Alfalfa does not exist in the truly wild state. It is said to have originated in the area around the Caspian Sea, possibly from the local Medicago coerulea. The cultivation and spread of alfalfa seems linked with the spread of the horse. The plant was taken to China from central Asia over 2000 years ago. Introduced to Greece from Persia in the fifth century BC, and then throughout Europe, it is now cultivated all over the world, mainly as an animal forage.
Plant Description
Alfalfa is a perennial herb with a deep taproot and clover-like leaves (trifoliate), and grows to a height of 1 m (3 ft). The flowers are usually bluish purple but, because of hybridization with other species, maybe variegated, with some yellow colour. Its coiled fruits are the typical leguminous pods, containing numerous greenish brown seeds,each about 2 mm in diameter...
Nutritional Value
Alfalfa is very important as a livestock forage. In some parts of the world the leaves are eaten raw or cooked as a vegetable in human diets. Seed sprouts are a favourite salad ingredient. Alfalfa extract is used as a flavouring agent in many food commodities,its leaf protein is used as a protein substitute in vegan diets, and its chlorophyll is employed as a colouring agent.
The plant has been subjected to numerous chemical analyses and has been shown
to be rich in a variety of chemical substances; e.g. protein (14–15% in dried
plant), minerals and trace elements, vitamins, saponins, flavonoids, coumarins, and numerous others. Sprouts contain a large amount of water (>90%), a small amount of protein (4%), and a range of minerals and vitamins (carotene, B, and C).
Alfalfa is available in the form of herbal teas, tablets, tinctures, and other preparations. Apart from its nutritional value, there are numerous anecdotal claims concerning its therapeutic usefulness. These relate to treatment of various arthritic conditions, skin ailments, and diabetes, to stimulating the appetite, to it being a general tonic, and to numerous other conditions.
There is really no scientific evidence to support the vast majority of therapeutic claims. Animal experiments and a very few human experiments indicate that ingestion of alfalfa seeds may lower blood cholesterol, but more investigations are required.
Those with a predisposition to systemic lupus erythematosus, and those who are photosensitive, should avoid alfalfa. Similarly, it is best avoided during pregnancy and lactation.
The plant has been subjected to numerous chemical analyses and has been shown
to be rich in a variety of chemical substances; e.g. protein (14–15% in dried
plant), minerals and trace elements, vitamins, saponins, flavonoids, coumarins, and numerous others. Sprouts contain a large amount of water (>90%), a small amount of protein (4%), and a range of minerals and vitamins (carotene, B, and C).
Alfalfa is available in the form of herbal teas, tablets, tinctures, and other preparations. Apart from its nutritional value, there are numerous anecdotal claims concerning its therapeutic usefulness. These relate to treatment of various arthritic conditions, skin ailments, and diabetes, to stimulating the appetite, to it being a general tonic, and to numerous other conditions.
There is really no scientific evidence to support the vast majority of therapeutic claims. Animal experiments and a very few human experiments indicate that ingestion of alfalfa seeds may lower blood cholesterol, but more investigations are required.
Those with a predisposition to systemic lupus erythematosus, and those who are photosensitive, should avoid alfalfa. Similarly, it is best avoided during pregnancy and lactation.
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