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Herb

Alfalfa

68/100
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A deeply-rooted legume whose tender leaves and sprouts are packed with vitamins and minerals, used as a gentle nourishing tonic.

A handful of alfalfa sprouts beside a bundle of fresh alfalfa leaves.⤢
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🌱 What it is

Alfalfa is a leafy legume with roots that can reach many feet into the soil, drawing up minerals other plants can't reach. Its young sprouts, leaves, and dried leaf are all used as food, adding a light, grassy freshness.

📜 Where it comes from

Alfalfa has been cultivated since ancient times, first domesticated in the region of ancient Persia and prized by early Arab horsemen who called it the father of all foods for its nourishing effect on their horses. It spread through trade routes into the Mediterranean and eventually the Americas, and traditional herbal practice adopted alfalfa leaves and sprouts as a nutritive tonic for people as well as livestock. Nineteenth and twentieth-century herbalists listed it among the most mineral-rich tonic herbs.

Middle Eastern & PersianEuropean folk & herbals

✨ Why it's good for you

  • Traditionally used to support overall nourishment with its range of vitamins and minerals
  • May help support healthy digestion with its fiber and chlorophyll content
  • Traditionally used as a gentle tonic during recovery or times of low appetite
  • May help support healthy bones with its vitamin K and mineral content

🥗 Nutrition

Per 1 cup raw sprouts (33 g) · about 8 calories

  • Vitamin K 10.1 mcg
  • Fiber 0.6 g
  • Vitamin C 2.7 mg
  • Folate 12 mcg

Source: USDA FoodData Central

🥄 How to use it

Steep dried alfalfa leaf as a mild teaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea →, add fresh sprouts to salads and sandwiches, or take it as a leaf powder stirred into smoothies.

How much: Steep 1-2 teaspoons dried alfalfa leaf in a cup of hot water for 5-10 minutes, up to twice a day, or enjoy a small handful of fresh sprouts in food.

Why it works: Herbalists attribute alfalfa's tonic reputation to its deep root system, which draws minerals from deep in the soil, and to its natural vitaminA natural substance your body needs in small amounts to stay healthy, like vitamin C or D. More → and mineralA natural building block your body needs in small amounts, like calcium or magnesium. More → content, thought to offer gentle, broad nourishment.

Show full details & how to prepare it

Alfalfa sends its roots far down into the soil, drawing up minerals that concentrate in its tender green leaves. That is why it has long been valued less as a medicine and more as a quiet, nourishing tonic - a food-like source of vitamins A, C, and K, folate, and minerals like calcium and iron.

People reach for it to help rebuild after run-down, low-iron seasons, to support a healthy cholesterol pattern as part of a plant-rich diet, and to ease the passage through menopause with its mild plant compounds. As a gentle anti-inflammatoryA food or habit that helps calm swelling and redness in the body. More → green, it is also a traditional companion for achy joints.

The simplest ways to enjoy it are the best: a mild leaf teaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea →, or fresh sprouts tucked into a salad or sandwich. A couple of sensible cautions apply - it is not for people with autoimmune conditions, and its vitamin K means those on blood thinners should keep their intake steady - but for most people it is simply a wholesome green.

Ways to prepare it

Leaf tea: Steep 1-2 teaspoons dried alfalfa leaf in 1 cup hot water for 5-10 minutes, strain, and sip. A little lemon or honey rounds out the grassy taste.
Fresh sprouts: Add a small handful of well-washed alfalfa sprouts to salads, sandwiches, or wraps for a fresh, mineralA natural building block your body needs in small amounts, like calcium or magnesium. More →-rich crunch.
Green smoothie: Blend a teaspoon of alfalfa leaf powder into a fruit smoothie to fold its nutrients into a daily drink.

🧺 Other forms of Alfalfa

These used to be pages of their own. They are the same remedy in a different form — the differences worth knowing are below.

Alfalfa TeaHerb

A mild, mineralA natural building block your body needs in small amounts, like calcium or magnesium. More →-rich herbal teaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea → sometimes used to support a healthy pregnancy.

How this form is used: Steep 1 teaspoon dried alfalfa leaf (blended with red raspberry leaf) in hot water for 10 minutes; drink up to 1–2 cups daily.

Cautions for this form
  • Talk with your midwife or doctor before regular use in pregnancy, especially in the first trimester.
  • Avoid if you have lupus or another autoimmune condition — alfalfa has been linked to flares.
  • Do not take comfrey internally, especially during pregnancy -- its pyrrolizidine alkaloids can harm the liver and may affect the baby. Choose alfalfa-only blends without comfrey.

Learn more: PFAF — Alfalfa (Medicago sativa)

Natural Remedies Encyclopedia (7th ed.)

Shop organic alfalfa leaf tea on Amazon

Formerly its own page at /remedies/alfalfa-tea, now redirected here.

⚠️ Cautions

  • People with lupus or other autoimmune conditions should avoid alfalfa, as a natural compound in it (canavanine) may stir up immune activity.
  • If you take blood thinners, be consistent, since alfalfa is rich in vitamin K, which affects clotting -- doctors managing blood thinner therapy typically ask patients to keep their vitamin K intake steady rather than letting it swing.
  • Use washed, food-safe sprouts and normal food amounts rather than high-dose extracts; pregnant women, young children, older adults, and anyone with a weakened immune system are typically better off with cooked sprouts, since raw sprouts of any kind can carry Salmonella or Listeria.

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