Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) |
Written by Administrator |
Thursday, 19 May 2011 05:04 |
The whole herb is used medicinally to help stop bleeding to benefit the kidneys and as a general tonic. It is a good laxative and a natural diuretic. It is a folk remedy for arthritis and is reputed to be an excellent appetite stimulant. Alfalfa possesses extremely high nutritional value. An excellent source of vitamins A and D, alfalfa leaf is used in the infants’ cereal pablum. Also rich in vitamin K, alfalfa leaf has been used in medicine to encourage blood clotting. Alfalfa also lowers blood cholesterol. Other recommended uses for alfalfa are for asthma and hayfever. It has also been found to retard the development of streptozotocin diabetes in mice. It is a traditional European and Russian tea for wasting diseases and is used in some German clinics as a dietary aid in Celiac Disease, together with traditional treatment and diet. A safe and appropriate tea for pregnancy, along with raspberry leaves; also good to drink when sulfa or antibiotic drugs are taken. |