A Complete Book On Herbal Remedies. A Directory
One of the most loved foods of our younger daughter's horse is alfalfa. She works all the other hay bits around and carefully picks out the alfalfa first. It's also becoming very popular with humans, both for health benefits and as a food.
There are many benefits to this legume. It has a high natural protein count and many vitamins and minerals. Herbalists have used it for various reasons for thousands of years. In China and India, it was used for digestive complaints. Native Americans also used it, though the uses were more for jaundice and to help clot blood. It is still used traditionally to lower cholesterol.
There are three reasons alfalfa could pose a problem to humans. The first is actually more a threat to horses than humans, but do keep it in mind. A type of insect called a blister beetle can infest the alfalfa, and it has killed many a horse.
The second problem is bacteria. Outbreaks of salmonella and e. coli are frequent enough to merit a warning by the FDA. The elderly, the very young and people with compromised immune systems are discouraged from eating alfalfa...including those cute little sprouts at the supermarket.
Large amounts of alfalfa pose a bigger threat. A constituent in the plant can cause lupus like symptoms in people. Even worse, it can reactivate lupus in those who already have it. The good news, humans rarely eat enough raw alfalfa for this to be a problem.
There are two reasons I mention it. One is to let those with lupus know of the danger and the other has to do with the popularity of juicers. I read reports of some of the strangest things being put through these machines, and it would be very easy to see someone juicing alfalfa. Don't do it.
You don't have to totally give up the health benefits, though. Cooked and dried alfalfa doesn't have this component. Neither do the tablets. Always discuss any new supplement with your doctor. If you have any problems with your immune system, you may need a referral to a nutritionist to make sure no other food products will cause you harm.
For more information about home remedies, you can visit my site: http://healing-home-remedies.com/. There are blogs and articles about many herbs and the conditions they may help. Subjects include stress, back pain, the flu, gout and cholesterol. You can also download my free report, the Top Ten Herbs. The report discusses the uses, side effects, precautions and interactions of popular herbs. My eBooks, also found on the site, contain information about foods and herbs that can help you deal with the problems life throws our way. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me at: mary@healing-home-remedies.com. Mary Bodel, MH
A Complete Book On Herbal Remedies. A Directory
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