Categories

View All

Diet & Exercise

DIY Recipes

Health & Wellness

Promotions

Skin & Beauty Advice

Wellness Tips

Kids & Teens

Seminars

Webinars

Training Courses

Discover More Articles

Boosting the Immune & Neurological Systems

Boosting the Immune & Neurological Systems

In this mini-webinar, Dr. Eboni Cornish gives you her practical tips to keep your immune system healthy during the Coronavirus quarantine. Dr. Cornish is a functional/integrative medicine doctor from Amen Clinics in Washington DC.

Trichotillomania: The Hair-Pulling Disorder

Trichotillomania: The Hair-Pulling Disorder

Hair-pulling disorder occurs in about 1%-2% of American adults and more frequently in females, including Victoria’s Secret model Sara Sampaio.

The End of Mental Illness | December 7th, 2022

The End of Mental Illness | December 7th, 2022

Our foundation’s mission is to end mental illness by creating a revolution in brain health. We’ll be sharing the exciting ways we’re making progress.

Energy, Fertility, and Drive

Energy, Fertility, and Drive

As an energy tonic, maca is used to overcome fatigue and increase mental clarity. There are also claims that maca has benefited people with autoimmune disorders like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Zap Stress Before It Starts

Zap Stress Before It Starts

It’s no secret that stress can take a toll on our body, mind, and brain. December is not the month to throw your self-care and mental health priorities out the window. 

5 Ways to Stay Motivated This Winter

5 Ways to Stay Motivated This Winter

When the seasons change it suddenly becomes harder to get out and exercise. Winter fitness programs aren’t the easiest to stick to, but they’re imperative to your overall health and well-being.

So with that in mind, let’s take a look at what you can do to stay motivated and successful with your winter fitness goals.


How to Detox After Holiday Feasts

How to Detox After Holiday Feasts

If you’re having a hard time committing to your diet over the holidays, you’re not alone. And the good news is you don’t have to be perfect to maintain your weight over the holiday season. Try following these simple detox tips after each scrumptious holiday meal and start the new year fresh and ready to finally achieve your health and fitness goals.

High Protein Meal Replacement Shakes

High Protein Meal Replacement Shakes

Meal replacement shakes aren’t just low in calories, they’re high in essential nutrients your body needs to keep yourself nourished and your stomach feeling full, while helping also you maintain or lose weight. Protein provides numerous benefits to your body, including fueling the entire body, helping build muscle mass and being a key component to essential substances your body needs, like antibodies and blood.

Skin Cycling: all about the newest trend

Skin Cycling: all about the newest trend

The skin cycling hashtag has been viewed over 3 billion times on TikTok—and dermatologists say it's a strategy worth trying.The term "skin cycling" is all about taking a cyclical approach to your facial skincare routine.

Get ready for a plumper, perkier-looking neckline

Get ready for a plumper, perkier-looking neckline

Meet our new luscious neck cream featuring our proprietary elasticizing bioactive plant blend that targets lines and texture, so your neckline appears smoother, renewed & 10 years younger looking!



May 11, 2021
Steven Horne, CI

Alfalfa: The King of Herbs


Alfalfa is an alkalizing agent, which means it helps to neutralize acid waste and inflammation. while aiding kidney function.

Alfalfa: The King of Herbs

My first herb teacher, Edward Milo Millet, claimed that herbs were “nature’s natural nutritional supplements.” While I don’t think that’s true for every herb, it’s definitely true for alfalfa, which has been called the “king of herbs” and the “father of herbs.”

You see a lot of alfalfa here in Utah, both cultivated in large fields and growing wild here and there. Out of curiosity, I looked up how much alfalfa is grown in Utah and, according to the USDA, about 600,000 acres were planted last year. That resulted in a harvest of over two million tons of alfalfa hay, which is primarily used to feed horses and cows. It’s use as an animal feed dates back as early as 500 BC, where it’s recorded Arabs fed it to their horses, claiming it made them swift and strong.

Driving down I-15 some years ago, a vegan friend commented how wasteful it was to use all that land to grow alfalfa to feed animals, instead of raising vegetables to feed people. I tried to explain that there just isn’t enough water in most of the West to grow vegetables on that scale and that alfalfa is the perfect crop for an arid place like Utah. It doesn’t take much water to grow because it has such a deep root system that can reach water that other plants can’t get to. In fact, I’ve noticed that when it gets hot in the summer and everything turns brown from lack of water, the wild alfalfa will still be green.

Also, being a member of the pea family, alfalfa is a nitrogen-fixing plant. You can grow it, then till it into the soil to fertilize it with what is called green manure.

The Nutritional Value of Alfalfa

Alfalfa contains above-average quantities of niacin, riboflavin, vitamin A and vitamin C, as well as significant amounts of vitamin K, carotenoids, and fiber. It’s also rich in minerals, including calcium magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, iron, chromium, and cobalt. It’s also used to make liquid chlorophyll.

Natural Mineral Supplement

I’ve primarily used alfalfa as a source of minerals. It’s the primary ingredient in the Herbal Minerals Formula I got from my midwife friend, Joan Patton. Directions for making this formula are found in Modern Herbal Dispensatory and the new Strategies for Health book. I’ve seen the Herbal Minerals Formula strengthen bones and teeth, which suggests to me that the famous Utah herbalist Dr. John Christopher was correct when he claimed alfalfa could rebuild tooth enamel.

Alfalfa is also one of the main ingredients in the Pregnancy Tea Formula, which contains equal parts alfalfa, nettle leaf, and raspberry leaf. Utah midwives used this formula keep pregnant women healthy and make childbirth easier. It also prevents anemia during pregnancy.

Years ago I recommended twelve capsules (or tablets) of alfalfa and four capsules of yellow dock daily to a pregnant woman suffering from anemia. Iron supplements hadn’t helped at all, but these herbs had her iron levels back to normal within about one week.

 

Pituitary Remedy

Many years ago, herbalist LaDean Griffin, author of Is Any Sick Among You? Had a daughter with a pituitary problem. She prayed for help and was inspired to use alfalfa, which solved the problem. I’ve found alfalfa to be a reliable remedy for the pituitary and, by aiding the pituitary, alfalfa indirectly helps with the release of hormones responsible for metabolism and growth, blood pressure, water regulation, breast milk production and thyroid function.

Digestive Tonic

A tea made from equal parts alfalfa and peppermint makes a good digestive tonic. It helps stimulate digestive secretions and improve assimilation of nutrients.

Alfalfa is a high-fiber herb (21% crude fiber, 42% dietary fiber), so alfalfa has often been used to aid bowel function. Tablets are the most effective dosage form for this purpose, with capsules being the next best choice. Alfalfa tablets have been used for reducing cholesterol, binding toxins in the colon, and protecting against colon cancer.

Alfalfa Sprouts

One of the ways to get the health benefits of alfalfa as food is to grow alfalfa sprouts. You don’t want to harvest the sprouts until they’re nice and green with their full chlorophyll content. You won’t get all the fiber, but you’ll still get a rich assortment of vitamins and minerals, along with plant protein and chlorophyll, which helps protect the body from cancer and acts as a tonic for the blood.

Alfalfa is also an alkalizing agent, which means it helps to neutralize acid waste and inflammation. while aiding kidney function. In China, alfalfa has been used since the sixth century to treat kidney stones and to relieve fluid retention and swelling. It is also helpful for people who have arthritis, helping to both reduce joint irritation and supply nutrients to aid the healing of joints.

Personality Profile for Alfalfa

Dorothy Hall paints a profile of the person who needs alfalfa. She says they suffer from “nervous irritability and the consequent overproduction of mucus, acid and inflammatory wastes; a person who may crave meat and other forms of protein but doesn’t digest them well.” She also indicates they react badly to insect bites and stings, have problems with itchy skin, eyes, and nose, and may be excessively busy with no time to relax.

One contraindication for alfalfa is that it is reported to aggravate lupus. In some individuals it can also cause bloating and gas, especially if you take too much of the herb or eat too many sprouts. Other than that, it’s a very safe and reliable remedy. And I think it definitely qualifies as one of nature’s natural nutritional supplements. As for why it's been called the king of herbs, that may be simply because it's one of the most widely cultivated herbs on the planet, which also means it's an inexpensive, easily-accessible remedy for everyone.

Share this Article: