Alfalfa (Medicago sativa)is widely cultivated as a forage crop but its medicinal properties have not been ignored. In fact, alfalfa has been utilized in many traditional medicines in regions such as China, Iraq, Turkey, India, and America.  Modern pharmaceutical research also acknowledges the health benefits of alfalfa [Bora and Sharma 2011].

Alfalfa consists of saponins, phytoestrogens, alkaloids, amino acids, phytosterols, digestive enzymes, and terpenes. These compounds are responsible for alfalfa’s neuroprotective, hypocholesterolemic, antioxidant, antiulcer, antimicrobial, hypolipidemic, and estrogenic properties. Its therapeutic potentials towards disorders of thecentral nervous and cardiovascular systems have also been noted in the scientific literature. Additionally, oral supplementation of alfalfa extract has been reported as helpful in lowering cholesterol and lipid levels in the blood and thus improving liver function [Bora and Sharma 2011].

Reference(s) 

Additional Readings 

Avato P, Bucci R, Tava A, Vitali C, Rosato A, Bialy Z, Jurzysta M. (2006). Antimicrobial activity of saponins from Medicago spp. structure-activity relationship. Phytother Res, 20, 454–457.

Gray AM, Flatt PR. (1997a). Pancreatic and extra-pancreatic effects of the traditional anti-diabetic plant Medicago sativa (Lucerne). Brit J Nutr, 78, 325–334.

Molgaard J, von Schenck H, Olsson AG. (1987). Alfalfa seeds lowerlow density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein B concentrations in patients with type II hyperlipoproteinemia. Atherosclerosis, 65, 173–179.