Wizard of Vitamins

Alfalfa Vitamin

What is Alfalfa?

Alfalfa in Diets

Alfalfa Medicinal Treatments

Menopause (in combination with sage) High cholesterol Menopause Poor appetite

Known Consequences of Alfalfa Deficiency

Alfalfa Recommended Dosages

Dried alfalfa leaf is available as a bulk herb, and in tablets or capsules. It is also available in liquid extracts. No therapeutic amount of alfalfa has been established for humans. Some herbalists recommend 500–1,000 mg of the dried leaf per day or 1–2 ml of tincture three times per day.

Alfalfa Side Effects

Use of the dried leaves of alfalfa in the amounts listed above is usually safe. There have been isolated reports of people who are allergic to alfalfa. Ingestion of very large amounts (the equivalent of several servings) of the seed and/or sprouts has been linked to the onset of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in animal studies. It has also been linked to the reactivation of SLE in people consuming alfalfa tablets. SLE is an autoimmune illness characterized by inflamed joints and a high risk of damage to kidneys and other organs. The chemical responsible for this effect is believed to be canavanine. At the time of writing, there were no well-known drug interactions with alfalfa.