What do alfalfa pills do

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This article explores the environmental and…. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Nutrition Evidence Based Alfalfa. Warwick, R. Nutrient content Effect on cholesterol Other benefits Safety How to use it Alfalfa, also known as lucerne or Medicago sativa , is a plant that has been grown as feed for livestock for hundreds of years.

In addition to being used as feed, it has a long history of use as a medicinal herb for humans. Nutrient content of alfalfa. Alfalfa may help lower cholesterol. Other potential health benefits.

Safety and side effects. How to add alfalfa to your diet. The bottom line. Read this next. Alfalfa for Hair. Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph. Raw Sprouts: Benefits and Potential Risks. Top 10 Healthy Cuisines from Around the World.

Also, with the known mild hypoglycemic effect, patients already taking medication for diabetes should be cautioned regarding the potential for unintentional drops in blood glucose.

For those without contraindications who wish to use alfalfa as a supplement, a typical recommended dose is 5 to 10 grams steeped as a tea and used three times daily. Alfalfa tea is a popular form of the plant. Although alfalfa does have great potential for a wide variety of conditions, there are safer, better studied herbal supplements that are widely available.

Until such time as more human trials showing safety and efficacy are conducted, healthcare providers should not recommend use of this supplement. However, the occasional deli sandwich with alfalfa sprouts should not cause harm. From the May 01, Issue of Clinical Advisor.

A double-blind trial using a standardized extract of subterranean clover Trifolium subterraneum , a relative of red clover , containing 40 mg isoflavones per tablet did not impact symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, though it did improve function of the arteries. An extract of red clover, providing 82 mg of isoflavones per day, also was ineffective in a week double-blind study. In another double-blind study, however, administration of 80 mg of isoflavones per day from red clover reduced the frequency of hot flashes in postmenopausal women.

The benefit was noticeable after 4 weeks of treatment and became more pronounced after a total of 12 weeks. Many years ago, traditional Chinese physicians used young alfalfa leaves to treat disorders of the digestive tract. Alfalfa 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 19th-century physicians in the United States who used herbal therapies as a tonic for indigestion , dyspepsia, anemia, loss of appetite, and poor assimilation of nutrients.

While the medicinal benefits of alfalfa are poorly understood, the constituents in alfalfa have been extensively studied. But while high amounts of a water extract of the leaves led to increased insulin release in animal studies, there is no evidence that alfalfa would be useful for the treatment of diabetes in humans. Alfalfa leaves also contain flavones, isoflavones, sterols, and coumarin derivatives. The isoflavones are thought to be responsible for the estrogen-like effects seen in animal studies.

Nutrient analysis demonstrates the presence of calcium , potassium , iron , and zinc. Dried alfalfa leaf is available as a bulk herb, and in tablets or capsules. It is also available in liquid extracts.

No therapeutic amount of alfalfa has been established for humans. Some herbalists recommend —1, mg of the dried leaf per day or 1—2 ml of tincture three times per day. Use of the dried leaves of alfalfa in recommended amounts is usually safe. There have been isolated reports of people who are allergic to alfalfa. The chemical responsible for this effect is believed to be canavanine. Leung AY, Foster S. Story JA. Alfalfa saponins and cholesterol interactions. Am J Clin Nutr ; Alfalfa seeds lower low density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein B concentrations in patients with type II hyperlipoproteinemia.

Atherosclerosis ; Adverse Reactions. Increased fecal volume and defecation frequency, loose stools and diarrhea as well as abdominal discomfort and intestinal gas have all been reported in patients, following supplementation with alfalfa 5.

Herb Lab Interactions. PDR for Herbal Medicines. Montvale NJ : Medical Economics; DerMarderosian A. The Review of Natural Products. Louis: Facts and Comparisons, Herbal Medicines. London: Pharmaceutical Press, Alfalfa seeds: effects on cholesterol metabolism.

Experientia ; Alfalfa seeds lower low density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein B concentrations in patients with type II hyperlipoproteinemia. Atherosclerosis ; Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics, Roberts JL,. Hayashi JA. Exacerbation of SLE associated with alfalfa ingestion. N Engl J Med ; Effects of L-canavanine on T cells may explain the induction of systemic lupus erythematosus by alfalfa. Arthritis Rheum. Farnsworth NR. Alfalfa pills and autoimmune diseases.

Am J Clin Nutr ; Evaluation of the estrogenic effects of legume extracts containing phytoestrogens. J Agric. Food Chem. Escherichia coli O and Salmonella infections associated with sprouts in California, Med ;