What are the Alfalfa Benefits for your Health?

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Are you an avid fan of natural products? If yes, you sure would love to hear about Alfalfa. What is alfalfa and some of the different alfalfa benefits?

Alfalfa is a flowering plant that belongs to the family of Fabaceae. It is one of the important forage crops in the Unites States, France, Argentina, Australia, South Africa and Middle East. It is known as Lucerne grass in South Asia and Lucerne in France, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. It is like clover with purple flowers that come in small clusters.

The roots of Alfalfa go 30 feet down the ground and bring the rich minerals up to its leaves and flowers. With that, Alfalfa is tagged as the “father of Plants”. It is rich in minerals, vitamins and other nutrients that are good for the body and the immune system. It has Vitamins A, B1, B3, C, E and K. It also boasts its calcium, carotene, potassium, zinc and iron contents. Alfalfa can be taken in the form of seeds, leaves or tablets.

The Chinese has been using Alfalfa since the sixth century as herbal remedy for a number of health conditions. Some of these are as follows:

1. Alfalfa has been shown to have anti inflammatory properties which help decrease symptoms of arthritis.
2. It has high level of manganese which has the capability to decrease blood sugar levels thus best for those who have diabetes.
3. The alkalizing property of Alfalfa helps promote detoxification especially for those who are having problems with alcohol and drugs.
4. Alfalfa is rich in fibers and chemicals that suck out cholesterol from to blood thus making it a good cholesterol regulator. This property of Alfalfa helps prevent the formation of plaques in the wall of the blood vessels thus preventing heart diseases and stroke.
5. Alfalfa has the capability to bind to carcinogens in the colon and effectively eliminates them. This shows that Alfalfa has potential to reduce incidence of colon cancer.
6. There are studies that show that intake of Alfalfa reverse the immune depression caused by chemotherapeutic drugs liked Cytoxan and Neosar.
7. Alfalfa is rich in Vitamin K. This helps combat the potassium lowering effects of antibiotics like amoxicillin, streptomycin, gentamycin and tetracycline.
8. Alfalfa has diuretic properties which helps flush out excess water in the body. this is great for those who are experiencing generalize edema.
9. Aside from diseases, Alfalfa also has an important role in health problems associated with aging such as menopause. This plant is found to mimic the female hormone estrogen which is greatly reduced during menopausal age.

Like any drugs, Alfalfa also has some side effects when taken in a wrong way. It can aggravate conditions like lupus. This plant is not recommended for pregnant women because of its potential canavanine content. For a safer step towards gaining a healthy body, it is best to talk to your doctor first before taking in anything.