Each week on Wednesday I will be posting an herb profile on one of my family’s commonly used herbs until I have herb profiles for all our favorite herbs.
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 Schwarzenegger 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 A, Vitamin C and Vitamin K, which is necessary for blood clotting. It 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.
According to BulkHerbStore.com, alfalfa can be used for:
Alfalfa is commonly used as a blood detoxifier and for any joint/bone related problems including arthritis. According to the book Nutritional Herbology:
The high molecular weight alcohols (octacosanol) help to reduce cholesterol and serum lipids while the coumarin derivatives provide an antothrombotic effect. The flavonoids relax the smooth muscles and alkaloids reduce blood sugar levels. These systemic effects are accompanied by the regulating effects the saponins have on colonic flora.
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.
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. During this pregnancy, I have added Alfalfa to my pregnancy tea (recipe to come) 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.
Have a healthy week!
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