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DESCRIPTION
Alfalfa resembles a tall clover, with three-part leaves. The plant is
a many-stemmed and branched perennial, usually two to three feet tall
when mature. The flowers are like typical clovers, with purple, lavender
or blue tufts of blossoms interspersed at the ends of the stems. It is
difficult to differentiate between Alfalfa and the light clovers until
they are in bloom (Moore:20-l).
The yields of Alfalfa can run as high as 11 tons per acre, and the seedings
persist as much as a dozen years or more under favorable conditions. Leaf-cutter
bees are usually maintained near Alfalfa seed-production fields to assure
pollination. Alfalfa pods are tightly coiled upon themselves in maturity.
If Alfalfa is grown near herbs or other crops, its deep-rootedness assures
that it has enough moisture during dry times, as the plants pull up moisture
from deep in the earth.
GENERAL
Dr. Christopher greatly honored this herb, which in Arabic is called
"the father of all foods", one of the most ancient herbs known.
He said that it would help in every condition of the body, whether it
would be for healing or maintaining health. Dr. Christopher noticed that
animals--such as dogs and cats and certainly other farm animals--seek
the herb when they are sick. They are led to this and other herbs by instinct
which tells them it will heal them. Perhaps even humans have such an instinct,
if they will let it lead them. When Dr. Christopher was a small and sickly
child, he used to go out in the springtime to pick Alfalfa leaves to eat.
It was as if some force would lead him to the leaves. He felt very grateful
because with this guidance, he felt that he was given additional help
to fight off some of the sicknesses with which he was born.
The Doctor liked to tell the story of a family who was in a concentration
camp where the food and living conditions were far below standard. People
were dying from malnutrition, but this family found a small clump of Alfalfa
growing in the corner of the concentration camp grounds. Each day they
would chew thoroughly a sprig or two of the plant and found that the entire
family felt strong and healthy. They would beg others to do the same,
but were simply ridiculed. They continued eating the Alfalfa as long as
they remained imprisoned. When they were released, they walked out of
the camp in good health while their friends who had refused to follow
their advice had either died or were very sickly, suffering from malnutrition.
When Dr. Christopher was lecturing in one of the eastern states, a young
man approached him to tell of an experience he had had with Alfalfa. He
had been trained in the martial arts, including karate, by a black-belt
instructor. After a period of time, black and blue welts would rise on
his body wherever he had been kicked or hand-struck in his exercises.
His instructor gave him a small bottle of capsules and told him to use
them several times a day. He did, and was amazed with the results. When
he ran out of them, he noticed that the black and blue spots on his body
reappeared.
He went to the instructor and wanted to know what was in them, willing
to pay any price for such a valuable remedy. He was shocked that the miraculous
capsules had one ingredient only--Alfalfa. As long as he continued to
take the capsules, he had no more problems. Dr. H. E. Kirschner, relating
the research efforts of one of the pioneers of Alfalfa, Frank Bower, retold
the story of a man who was very anemic. He was considered a borderline
tuberculosis case and had no appetite at all. Bower supplied the landlady
of the boarding house where both of them took their meals with a liberal
amount of Alfalfa tea, to be taken at meals. All the boarders liked it,
and after about two weeks, the sick man began to eat with gusto. They
all ate so heartily that larger meals had to be prepared to meet their
demands (Kirsch:28).
Mr. Bower, who is regarded as the "Father of Alfalfa", made
up a slogan: "What's good for the piggies is good for the kiddies".
Among the interesting applications which Bower suggested was as a food
supplement for children. In one test, he fed 200 children in two schools
a special vitamin-mineral food based on Alfalfa. These children averaged
a weight gain of two to six pounds per month and a height gain of from
two to four and a half inches. They were extremely resistant to diseases
in the area (Ibid:29).
N.W. Walker, the great promoter of raw vegetable juices and the vegetarian
diet, highly recommended Alfalfa. He lived to an active age of over a
hundred years! Lucas mentioned that the Chinese specifically recommended
Alfalfa as an ulcer treatment. One woman had been suffering with ulcer
pains, but when she tried the standard ulcer diet of milk foods she suffered
from asthma symptoms. She decided to find a Chinese-American herbalist,
and after some searching and traveling, she located one. He told her to
avoid fried foods and bread, as well as alcohol and tobacco, and to take
a tablespoon of Alfalfa powder once a day in water, along with a teaspoonful
of olive oil before meals. Her ulcer had completely healed within a few
weeks, with the pain disappearing almost immediately. This woman prescribed
the same treatment to family and friends with ulcers, with the same miraculous
results, everyone feeling most grateful for this simple and effective
remedy (Luc: Secrets:38).
FATHER OF ALL FOODS
In an ancient Chinese herbal, Alfalfa is mentioned in the year 2939
B.C. It was anciently known to the Arabs as well, who called it the "father
of all foods". Dioscorides employed a variety of the plant for urinary
disorders in the fourth century B.C. Legend has it that the herb is of
great antiquity, having been imported into Greece from the East after
Darius had discovered it in Medes (Gri:502). Roman writers referred to
it, and it is cultivated from Persia to Peru. In the warmer climates,
it is mowed all year around (Ibid.).
It was adopted in England in the 1700's, and although it is not native
to North America, it spread quickly once introduced and the native Americans
quickly adopted it for their use and for animals.
Hutchens mentions that stock farmers of South Africa improved the beauty
of ostrich feathers with the use of Alfalfa feed, and that cows gave richer
milk, chickens laid more often, and turkeys were healthier with the use
of Alfalfa (Hut:8). Feeding the herb to our goats, we have noticed a high
level of health, even though we are not able to let them run free for
optimum health.
HERB OF MANY USES
Although some herbalists consider Alfalfa so mild that it is a food
rather than a medicine, the herb has to its credit some wonderful cures.
As mentioned above, researcher Frank Bower (who is known as the Father
of Alfalfa) discovered that the plant contained important enzymes which
assist in good digestion. Tests over a period of years revealed that in
addition to enzymes, the plant contains important chlorophyll, vitamins
and minerals, all of which stimulate the appetite. The enzymes are sufficiently
present to help in the digestion of all four classes of foods--proteins,
fats, starches and sugars. One of the important vitamins present in the
food is Vitamin U, which is also present in raw cabbage and which has
been used to treat peptic ulcers. This discovery of Vitamin U confirms
the Chinese herbalists' use of the herb to cure ulcers. In the Soviet
Union, after years of testing Vitamin U on laboratory animals, scientists
began clinical testing of the substance on human patients with gastric
and duodenal ulcers, with an 80% cure rate, the other 20% being noticeably
improved.
Frank Bower conducted many interesting experiments with Alfalfa. Three
hundred soldiers at Sawtelle, California, used the Alfalfa tea with remarkable
improvement in bladder, prostate and other problems. When his friend,
Dr. I. D. Bailer, was suffering from lumbago, he gave Alfalfa tea to him
and he immediately got better. These results were so impressive that both
Bower and Bailer quit their jobs and spent the rest of their lives studying
Alfalfa. Their main problem was to produce Alfalfa products that were
palatable to most people, as we generally find that the taste of the plant
is very strong and green. The two most palatable preparations turned out
to be Green Drink, where the green leaves are blended in pineapple juice,
often with other herbs and Alfalfa sprouts. In addition to the important
constituents mentioned above, the sprouts contain generous quantities
of the amino acids; up to 150% more than wheat or corn. They also contain
chlorophyll, which many people consider an important healing agent in
many ailments, as well as being a vibrant, live, oxygen-rich food.
A doctor at the University of Indiana pointed out that Alfalfa is especially
rich in iron, calcium and phosphorus, all necessary for strong, healthy
teeth. Some claim that Alfalfa not only retards tooth decay but actually
rebuilds the teeth (Kirsch:35). It's no wonder that so many interesting
cures are attributed to Alfalfa. It has been acclaimed as a diuretic.
In fact, one woman who was suffering extremely from dropsy began to take
the tea faithfully, and with no other remedy was relieved of the problem.
The high Vitamin K content of the herb helps to clot the blood properly
and prevent against hemorrhages. For this reason--among lots of good reasons--it
is recommended that pregnant women take the tea daily. In addition to
the blood clotting properties of Vitamin K, it has been found effective
in preventing and curing high blood pressure in test animals, and may
turn out to be important for the same use in humans. It is important that
in the plant kingdom, only Alfalfa contains a significant amount of Vitamin
K; most plants are quite deficient in the vitamin.
The high Vitamin A content in the plant is excellent to prevent infection;
preparations of the plant are superior to fish-oil preparations for some
people as they lack the fishy odor, are of a vegetarian source, and are
somewhat more assimilable. This vitamin also helps prevent night blindness.
Since many of our foods are degenerated, even if we buy the best we can
and prepare them fresh, it is good to know of a consistent source of vitamin
A.
The many constituents of the plant make it good for toning the system
in high pressure situations; race horses often run faster when taking
the herb, and athletes are often encouraged to do the same.
Many people consider Alfalfa an important herb to take throughout pregnancy.
If an expectant mother is suffering from morning sickness, she can eat
Alfalfa sprouts in her diet and can take from eight to sixteen tablets
of Alfalfa until the condition is under control, then she can reduce the
dosage (Mal: 252). Many people consider that a daily green drink consisting
of Alfalfa, comfrey and fresh red-raspberry leaves is an excellent pregnancy
drink; it is preferred to a tea made of the same substances. After the
birth, Alfalfa is sometimes taken to prevent hemorrhages. Some women have
eaten Alfalfa tablets after their births like candy in order to shorten
the postpartum bleeding time. Alfalfa is also thought to dramatically
help bring the milk in for the nursing mother. It certainly enriches the
quality of the milk and is much preferable to other hot beverages, such
as regular tea, which can pollute the breast milk. It can be flavored
with mint, orange peel, and honey.
Alfalfa is one of the few vegetable sources of Vitamin D. Although the
sun is generally regarded as the best source for getting this vitamin
(although you shouldn't shower or bathe for about a half-hour after sunning
in order to absorb the D that collects in the skin's oils), there are
about 4740 International Units of Vitamin D per pound of Alfalfa. This
is valuable knowledge if a person is unable to take the sun, such as during
the wintertime. Taking Vitamin D in Alfalfa is much healthier than drinking
it in pasteurized, homogenized, Vitamin-D enriched milk! Another important
element in Alfalfa is vitamin Bl2. Most nutritionists claim that it is
only present in animal products, diary products, or sewage. Since the
1940's, however, other research has revealed that Bl2 is indeed in some
vegetable sources. Many vegetarian cookbooks go to great lengths to ensure
the taking of Bl2 in diet, such as buying tablets and dissolving them
in homemade soymilk, or ensuring that the vegetarian take brewer's yeast
which is Bl2-fortified. The discussion of Bl2 is complicated by the fact
that Bl2 deficiency can occur not only from the lack of the vitamin in
the diet--unlikely in most diets, except those of vegans, which excludes
milk, meat and eggs entirely--or from malabsorption of the vitamin present
in the diet. This occurs later in life and is considered genetic in origin,
developing an illness called pernicious anemia, which is treated by injections
of B12 which must continue for the duration of a person's life. Interestingly,
dietary deficiency of Bl2 may not show up even in people who take little
or none of the vitamin for five or ten years. The body conserves Bl2 and
can store enough of it to last two or three years, even longer in some
cases. When the vitamin passes out of the body in bile salts, it can be
reabsorbed in the intestine and recycled; very little actually leaves
the body. Taken in conjunction with the knowledge that the RDA charts
give a wide margin of safety when recommending amounts of any vitamin
to be taken, it is clear that the Bl2 concern is much less an issue than
it may seem for vegetarians. However, the body's ability to absorb the
vitamin can affect the levels present. Bl2, however, is found in Alfalfa,
as well as in other foods, such as lettuce, rice polishings concentrate,
mung beans, and peas. Sprouted Alfalfa seed is quite a good source. The
germination of the seed increase the Bl2 available, and since they are
eaten raw, the seeds retain their vitamin content; it has been found that
cooking removes up to 85% of the vitamin under normal conditions.
Alfalfa has been used in the treatment of jaundice. Harris reports that
some doctors supply their patients with fresh Alfalfa. A woman was brought
into a hospital with serious jaundice. She had been well up to the onset
of the disease, but had become extremely yellow in just a few days. She
then began to bleed from her nose, from the bowel, and clots of blood
began to form under her skin! Bile in the blood--which is what jaundice
is--prevents the clotting of blood, and so doctors hesitate to do surgery
for that reason. The laboratory analysis showed that the prothrombin in
the woman's blood--the element necessary for clotting--was only five percent
of what it should have been. A researcher recommended that the situation
be treated with Alfalfa, which it was, and the woman completely recovered
(Har:Eat:69).
Alfalfa, along with other foods, is known to help remove cholesterol
from the system. Alfalfa has a significant amount of protein--18.9%, as
compared with 16.5% in beef, 3.3% in milk and 13.1% in eggs. Eating the
sprouts can add a significant amount of important protein in vegans who
take no animal proteins at all, and whose diet may include so many grains
and beans that concentrated proteins are difficult to obtain. Although
we eliminate the mucus-forming proteins in the mucusless diet, this does
not mean that the body doesn't need protein. The high-quality proteins
in vegetables, especially the sprouted seeds, can supply the important
needs. Without proteins, which compose the muscles of the body, the muscles
can break down, causing tiredness and weakness. Flabby muscles in the
intestines and stomach can result in constipation when there is not enough
strength to move the food along. Poor posture often results from lack
of adequate protein. The hair, skin and nails may become weak if protein
is inadequate, as they are composed of protein, too.
Alfalfa is used in Europe for many functional type diseases such as arthritis
and rheumatism, colitis, anemia, etc. It is traditional for wasting diseases
in traditional European practice (Moore:21). It is a good supplement when
antibiotics or sulfa drugs are taken, and is also recommended for alcoholics
and drug addicts who are trying to kick the habit. It is excellent for
children who do not seem to be growing well enough, providing an abundance
of vitamins, minerals, proteins and enzymes which might not be assimilated
otherwise. The chlorophyll abundant in the leaves has been found to assist
in granulation of tissue after it has been damaged. The substance also
helps in the strengthening of the connective tissue in the body.
Although the herb has attributed to body-building characteristics, excessive
use of Alfalfa is said by the Chinese to cause one to lose weight and
become thin. It might therefore be good for use in weight loss programs.
There are saponins, soap-like substances, in the herb, which have been
recently investigated for their suitability as cortisone and hormone precursors.
However, overeating the Alfalfa sprouts could possibly damage red blood
cells. It is suggested that moderation in eating the sprouts can avoid
this problem as the saponins greatly increase during the sprouting process.
In China, this is one of the plants said to have been brought to the
country by General Chang Chien of the Han dynasty. It is called Mu-su,
and is included among the vegetables. It was formerly much more cultivated
than it is today, although in some parts of China it is still grown; it
has been naturalized almost everywhere, however. It is considered too
cooling to be eaten very frequently and is thought to make one thin, which
is always carefully avoided by the Chinese. If eaten with honey, it is
said to cause dysentery. It is thought to benefit the intestines and to
help in fevers. The juice is said to be emetic and is given in cases of
gravel to relieve pain (Shi:260-261). In India, the plant is an important
fodder; however, the young plant is liable to case bloating in cattle
or sheep and the plant is not used much in medicine (IMM:774).
In any conditions which require cleansing and building of the body - and
that includes most ailments! - Alfalfa is recommended as a basic, and
mild, herbal food.
HAY
Of course, the widest application of Alfalfa in the world is as a feed
crop for livestock. In almost every state of the Union, in almost every
province of Canada, and throughout Central and South America, Asia, Africa,
Australia and Europe, Alfalfa is featured as animal feed. In most parts
of the English speaking world, it is known as lucerne. About 27 million
acres of ground are used to grow Alfalfa in the United States. Thousands
of acres more are used to plant the herb for its seed, which must be grown
under controlled conditions. The Alfalfa is used in various ways. Most
common is the preparation of hay, where the Alfalfa is cut, allowed to
sun-cure, and rolled or baled for winter storage. Sometimes farmers make
Alfalfa meal by cutting and chopping the green crop in the fields, hauling
the chopped herb to a dehydrator, and quick-drying the leaves and stems.
These are ground and put into sacks, preventing leaf loss and ensuring
a high food value. This meal is sometimes combined with grains or soybeans
for a concentrated feed. Farmers sometimes let their animals graze in
the Alfalfa fields, and sometimes ferment the green Alfalfa to make silage.
Alfalfa is much more deep-rooted than any of the other plants. Its roots
commonly go down twelve feet, as compared to very short-rooted pasture
grasses which barely penetrate a few inches, or even clover, which only
goes down about five or six feet. This deep-rooting allows the plant to
bring up important trace minerals which are only present deep in the ground.
In addition, the Alfalfa, being a legume, has the capacity, with the cooperation
of nitrogen-fixing bacteria, of bringing fertility to the soil. The bacteria
takes nitrogen from the air and changes it into a form that can be used
by the roots. Alfalfa is therefore an excellent green manure, often planted
to plow under to fertilize the soil.
HISTORICAL USES
Used in disease prevention, for black and blue welts, for anemia, ulcer
treatment, urinary disorders, peptic ulcers, gastric and duodenal ulcers,
for bladder and prostate problems, for lumbago, to retard tooth decay,
as a diuretic, for dropsy, helps clot blood in hemorrhages, for high blood
pressure, pregnancy, to increase quality of mothers milk, for jaundice,
malnutrition, to lower cholesterol, for arthritis, rheumatism, colitis,
wounds and to help alcoholics and drug addicts.
CULTIVATION, COLLECTION, PREPARATION
Alfalfa is very easy to cultivate on your home ground. Just get some
seed and sow it in average garden soil. Keep it moist and weed if necessary;
the plant will do the rest. It is a perennial and will provide you with
abundant greens for years.
You can gather Alfalfa which has escaped from farmer's fields if you
are absolutely sure that the leaves have not been poison-treated. Most
farmers do not spray their Alfalfa crops, but many are spray happy and
will spray most anything they grow. Furthermore, Alfalfa growing wild
in orchards is most likely contaminated, and road-side Alfalfa may have
been sprayed with poison to kill weeds. You do not want to blend these
deadly poisons into your green drink--it is better to start a few plants
of your own. If you live in the country, you may be surprised to find
plants already growing near you.
To make Alfalfa green drink, the simplest method is to place pineapple
juice in a blender container in the quantity desired. Add green leaves
to taste, less at first, and building up to more as you become accustomed
to the flavor. Alfalfa is quite strong tasting; you might wish to begin
with additional herbs such as parsley, chard, dark lettuce, lamb's quarters,
comfrey, and other mild-tasting greens. Two sprigs of Alfalfa has been
a good starting point for the green drink which we feed our young children.
Blend the greens into the drink until they are thoroughly pulverized.
You can add a little water or a couple of ice cubes to thin the drink
a bit if you like. Some people like to add an almond-date-sunflower seed
emulsion, made by blending the soaked seeds and dates with pineapple juice,
for a delicious and protein-filled green drink; however, we have found
the pineapple juice and green combination delicious and satisfying. For
a tiny infant, you can strain the fibers out of the drink, but most people
can benefit from the fibers of the greens. Do not make the drink too thick
at first, however, as some people might find it unpalatable. Alfalfa sprouts
can also be utilized in the green drink. Sprouting Alfalfa seeds is extremely
easy. When you try it, you will regret any money you spent at the store
on less than-crisp Alfalfa sprouts. Homemade sprouts taste much sweeter
and fresher than purchased ones. Be sure when you sprout them that you
use only seeds sold for sprouting; those sold in agricultural establishments
are treated with poisons for in field planting. Buy them at the health
food store to be sure.
The easiest method by far is to soak a couple of tablespoons of the
seeds in a wide mouth quart jar overnight. Drain the water off--some recommend
drinking it but it seems rather rank for that. You can use it to water
favorite plants, as it is loaded with nutrition. Cover the top of the
jar with perforated lids which are sold for the purpose, or with plastic
window screen held in place with the jar ring, or with cheesecloth similarly
anchored. With the jar tipped at an angle to be sure that the seeds are
not standing in water--they rot that way--let the seeds germinate, filling
the jar with water and draining it off two or three times a day. If you
are not sprouting the seeds in the light, be sure to expose the jar to
sunlight when the seed sprouts have grown to a length of about two inches;
they will turn a delightful, appetizing green, developing the important
chlorophyll. Before you use any sprouts, be sure to rinse the batch each
time. Sprouts will keep in the refrigerator, but it is better to have
small batches going constantly to ensure a fresh, sweet supply. Use them
with virtually any food. They are especially good in sandwiches, to mix
with salads, or to eat out of hand as a low-calorie snack.
A favorite sandwich is made by spreading healthy mayonnaise - homemade
if possible - on whole grain bread. Cover one slice with mashed avocado
and add a nice, thick layer of sprouts. Chopped garlic or onion make this
sandwich delicious and healthy.
Some people like to mix the sprouts with mayonnaise or butter and seasonings
to use over salads or in sandwiches. Some blend them with tomato juice
or tomato soup in the blender and serve the nutrition of sprouts to people
who might not appreciate the good nutrition if they were told. Sprouts
are a nice garnish for cream soups.
They also go with almost any vegetable salad. Sometimes when they are
used in the ubiquitous salads made with iceberg lettuce and hothouse tomatoes,
they are the only ingredient in the salad with any nourishment at all!
They are excellent to add texture and crunch to a coleslaw. Many people
find that if they enjoy Alfalfa sprouts in salad, they still need to mix
a little dressing or mayonnaise with the sprouts to make them palatable
taken alone.
The classic health restaurant dish made with sprouts is Bible bread
sandwiches. You can make them yourself, inexpensively. You begin with
Bible bread or pita bread, which can be made at home by mixing up a simple
yeast whole wheat bread dough. Don't let it rise first, but after it is
kneaded, take golf ball size lumps, make them smooth, and roll them out
about 1/4 inch thick into tortilla shapes. Put them to rise on a cornmeal-sprinkled
baking sheet for about a half hour. When risen soft, place in a 450 degree
F. oven in the top third of the oven until the breads puff up like balloons
and their surfaces harden. Remove and cool on racks. Not all the pita
breads may rise uniformly, but you should get enough to make a good batch
of Bible bread sandwiches. When they are cool, they may be stored in plastic
bags, but do not put into plastic while they are still hot, or they will
go moist.
After the breads have cooled, cut them in half crosswise and open up.
Butter the inside with homemade mayonnaise, and fill with salad vegetables:
tomatoes, avocados, cucumbers, chopped lettuce, cole slaw, chopped onion,
minced garlic, etc. Add grated cheese, sesame butter, and top with a generous
portion of Alfalfa sprouts. Some people like to put a bit of mayonnaise
on top of this and garnish with vegetarian bacon bits. These make a marvelous
summertime guest meal, preceded by gaspacho soup, cold, then with each
guest making up his own sandwiches. As a full sized Bible bread sandwich
costs around $2.00 in a restaurant (often more in fancier places), it
seems a great luxury to serve a whole meal of them, and yet they are quite
an inexpensive and very healthy meal.
You can add sprouted Alfalfa seeds to tacos, use them on top of spaghetti,
munch them alongside pizza--they work with almost any meal. A very good
salad is made by combining the sprouts with grated carrots and mashed
avocado. Dressed with an oil and vinegar or mayonnaise based dressing,
it is a delicious mixture.
If you plan to use the dried Alfalfa greens, you should gather them
fresh just before the plant is in flower. Dry them in a dehydrator or
a warm, airy place. Being sure not to lose any of the leaves, pulverize
them in a mortar and pestle or in a blender, and store in a cool, dry
place. You can make tea out of the leaves or, some suggest, sprinkle them
on any cold or cooked cereal. They have a definite green, grassy taste
and so take a little getting used to. The commercial infant Pablum has
dried Alfalfa in it, and there are a number of commercial preparations
which include Alfalfa, including Alfalfa fudge, and a concentrated Alfalfa
juice!
If you wish to juice Alfalfa in your juicer, be aware that it is extremely
potent. The best way to take it is to make a batch of carrot juice and
introduce a small amount of Alfalfa into the juicer as you do the carrots.
As you become accustomed to the taste, more Alfalfa can be added, but
it is never taken straight.
Some people wishing to treat arthritis or rheumatism take a tea made
of the Alfalfa seeds, but we consider this a waste of the germinating
power of the seeds. It is better to sprout them and eat the sprouts. Alfalfa
tea made from leaves purchased in the health food stores may have an insipid
taste or even taste like nothing at all. If you wish to obtain the best
results from Alfalfa leaf tea, you should go and gather your own from
the very common plants all around.
RELATED PLANTS
M. falcata, Siberian Alfalfa, is similar to M. sativa, but has yellow
flowers. M. media, sand lucerne, has been considered a natural hybrid
between the two species.
Because of their similar functions, the clovers, Melilotus spp. are
related to the Alfalfas. M. alba and M. officinalis are important as forage
plants and soil builders. They are also used for hay.
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
We have mentioned above some of the vitamins and minerals contained
in Alfalfa. The essential amino acids in the plant are especially noteworthy,
as well as the extremely high content of Vitamin A. You will notice that
it is a good source of potassium as well.
The enzymes contained in Alfalfa are some of the most important elements,
although they are not included below in the analysis chart. Among these
are lipase, a fat-splitting enzyme; amylase, which acts upon starches;
coagulase, to coagulate milk or clot blood; emulsin, which acts upon sugars;
invertase, which converts cane sugar into dextrose; peroxidase, which
has an oxidizing effect on the blood; pectinase, an enzyme that forms
a vegetable jelly from a pectin substance, and protease, that digests
proteins (Kirsch:27-8). These enzymes indicate that Alfalfa could be profitably
taken with almost any food!
[Alfalfa is an ingredient highly featured in the product Vital Nutrition
Plus. Also found in the formula is spirulina, Blue Green Algae, Chlorella
Broken-cell Algae, Barley grass, Wheet grass, Purple Dulse seeweed, Beet root, Spinach leaf, Rose hips, Orange peel, Lemon peel, all in a base of non-fermentable Saccharomyces Cervisiae Yeast.]
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