Most anyone concerned about
nutritious dining knows that alfalfa sprouts are
highly nutritional and very delicious. Those interested
in agriculture can tell you that it’s great
for feeding livestock, too.
This diverse nutritional perennial
was first cultivated in Medea, North Africa, hence
its botanical name Medicago sativa (“from
Medea” and “cultivated”). It
is now grown throughout the Mediterranean and
western Asia as far as Iran, in North America,
and south to Peru.
You can even grow it at home.
The sprouts, which are ready to eat in only five
or six days, are much more nutritious than the
mature plant. These tiny delicious nutritional
powerhouses are loaded with vitamins C, B1, B2,
and K and they are rich in chlorophyll and amino
acids. Enjoy them raw on a sandwich or in a salad.
Alfalfa tea is prescribed to
stimulate appetite and its diuretic properties
are helpful in relieving excess water retention
and urinary tract ailments.
In Ayurvedic medicine, alfalfa
is often prescribed for relief of painful arthritis.
Alfalfa helps build stronger blood where anemia
is a problem and is used to stimulate the production
of breast milk for mothers having difficulty feeding
their babies.
Alfalfa binds with estrogen
in the body where it helps to balance hormonal
activity, relieving symptoms related to high estrogen
levels.
The tiny, shiny alfalfa seeds,
called lucerne (lamp) in ancient Rome, were once
used by Native American Indians as an abortefacient
agent.
And the animals? Ancient Arabs
used the clover-like plant as fodder for their
legendary horses, still prized in equestrian circles
today. And milk cows dine on alfalfa often. It
increases their production of milk, too.
Reference
Kruger, Anna; An Illustrated Guide to Herbs: Their
Medicine and Magic; A Dragon’s World Book;
Limpsfield and London; 1993
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