Papaya - a world class meat tenderizer, natural digestive aid, prevents ulcers, and also a soft contact lense cleaner.Alfalfa
Hope for the Heart
Family: Leguminosae; (includes Beans, Peas)
Germs and Species: Medicago sativa
Also known as: Chilean Clover, Buffalo Grass, Lucerne (in Britain)
Parts Used: Leaves
Farmers have long prized the alfalfa plant as animal forage, and in the last 20 years people who graze on salads have come to appreciate this herb’s sprouts as well. But it’s the alfalfa leaves that may contain its rea! healing power They may help reduce cholesterol and help prevent heart dis” ease and some strokes.
An Ancient Healer
What’s good for your cattle is good for you, too, or so the an” cient Chinese thought. Their animals ate alfalfa so enthusiastically, the Chinese began preparing the herb’s tender young leaves as a vegetable, and soon traditional Chinese physicians were using it to stimulate appetite and treat diestive problems, particularly ulcers.
In ancient India’s traditional Ayurvedic physicians also used alfalfa to treat ulcers. They prescribed it for arthritis pain and fluid retention as well.
Ancient Arabs fed their horses alfalfa, believing it made them swift and strong. They called it al-fac-facah, “father of all foods.” The Spanish changed the name to alfalfa.
Spain introduced alfalfa into the Americas, where it became a popular forage crop, particularly in the Great Plains. Like the ancient Chinese, the pioneers believed that what was good for their cattle was good for them. They used alfalfa to treat arthritis, boils, cancer, scurvy, and urinary and bowel problems. Pioneer women used it to bring on menstruation.
After the Civil War, alfalfa fell out of favor as a healing herb, and it wasn’t until the 1970s that it returned to popularity via the salad bowl.