extreme fatigue and chronic pain. This powerhouse of nutrients is really good for my whole body. I’m always searching for natural remedies to accompany my daily regimen of prescription drugs. RA drugs are so dangerous so I need to do everything I can to protect my body from drugs’ side effects and damage.

  • Kari D

    I’ve seen alfalfa seeds at my health food store. I was thinking of adding them to my daily oatmeal (which has chia seeds, goji berries, flax, nuts haha the list goes on). Would it have the same benefits or does it need to be the actual plant??

  • April Grow

    The more I look around on your blog, the more I love it! The day you reviewed the T-Tapp system I ordered it, and I’m loving it (I’ll post a comment on that page). They promote the use of alfalfa for skin tightening, water retention, improving varicose veins and dark under eye circles. I ordered their brand of capsules bc they are supposed to organic and contain no seeds. Also not heat processed, etc. It is supposed to be the best out there. Or maybe I’m paying through the nose unnecessarily :) . I have loose skin on my belly from 6 kids so close together (including triplets). So I am trying this with her skin brushing system to improve that. We will see! Cheaper than a tummy tuck! They have a long description of alfalfa benefits on the product page in their shop.

  • http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

    Their brand is good… if you can handle the texture, etc, you can also order powdered alfalfa in bulk from mountain rose herbs for a lot cheaper. It can actually be made in to a tea also…

  • April Grow

    Good to know. Theirs come in capsules, which is convenient. I will check out mountain rose herbs. Thanks!

  • Anne Nolan

    Sally Fallon of Nourishing Traditions disagrees. She says alfalfa causes a host of problems, low immunity being oe of them. What do you say to her claims?

  • Pingback: Liquid Multivitamin Tincture Recipe

  • Sara Davis

    I’m curious about the brand of liquid chlorophyll you use — I bought the natures sunshine bottle like you recommended, but the second ingredient is methylparaben, which doesn’t seem like an ingredient you would support… Did I buy the wrong bottle? Is methylparaben ok?