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Alfalfa Leaf                                    Medicago sativa

Common Names: Buffalo herb. Lucerne, Purple medic

Description - A perennial plant with a smooth, erect stem growing 2-3 feet tall. It bears grayish-green pinnately trifoliate leaves, with egg-shaped leaflets; it looks much like a large clover. Its violet-purple flowers grow in racemes from June to August, producing spirally-coiled seed pods.

Medical Parts: Dried whole herb, including blossoms; gathered at the beginning of flowering season.

Constituents and Uses - Alfalfa has been extensively studied. Whole plant material contains many important substances, including several saponins, many sterols, coumarin, flavonoids, alkaloids, acids, vitamins, amino acids, sugars, proteins (25% by weight), minerals, trace elements, and other nutrients. Whole alfalfa also contains plenty of fibre with anticholesterolemic properties.

Alfalfa is one of the most nutritious foods known. Its calcium, carotene, chlorophyll, and vitamin K content make alfalfa an important nutritional supplement. Alfalfa root saponins can inhibit increases in blood cholesterol levels by 25% in experimental animals fed a high cholesterol diet. Offsetting this positive effect are findings that the root is hemolytic and may interfere with vitamin E metabolism.

High concentration of vitamin K found in whole alfalfa has beneficial effects on several forms of hemolytic disease. Alfalfa has antitumoral and antibacterial properties. In folk medicine, it has been used as a tonic and appetizer, and as a diuretic to relieve urinary and bowel problems. Perhaps the most common modern use of alfalfa is in the treatment of symptomatic arthritis, but although numerous clinical and anecdotal reports are available, no scientific research has been done on its effectiveness.

Antibiotic Properties - The saponins in alfalfa have been shown to be antifungal. This activity is concentrated mainly in the medicagenic acid fraction.

Alfalfa has shown some activity against tuberculosis bacteria, while aqueous and volatile extracts of alfalfa are antibacterial against gram negative bacteria.

Antitumor Action - Basic proteins (histones) displaying antitumor activity without undesired side effects occur in alfalfa. These substances contain high levels of l-lysine, aspartic acid, and glutamic acid. Tumor stimulating fractions were also found, containing large amounts of l-arginine. This basic relationship requires further study.

Highly Nutritious - The nutrient content of alfalfa is one of the richest known, making it a useful livestock fodder and a highly recommended herb for the human diet as well.

!! Cautions - Alfalfa's hypoprothrombinemic effect may be increased by the antiarrhythmic agent, quinidine. In addition, allopurinol has been tentatively shown to increase the half-life of anticoagulants.

Alfalfa is high in iron, which may cause it to interfere with the absorption of tetracyclines. This is especially true if large quantities of the herb are ingested within two hours of taking tetracyclines. It should also be noted animal studies indicate iron plus allopurinol may lead to increased hepatic iron concentration.

Alfalfa may, because of the presence of eugenol in the herb, inhibit certain liver microsomal hydroxylating systems. This produces toxic effects from drugs normally metabolized by those systems.

It should be noted while the coumarin content of alfalfa is not high at normal usage levels, coumarins can effect the action of almost any drug.

The presence of tyramine and/or typtophan in alfalfa could produce hypertension if monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI's) are also being used. However, this is not a likely interaction.

Contact dermatitis has occurred in hypersensitive individuals. Alfalfa root saponins are hemolytic and may also interfere with the metabolism of vitamin E; however, above-ground parts have just the opposite effects.

Please note that this herb is only available in 8oz and 16oz amounts.

BH104     Alfalfa Leaf C/S !!           $6.00/8oz

BH104P  Alfalfa Leaf C/S !!           $10.800/lb   

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At present we only ship within the U.S.  See Shipping Info for limitations and  for orders to Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico.

The recommendations & information at this site have not been evaluated by the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Any plant substance can cause an allergic reaction in some people. Triple Aspect Herbs cannot be held responsible for claims arising from the mistaken identity of any herbs or from the inappropriate use of any remedy. Do not try to self diagnose or attempt treatment for any serious or long term problem or while undergoing a prescribed course of treatment without consulting a medical professional. At present we only ship within the U.S.  See Shipping Info for limitations and  for orders to Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico.  Copyright © 2002 tripleaspectherbs.com. All rights reserved.

Site last updated on  08/09/2007         Please refer any problems with this site to the webmaster