Beneficial Uses Of Alfalfa - Medicago Sativa
Other Common Names: Jatt, Kaba Yonca, Lucerne, Mielga, Mu Su, Sai Pi Li Ka, Yonja, Medicago sativa
Range: Europe - Mediterranean; China; Iraq; Kurdistan; Turkey; USA
Habitat: Waste ground, avoiding acid soils.
Composition: Leaves (Fresh weight)- Water: 82.7 Calories: 52
Protein: 6 Fat: 0.4 Carbohydrate: 9.5 Fiber: 3.1 Ash: 1.4 Calcium: 12
Phosphorus: 51 Iron: 5.4 Vitamin A: 3410 Thiamine: 0.13 Riboflavin:
0.14 Niacin: 0.5 Vitamin C: 162
It may possibly have been a native of Europe; it is of great
antiquity, having been imported into Greece from the East after Darius
had discovered it in Medea, hence its name. It is referred to by Roman
writers, and is cultivated in Persia and Peru, where it is mown all the
year round. It first came into notice in 1757 in Britain.
Alfalfa leaves, either fresh or dried, have traditionally been used
as a nutritive tonic to stimulate the appetite and promote weight gain.
The plant has an oestrogenic action and could prove useful in treating
problems related to menstruation and the menopause. Some caution is
advised in the use of this plant, however. It should not be prescribed
to people with auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
The plant is antiscorbutic, aperient, diuretic, ecbolic,
haemostatic, nutritive, stimulant and tonic. The expressed juice is
emetic and is also anodyne in the treatment of gravel. The plant is
taken internally for debility in convalescence or anaemia, hemorrhage,
menopausal complaints, premenstrual tension, fibroids etc. A poultice
of the heated leaves has been applied to the ear in the treatment of
earache. The leaves can be used fresh or dried. The leaves are rich in
vitamin K which is used medicinally to encourage the clotting of blood.
This is valuable in the treatment of jaundice. The plant is grown
commercially as a source of chlorophyll and carotene, both of which
have proven health benefits. The leaves also contain the anti-oxidant
tricin. The root is febrifuge and is also prescribed in cases of highly
coloured urine. Extracts of the plant are antibacterial.
Leaves and young shoots - raw or cooked. The leaves can also be
dried for later use. Very rich in vitamins, especially A, B and C, they
are also a good source of protein. The leaves are a rich source of
vitamin K. A very nutritious food in moderation, though it can trigger
attacks in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and large
quantities can affect liver function and cause photosensitization. A
nutritional analysis is available.
The seed is commonly used as a sprouted seed which is added to
salads, used in sandwiches etc or cooked in soups. The seed is soaked
in warm water for 12 hours, then kept moist in a container in a warm
place to sprout. It is ready in about 4 - 6 days. The seeds can also be
ground into a powder and used as a mush, or mixed with cereal flours
for making a nutritionally improved bread etc.
An appetite-stimulating tea is made from the leaves it has a flavor
somewhat reminiscent of boiled socks and is slightly laxative.
The plant can be grown as a low dividing hedge in the vegetable garden.
Known Hazards: The plant contains saponin-like substances.
Eating large quantities of the leaves may cause the breakdown of red
blood cells. However, although they are potentially harmful, saponins
are poorly absorbed by the human body and so most pass through without
harm. Saponins are quite bitter and can be found in many common foods
such as some beans. Thorough cooking, and perhaps changing the cooking
water once, will normally remove most of them from the food. Saponins
are much more toxic to some creatures, such as fish, and hunting tribes
have traditionally put large quantities of them in streams, lakes etc
in order to stupefy or kill the fish. Alfalfa sprouts (and especially
the seeds) contain canavanine. Recent reports suggest that ingestion of
this substance can cause the recurrence of systemic lupus erythematosus
(an ulcerous disease of the skin) in patients where the disease had
become dormant.
Other Common Names: Jatt, Kaba Yonca, Lucerne, Mielga, Mu Su, Sai Pi Li Ka, Yonja, Medicago sativa
Range: Europe - Mediterranean; China; Iraq; Kurdistan; Turkey; USA
Habitat: Waste ground, avoiding acid soils.
Composition: Leaves (Fresh weight)- Water: 82.7 Calories: 52
Protein: 6 Fat: 0.4 Carbohydrate: 9.5 Fiber: 3.1 Ash: 1.4 Calcium: 12
Phosphorus: 51 Iron: 5.4 Vitamin A: 3410 Thiamine: 0.13 Riboflavin:
0.14 Niacin: 0.5 Vitamin C: 162
It may possibly have been a native of Europe; it is of great
antiquity, having been imported into Greece from the East after Darius
had discovered it in Medea, hence its name. It is referred to by Roman
writers, and is cultivated in Persia and Peru, where it is mown all the
year round. It first came into notice in 1757 in Britain.
Alfalfa leaves, either fresh or dried, have traditionally been used
as a nutritive tonic to stimulate the appetite and promote weight gain.
The plant has an oestrogenic action and could prove useful in treating
problems related to menstruation and the menopause. Some caution is
advised in the use of this plant, however. It should not be prescribed
to people with auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
The plant is antiscorbutic, aperient, diuretic, ecbolic,
haemostatic, nutritive, stimulant and tonic. The expressed juice is
emetic and is also anodyne in the treatment of gravel. The plant is
taken internally for debility in convalescence or anaemia, hemorrhage,
menopausal complaints, premenstrual tension, fibroids etc. A poultice
of the heated leaves has been applied to the ear in the treatment of
earache. The leaves can be used fresh or dried. The leaves are rich in
vitamin K which is used medicinally to encourage the clotting of blood.
This is valuable in the treatment of jaundice. The plant is grown
commercially as a source of chlorophyll and carotene, both of which
have proven health benefits. The leaves also contain the anti-oxidant
tricin. The root is febrifuge and is also prescribed in cases of highly
coloured urine. Extracts of the plant are antibacterial.
Leaves and young shoots - raw or cooked. The leaves can also be
dried for later use. Very rich in vitamins, especially A, B and C, they
are also a good source of protein. The leaves are a rich source of
vitamin K. A very nutritious food in moderation, though it can trigger
attacks in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and large
quantities can affect liver function and cause photosensitization. A
nutritional analysis is available.
The seed is commonly used as a sprouted seed which is added to
salads, used in sandwiches etc or cooked in soups. The seed is soaked
in warm water for 12 hours, then kept moist in a container in a warm
place to sprout. It is ready in about 4 - 6 days. The seeds can also be
ground into a powder and used as a mush, or mixed with cereal flours
for making a nutritionally improved bread etc.
An appetite-stimulating tea is made from the leaves it has a flavor
somewhat reminiscent of boiled socks and is slightly laxative.
The plant can be grown as a low dividing hedge in the vegetable garden.
Known Hazards: The plant contains saponin-like substances.
Eating large quantities of the leaves may cause the breakdown of red
blood cells. However, although they are potentially harmful, saponins
are poorly absorbed by the human body and so most pass through without
harm. Saponins are quite bitter and can be found in many common foods
such as some beans. Thorough cooking, and perhaps changing the cooking
water once, will normally remove most of them from the food. Saponins
are much more toxic to some creatures, such as fish, and hunting tribes
have traditionally put large quantities of them in streams, lakes etc
in order to stupefy or kill the fish. Alfalfa sprouts (and especially
the seeds) contain canavanine. Recent reports suggest that ingestion of
this substance can cause the recurrence of systemic lupus erythematosus
(an ulcerous disease of the skin) in patients where the disease had
become dormant.
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