Traditional use:
Early Chinese physicians used young alfalfa leaves to treat disorders of the digestive tract.
In India, Ayurvedic physicians prescribed the leaves and flowering tops for poor digestion.
It was also considered therapeutic for water retention and arthritis.
North American Indians recommended alfalfa to treat jaundice and to encourage blood clotting.
Although conspicuously absent from many classic textbooks on herbal medicine, alfalfa did find a home in the texts of the Eclectic physicians as a tonic for indigestion, dyspepsia, anemia, loss of appetite, and poor assimilation of nutrients.
The plant was also recommended to stimulate lactation in nursing mothers, and the seeds have been traditionally made into a poultice for the treatment of boils and insect bites.
Warning: Consumption of large doses of Alfalfa's saponins* may cause red blood cells to break down and thus cause bloating (and weight gain and possibly anemia) in livestock and humans.
Alfalfa sprouts and especially seeds (but not leaves) contain canavanine which may cause Lupus (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus) and/or cause dormant Lupus to reactivate.
Alfalfa seeds can cause miscarriages in pregnant women as they are abortifacients.
WARNING! Abortions of any kind can be hazardous to your health! Please consult the guidance of a qualified practitioner (doctor, midwife, etc..) if you seek an abortion!
Alfalfa can cause upset stomach and diarrhea.
