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Lower your cholesterol with
Heart Healthy alfalfa
Alfalfa contains a broad spectrum of nutrients, including considerable quantities of protein, trace mineral and vitamins, dietary fiber and chlorophyll, which serves as an antioxidant in the bloodstream. Alfalfa sprouts are a staple of salads and contain nutrients, but the leaves hold the best healing potential and contain phytoestrogens that could be beneficial in menopausal and breast feeding women. Chemicals in alfalfa called saponins can help lower blood cholesterol (by impeding intestinal absorption) without affecting heart-healthy HDL cholesterol. |
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Prep Methods :The cut and sifted form of this herb is a popular tea having a very soft, delicate flavor that melds very nicely with mint and lemon. To make a herbal tea -use 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried alfalfa leaves in a cup of boiling water, drink up to 3 times a day. Alfalfa is not recommended as primary treatment for any condition. Instead, it should be taken in capsules, teas or eaten as fresh raw sprouts that have been rinsed thoroughly to remove mold. Alfalfa seeds should never be eaten unless sprouted because they contain high levels of the toxic amino acid canavanine.
- Show All
- Alfalfa leaf tea
- Hepatonic Tea
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Cholesterol Control |
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The leaf from this grain decreases cholesterol levels and shrinks plaques that are already present. Alfalfa also slows the progress of atherosclerosis by keeping cholesterol from entering the body from food. The alfalfa saponins, which are soaplike compounds, form an insoluble foam with cholesterol inside the intestine. (White,Linda B., M.D. ) |
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Female Tonics |
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Doctors often prescribe synthetic estrogen, usually in the form of birth control pills, for the treatment of endometriosis. Naturopaths have favored herbs and foods with phytoestrogens, natural plant hormones that are related to estrogen but are less potent than the body's own estrogens. Alfalfa sprouts contain phytoestrogens that also block the body's estrogen receptor sites, thereby reducing the effect of a woman's own hormones. (Phyllis A. Balch ) |
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Cancer |
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Alfalfa has important uses in counteracting the effects of cancer chemotherapy. Alfalfa extracts may increase the production of these white cells by as much as 60 percent. Studies in animals have found that alfalfa completely reverses immune depression caused by treatment with the cancer chemotherapy drug cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan, Neosar). Although alfalfa suppresses the action of macrophages (see above), it does not inhibit the activity of any of the immune cells the body needs during the first stages of infection. (Phyllis A. Balch ) |
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Diabetes |
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The condition of people with diabetes who fail to respond to insulin greatly improves when they take alfalfa plus manganese. (Phyllis A. Balch ) |
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Menopause/Perimenopause |
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Hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms are rare among women who consume a lot of legumes, such as black beans, mung beans, and soybeans, which have mild estrogenic activity. Alfalfa has demonstrable estrogenic activity, too. In addition to acting like estrogen in women whose own sex hormone production has declined, phytoestrogens also appear to reduce the
risk of estrogen-linked cancers such as breast cancer. Laboratory experiments show that phytoestrogens are effective in preventing tumors of the breast tissue. (Phyllis A. Balch ) |
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Osteoporosis |
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Clinical studies in Japan have found that vitamin K, found in alfalfa and in green leafy vegetables such as kale and spinach, can partially prevent bone loss caused by estrogen deficiency. The vitamin interacts with vitamin D to increase the formation of new bone. The combination is not sufficient, however, to completely compensate for osteoporosis caused by estrogen-depleting medications (Phyllis A. Balch ) |
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Digestion/Indigestion |
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Herbalists have long used alfalfa to treat ulcers, with good results. The bioflavonoids found in alfalfa build capillary strength and reduce inflammation of the stomach lining, while alfalfa's vitamin A helps to maintain the stomach's health. The herb's enzymes aid in food assimilation Phyllis A. Balch. . (), |
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Pet care |
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Alfalfa has great value as daily food supplement for long-term relief of the pain of arthritis and cardiovascular health of animals and humans. For use in therapeutic doses, it acts well when combined with dandelion, yucca and licorice. (Tilford, Gregory L. ) |
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| Side Effects: |
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| If you have lupus or are in remission, you shouldn't consume alfalfa seeds. Use alfalfa only during its prebloom stages of growth. |
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- Flowers:Small blue-violet, white or pink
- Stem:height of three feet
- Leaves:Clover-like, three-lobed green leaves
- Fruit: White seed bearing pods
- Preferred Habitat:It is not picky as to soil, but it does prefer full sun and regular watering. The aerial (aboveground) parts of the plant are used in herbal medicine.
- This widely cultivated plant is highly nutritive for both humans and animals. The deep root system absorbs minerals from the soil resulting in a plant rich in vitamins and minerals and a great source of fiber and protein. Alfalfa leaf is rich in protein and vitamins A, D, E, and K. Alfalfa extract is a good source of chlorophyll and carotene. It is important to insist on certified organic alfalfa, since the plant concentrates cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc when it is grown in contaminated soils. The leaves contain eight essential amino acids.
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Essential Oils
