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Alfalfa Leaf, the "Father of all Foods"
The following information is directly quoted from the LINK BELOW. It is meant to be educational only...... this herb is an important ingredient in the cleansing herbs for the MOST IMPORTANT equine colic cure that I have used with 99.9999% success since 1977. Botanical: Medicago sativa Family: Leguminoseae (legume) - fabaceae (pea) Other common names: Buffalo Herb, Lucerne, Purple Medic, Buffalo Grass, Medicago History: First discovered in Persia around 500 B.C., Alfalfa reached Mediterranean Europe by way of the Greeks, who planted it as early as 490 B.C. Since the Medes of ancient Persia are believed to have been the first to cultivate the plant, it was given its botanical name, Medicago sativa, which is translated from Latin, meaning, "sowed by the Medians."
Alfalfa was being cultivated in England by the sixteenth century, where it was used to soothe and strengthen the body, and arrived in the American Colonies by 1736, where it was used mainly to treat upset stomach. Native Americans employed ground Alfalfa seeds to thicken and enrich their diets and ate the alfalfa leaves as tasty greens. The Eclectics, physicians who used herbal therapies in nineteenth-century America, used Alfalfa leaf as a tonic for indigestion, dyspepsia, anemia, loss of appetite and poor assimilation of nutrients. These physicians also recommended the alfalfa plant to stimulate lactation in nursing mothers, and the seeds were made into a poultice for the treatment of boils and insect bites. Alfalfa is a perennial plant that can be cultivated almost anywhere, even in dry regions, and thrives as a crop in light, well-drained-to-dry, neutral-to-alkaline soil in sun. Bushy Alfalfa may reach about three feet in height with roots that may grow to one-hundred-thirty feet into the soil, allowing exceptional access to a quantity of nutrients: rutin, silicon, zinc, calcium, copper, choline, folate, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, saponins, alpha-carotene, beta carotene (useful against both heart disease), as well as B-vitamins and vitamins A, D, E and K. Alfalfa leaves contain eight essential amino acids and are a good source of chlorophyll, and they also contain triterpene saponins (sojasapogenol A-E aglycones medicagenic acid, hederagenin), flavones, isoflavones (formononetin glycosides, genistein, daidzein, biochanin A, coumestrol), lutein, sigmasterol, spinasterol, cyanogenic glycosides, sterols and coumarin derivatives (coumestrol, 3'-methoxy coumestrol, lucernol, sativol, trifol, medicagol). Beneficial Uses: Alfalfa leaf is a good laxative and natural diuretic that promotes urine flow and is often used to treat urinary tract infections and eliminate excess retained water. Alfalfa is especially useful for replacing vitamin K that is depleted during treatment with a wide variety of drugs, including antibiotics. Alfalfa acts as a blood purifier and has helped many arthritis sufferers. The action as a detoxifier and blood purifier has been found to be beneficial for a variety of illnesses, including liver disorders, breath odor, infections, disorders of the bones and joints and skin ailments. Alfalfa has an alkalizing effect on the body. It is a great source of mineral supplements that are all alkaline, which has a neutralizing effect on the intestinal tract, thereby easing digestive problems, such as upset stomach, gastritis and indigestion. Alfalfa contains a high calcium and magnesium content, and studies have shown that migraines may be prevented and/or reduced when these two minerals are combined. All the minerals are in a balanced form, which also promotes absorption. Herbalists have long used Alfalfa Leaf to treat ulcers, as the bioflavonoids found in Alfalfa reduce inflammation of the stomach lining and build capillary strength, while Alfalfa's vitamin A helps to maintain the stomach's overall health. The herb's enzymes aid in food assimulation. During the Han Dynasty (200 A.D.), Alfalfa was used to treat ulcers and continues in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to strengthen the digestive tract and stimulate the appetite. Alfalfa is said to lower cholesterol and prevent the formation of atherosclerotic plaques (by blocking cholesterol's absorption into the body from the intestines), balance blood sugar (especially when taken with manganese) and promote pituitary gland function. Alfalfa leaf is an immune-system stimulant that promotes normal blood clotting; and the vitamin K content helps treat bleeding gums and nosebleed, but does not interfere with normal circulation. The bioflavonoids found in Alfalfa are believed to build capillary strength. Alfalfa leaf contains phytoestrogens, and the herb has had some estrogenic activity in women whose own sex hormone production has declined; thus Alfalfa has helped many women with the discomforts of menopausal symptoms, particularly hot flashes. The Vitamin K2 found in Alfalfa may also partially prevent bone loss caused by estrogen deficiency. |
