Alfalfa (Medicago sativa)
Photo: Sten Porse · CC BY-SA 3.0
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Overview
Alfalfa is a perennial herb that can grow to about 32 in (80 cm). It produces trifoliate leaves, flowers ranging from yellow to violet-blue, and spiraling seed pods. It has been called the “king of herbs,” with roots that can extend many feet into the ground to draw up minerals.
Traditional uses & properties
It is mineral-rich and nutritive, often regarded as a mild alterative and blood purifier. Alfalfa has traditionally been used for arthritis, poor appetite, general weakness, and mineral deficiencies. Research and traditional use suggest it may help lower cholesterol and bind certain toxins in the colon. Its isoflavones and coumarins can exhibit estrogenic activity, making it potentially helpful for some menstrual and menopausal concerns.
Traditional preparations
Traditional texts describe the preparations below, and where those texts give specific amounts, the amounts are quoted here as part of that record. This is a record of historical practice, not a dosage recommendation - the figures are what the sources say, not what HerbMate tells you to take. Amounts, potency, and safe use vary enormously by preparation, plant part, and person.
Dried leaf (1:6); 2-10 ml (0.4-2 tsp.) 3 times daily
Alcohol is not a good solvent of minerals, so tinctures are rarely used.
Sprouts may be added to a variety of foods and eaten daily.
1,000-4,000 mg, 2-3 times daily
1 cup 1-2 times daily
Safety & precautions
Alfalfa contains canavanine, which can induce lupus-like symptoms in susceptible individuals or worsen existing autoimmune conditions. Not recommended alongside anticoagulant medications (such as warfarin) because it can interfere with blood-thinning effects. Large amounts of the sprouted seeds, particularly in immunocompromised states or during pregnancy, should be avoided. Excessive daily consumption of seeds may lead to blood clotting problems.
Drug & food interactions
Although it has been suggested that alfalfa may interact with antidiabetic medicines and anticoagulants, evidence for this is largely lacking. Alfalfa may interact with immunosuppressants, and has apparently caused transplant rejection in one patient.
- Food
- No interactions found.
- Theophylline
- No data for alfalfa found.
- Warfarin and related drugs
- Unintentional and unwanted antagonism of warfarin has occurred in patients who ate exceptionally large amounts of some green vegetables, which can contain significant amounts of vitamin K1. It is predicted that alfalfa may contain sufficient vitamin K to provoke a similar reaction. There is no specific clinical or experimental evidence relating to the use of alfalfa with anticoagulants, but alfalfa is predicted to antagonise coumarin anticoagulants based on its vitamin K content. There are some data on the amount of vitamin K in alfalfa, and lots of data on dietary vitamin K and anticoagulant control.
- Digoxin
- No data for alfalfa found.
- Medicine
- No interactions found.
- Antidiabetics
- An isolated case describes a marked reduction in blood-glucose levels in a diabetic patient who took an alfalfa extract. A case report describes a young man with poorly controlled diabetes (reportedly requiring large doses of insulin for even moderately satisfactory control) who had a marked reduction in blood-glucose levels after taking an oral alfalfa aqueous extract. He also had a reduction in his blood-glucose levels in response to oral manganese chloride, but this effect was not seen in 8 other patients with diabetes.
- Paclitaxel
- No data for alfalfa found.
- Tamoxifen
- No data for alfalfa found.
- Antibacterials
- No data for alfalfa found.
- Fexofenadine
- No data for alfalfa found.
- Immunosuppressants
- An isolated report describes acute rejection and vasculitis with alfalfa and/or black cohosh in a renal transplant recipient taking ciclosporin. A stable kidney transplant recipient taking azathioprine 50 mg daily and ciclosporin 75 mg twice daily began to take alfalfa and black cohosh supplements (specific products not stated) on medical advice for severe menopausal symptoms. Her serum creatinine rose from between about 97 and 124 micromol/L up to 168 micromol/L after 4 weeks, and to 256 micromol/L after 6 weeks with no associated change in her ciclosporin levels. Biopsy revealed severe acute rejection with vasculitis and she was treated with corticosteroids and anti-T-lymphocyte immunoglobulin with partial improvement in renal function
These entries keep the wording of the reference they come from, and three phrases mean three different things. "No interactions found" means the source looked for reports of that pairing and found none. "No data found" means nothing has been published either way. "Based on experimental evidence only" means the effect has been seen in a laboratory or animal study but not in people - a reason for caution, not a report of harm.
Habitat
Originally found in Europe, Asia, and North Africa, it now grows worldwide, especially in temperate zones, often as a fodder crop. It thrives in meadows and open cultivated areas, usually harvested in the summer.
Traditionally used for
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Frequently asked questions
What is Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) traditionally used for?
Traditional sources describe Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) as follows: It is mineral-rich and nutritive, often regarded as a mild alterative and blood purifier. Alfalfa has traditionally been used for arthritis, poor appetite, general weakness, and mineral deficiencies. Research and traditional use suggest it may help lower cholesterol and bind certain toxins in the colon. Its isoflavones and coumarins can exhibit estrogenic activity, making it potentially helpful for some menstrual and menopausal concerns.
How is Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) prepared?
Traditional texts describe the preparations below, and where those texts give specific amounts, the amounts are quoted here as part of that record. This is a record of historical practice, not a dosage recommendation - the figures are what the sources say, not what HerbMate tells you to take. Amounts, potency, and safe use vary enormously by preparation, plant part, and person. GLYCERITE: Dried leaf (1:6); 2-10 ml (0.4-2 tsp.) 3 times daily TINCTURE: Alcohol is not a good solvent of minerals, so tinctures are rarely used. FRESH HERB: Sprouts may be added to a variety of foods and eaten daily. BULK POWDER, CAPSULES, AND TABLETS: 1,000-4,000 mg, 2-3 times daily SOUTHERN DECOCTION: 1 cup 1-2 times daily
What safety cautions apply to Alfalfa (Medicago sativa)?
Alfalfa contains canavanine, which can induce lupus-like symptoms in susceptible individuals or worsen existing autoimmune conditions. Not recommended alongside anticoagulant medications (such as warfarin) because it can interfere with blood-thinning effects. Large amounts of the sprouted seeds, particularly in immunocompromised states or during pregnancy, should be avoided. Excessive daily consumption of seeds may lead to blood clotting problems.
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