Herbs & Herbal Remedies @ Green Papaya

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.

Most of alfalfa’s ancient healing uses have long been disproved, but modern scientists may have discovered a potential healing benefit our ancestors never dreamed of: Alfalfa as an agent in the war against heart disease, stroke, and cancer, the nation’s top three killers.

Heart Disease and Stroke - Animal studies show that alfalfa leaves help reduce blood cholesterol levels and plaque deposits on artery walls. High cholesterol levels and plaque deposits lead to heart disease and stroke. Alfalfa sprouts produce a similar, but less significant, effect. Animal results don’t necessarily apply to people, but one case report in the British medical journal Lancet documented a major cholesterol reduction in a man who ate large amounts of alfalfa.

Cancer - One study suggests that alfalfa helps neutralize carcinogens in the intestine. Another, published in the lournal of the National Cancer Institute, shows it binds carcinogens in the colon and helps speed their elimination from the body.

Alfalfa seeds also contain two chemicals (stachydrine and homostachydrine) that promote menstruation and can cause miscarriage. Pregnant women should not eat alfalfa seed (see “The Safety Factor” on page 56).

Bad Breath - Alfalfa is a source of chlorophyll, the active ingredient in most commercial breath fresheners. Sip an alfalfa infusion if you’re concerned about bad breath.

Intriguing Possibility - In laboratory studies, alfalfa helps fight disease-causing fungi. It might one day be used to treat fungal infections.

Myth - While contemporary herbalists generally endorse the age-old view that alfalfa treats ulcers, they may have to eat their words. Scientific research has found no support for this traditional use of the herb.

Herbalists also recommend alfalfa for bowel problems and as a diuretic to treat fluid retention. Unfortunately, these traditional uses have not held up under scientific scrutiny, either.

Some supplement manufacturers promote alfalfa tablets as a treatment for asthma and hay fever. But a study published in the Journal of tfle American Medical Association shows these claims have no merit. Alfalfa contains neither bronchodilators for treatment of asthma nor antihistamines, which relieve hay fever.

Despite its traditional use as a menstruation promoter, scientists have found no uterine stimulants in alfalfa leaves.

Rx for Alfalfa

Save the sprouts to dress up your salads; its leaves are the part used in herbal healing. Alfalfa leaf tablets and capsules are available at herb outlets, natural food stores, or wherever supplements are sold-follow package directions.

When using the bulk herb, prepare medicinal infusions from I to 2 teaspoons of dried leaves per cup of boiling water. Steep 10 to 20 minutes. Enjoy up to 3 cups a day to take advantage of its cholesterol-reducing potential. The infusion has a haylike aroma and tastes like chamomile, with a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Medicinal infusions of the leaves should not be given to ldren under age 2. For older children and people over 65, start with low-strength preparations and increase strength if necessary.

No one should ever eat alfalfa seeds. They contain relatively high levels of the toxic amino acid canavanine. Over time, large quantities of alfalfa seeds may introduce enough canavanine into the body to cause the reversible blood disorder pancytopenia, according to a report in LanGet. This condition impairs the platelets, which are necessary for clotting, and the white blood cells, which fight infection.

The canavanine in alfalfa seeds has also been linked to systemic lupus erythematosus, a serious inflammatory disease that can attack many organs, particularly the kidneys. Alfalfa seeds have reactivated the disease in some people who were in remission, according to a report published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Another study showed the seeds actually induce lupus in monkeys Anyone with lupus should stay away from alfalfa seeds.

Alfalfa also contains saponins, chemicals that may destroy red blood cells and-at least theoretically-cause anemia. Because of this, some herb critics warn against ingesting alfalfa (and the many other healing herbs that contain saponins) in any form. Such dire warnings seem unjustified. For otherwise healthy, nonpregnant, nonnursing adults, alfalfa is considered safe in amounts typically recommended. There have been no reports of otherwise healthy people developing anemia from using recommended amounts of healing herbs containing saponins. However, anyone with anemia should use this herb only with his doctor’s approval, if at all

Leaf It Be

Alfalfa leaf is on the Food and Drug Administration’s list of herbs generally regarded as safe.

Alfalfa should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your physician If alfalfa causes minor discomforts, such as stomach upset or diarrhea, use less.