Alfalfa benefits: Nutrition, uses and side effects

What is alfalfa?

Before we get into the details of how alfalfa benefits our health, let’s talk about the plant itself. Part of the legume family, experts believe alfalfa originates from South and Central Asia. From here it spread to Europe and then the Americas, and producers now grow the crop all across the globe. In fact, it’s one of the most widely cultivated forage legumes in the world.

Although farmers commonly cultivate alfalfa for animal feed, people have been using it as a medicinal herb for generations. This is thanks to its impressive nutritional profile, which we’ll discuss below. Today, scientific evidence is emerging to confirm alfalfa’s potential to support our wellbeing. Such findings help to explain the ingredient’s recent growth in popularity among health food enthusiasts.

Also known as lucerne, alfalfa looks a little like clover thanks to its clusters of small, blue-purple flowers. You can sprout the plant’s seeds and eat them fresh, or dry the leaves and grind them into powder. Whichever option you choose, adding alfalfa to your diet could boost your wellbeing in a variety of ways. And this versatility makes it easy to include the plant in an array of different recipes.

What’s more, unlike some functional foods, alfalfa actually tastes nice! The sprouts have a mild, fresh flavour with hints of nuttiness and a subtle crunchy texture. Meanwhile, the powder is pleasantly grassy and slightly earthy, making it a delicious and convenient way to consume the plant. You’ll find more information on how to use the powder below, but first let’s explore how alfalfa benefits our health.

Alfalfa nutrition facts

One of the reasons that alfalfa benefits our wellbeing is because it’s a fantastic source of several vitamins and minerals.(1) For example, the plant is rich in vitamin K, which is crucial for blood clotting and bone health. The fact that alfalfa also contains calcium and magnesium further bolsters its positive effects on your bones. And talking of minerals, you’ll find copper, manganese, and blood-boosting iron in this vibrant powder too. Each of these has a key function to perform in keeping us fit and well.

In addition, alfalfa is bursting with vitamin A – which helps to look after eye health – vitamin E, and vitamin C. The latter plays a vital role in wound healing, collagen production, and immunity. As such, it’s possible that consuming alfalfa benefits our immune system and skin health too.

Alfalfa is additionally high in fibre. Including fibre in your diet has many potential advantages, several of which are related to digestion. It helps to nourish the good bacteria in your gut, prevent constipation, and increase feelings of fullness. This means alfalfa benefits your digestive system as well. That’s more important than you might realise, because gut health can influence everything from mood to immunity.

Moreover, alfalfa is jam-packed with antioxidants.(2) These help to protect our cells against the harm done by free radicals. Known as oxidative stress, experts have linked this damage to an increased risk of several chronic conditions. These include heart disease, diabetes, and neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s. It’s possible, therefore, that adding antioxidants to your diet could lessen the chances of developing such diseases. However, further investigation is necessary to clarify exactly how much alfalfa benefits us in this regard.

Alfalfa health benefits

Boosting your intake of nutrients isn’t the only potential way in which alfalfa benefits your wellbeing. One of the most widely studied advantages of adding alfalfa to your diet is its ability to lower cholesterol levels.

Research indicates that the plant is able to decrease ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol and triglycerides while simultaneously increasing ‘good’ HDL cholesterol.(3) This is important because LDL cholesterol can build up on the walls of your arteries. That may then restrict blood flow, raising the risk of clots, heart attacks, and stroke. Experts believe the reason that alfalfa benefits cholesterol levels is that it contains saponins. These potent compounds can reduce the amount of cholesterol the gut absorbs and increase how much of it we excrete.

Alfalfa is rich in other bioactive plant compounds besides saponins, such as flavonoids and phytosterols. This could explain why some studies have found that the plant exerts an anti-inflammatory effect.(4) Chronic inflammation can contribute to a number of harmful health conditions, making this a key potential benefit.

Similarly, it’s possible that consuming alfalfa benefits our blood sugar levels.(5) The fact that it’s high in fibre may help to slow the absorption of glucose in the intestines and prevent spikes in blood sugar. However, further research is necessary to explore how useful the plant is in both reducing inflammation and helping people with diabetes.

Now that we’ve covered the different potential ways alfalfa benefits us, it’s time to discuss how to take it. Rest assured – it couldn’t be simpler to add the plant to your diet!