Alfalfa as an Herbal Medication Throughout History
For more then 1,500 years alfalfa has been used in herbal medicine. As early as 490. B.C. its use is recorded in Roman records. The following are early known uses of alfalfa for medicinal purposes.
* The ancient Chinese used it to treat digestive problems, such as ulcers, and to stimulate the appetite. It was often prescribed by traditional physicians of the time.
* Ayurvedic physicians in ancient India used it as a treatment for ulcers, fluid retention and arthritis pain.
* The Spanish brought alfalfa to the colonies in the 1700s where early settlers used it for the treatment of arthritis, cancer and boils. They also used it for treating scurvy and for bowel and urinary problems. Early pioneer women used alfalfa to bring on menstruation.
* Native American Indians used alfalfa to promote blood clotting and treat jaundice.
* Herbalists of the 1800s used a tonic made from alfalfa to treat indigestion, anemia and dyspepsia. They also used it for those that experienced a loss of appetite or assimilated nutrients poorly.
Parts used
Leaves
*The leaves are harvested up to five times every growing season, just as the plant starts to
flower..
*They are used to make tinctures and dry or liquid extracts
Constituents
Alfalfa ia an excellent source of dietary nutrients for the boby
Including protein, calcium and vitamins. It also contains saponins, which dissolve fats,
coumarins, phenols, tannins and unsaturated fatty acids. Alfalfa is rich in phytoestrogens
that mimic the action of the female hormone, estrogen.
Medicinal uses
Due to its estrogenic effects, alfalfa regulates periods, and stimulates milk-flow in
breastfeeding women. Experiments carried out by clinical nutritionists in 1982 showed that
eating alfalfa helped to ported monkeys that were on high cholesterol diet from
atherosclerosis. They also proved the effectiveness of alfalfa in decreasing blood
cholesterol levels.
In 1990 researchers in Northern Ireland showed that alfalfa affects the metabolism of
glucose and, like coriander, eucalyptus and juniper, it also reduces excessive thirst and
blood sugar levels.
Alfalfa’s fortifying effects are well known and, due to its ability to stimulate the
appetite, the plant is often given to induce weight gain and also as restorative during
convalescence.Alfafa can help to reduce exhaustion and nervous agitation. In India, alfalfa
is used in poultices to tread boils, in Colombia it is used to treat coughs. It may
Have a therapeutic effect on gastric ulcers, and has been used in the treatment of kidney
stones.
For more then 1,500 years alfalfa has been used in herbal medicine. As early as 490. B.C. its use is recorded in Roman records. The following are early known uses of alfalfa for medicinal purposes.
* The ancient Chinese used it to treat digestive problems, such as ulcers, and to stimulate the appetite. It was often prescribed by traditional physicians of the time.
* Ayurvedic physicians in ancient India used it as a treatment for ulcers, fluid retention and arthritis pain.
* The Spanish brought alfalfa to the colonies in the 1700s where early settlers used it for the treatment of arthritis, cancer and boils. They also used it for treating scurvy and for bowel and urinary problems. Early pioneer women used alfalfa to bring on menstruation.
* Native American Indians used alfalfa to promote blood clotting and treat jaundice.
* Herbalists of the 1800s used a tonic made from alfalfa to treat indigestion, anemia and dyspepsia. They also used it for those that experienced a loss of appetite or assimilated nutrients poorly.
Parts used
Leaves
*The leaves are harvested up to five times every growing season, just as the plant starts to
flower..
*They are used to make tinctures and dry or liquid extracts
Constituents
Alfalfa ia an excellent source of dietary nutrients for the boby
Including protein, calcium and vitamins. It also contains saponins, which dissolve fats,
coumarins, phenols, tannins and unsaturated fatty acids. Alfalfa is rich in phytoestrogens
that mimic the action of the female hormone, estrogen.
Medicinal uses
Due to its estrogenic effects, alfalfa regulates periods, and stimulates milk-flow in
breastfeeding women. Experiments carried out by clinical nutritionists in 1982 showed that
eating alfalfa helped to ported monkeys that were on high cholesterol diet from
atherosclerosis. They also proved the effectiveness of alfalfa in decreasing blood
cholesterol levels.
In 1990 researchers in Northern Ireland showed that alfalfa affects the metabolism of
glucose and, like coriander, eucalyptus and juniper, it also reduces excessive thirst and
blood sugar levels.
Alfalfa’s fortifying effects are well known and, due to its ability to stimulate the
appetite, the plant is often given to induce weight gain and also as restorative during
convalescence.Alfafa can help to reduce exhaustion and nervous agitation. In India, alfalfa
is used in poultices to tread boils, in Colombia it is used to treat coughs. It may
Have a therapeutic effect on gastric ulcers, and has been used in the treatment of kidney
stones.
