It’s important to speak with a healthcare professional if you are considering using it to treat those symptoms ( 9). However, there are also some potential risks. The effects of alfalfa on menopausal symptoms have not been extensively researched, but there is some evidence to support its use in reducing hot flashes. Phytoestrogens are controversial, but they may have several benefits, including easing menopausal symptoms that are caused by decreased levels of estrogen. This means that they can cause some of the same effects in the body as estrogen. Menopause symptom reliefĪlfalfa is high in plant compounds called phytoestrogens, which are chemically similar to the hormone estrogen ( 8). However, while these findings are promising, more studies are needed to determine whether alfalfa would have the same effects in humans. Several animal studies have found that alfalfa appears to improve cardiometabolic health by decreasing blood fat and blood sugar levels ( 3, 4, 6, 7). One traditional use of alfalfa is as an antidiabetic, or blood sugar-lowering, agent. However, a few of them have been studied to some extent.
Most of these proposed health benefits have not yet been researched. They include lowering blood pressure, acting as a diuretic, increasing breast milk production, treating arthritis, and getting rid of kidney stones. There is a long list of traditional uses of alfalfa as a medicinal herb. It is also high in many bioactive plant compounds.
SummaryĪlfalfa contains vitamin K and small amounts of many other vitamins and minerals. It also contains the following ( 2):Ī cup also contains 1 gram of protein and 1 gram of carbs, which comes from fiber.Īlfalfa also has a high content of bioactive plant compounds, including saponins, coumarins, flavonoids, phytosterols, phytoestrogens, and alkaloids ( 1). However, they are typically a fair source of vitamin K and also contain many other nutrients, including vitamin C, copper, manganese, and folate.Īlfalfa sprouts contain the same nutrients and are also very low in calories.įor example, 1 cup (33 grams) of alfalfa sprouts contains a mere 8 calories. People typically consume alfalfa as an herbal supplement or in the form of alfalfa sprouts.īecause the leaves or seeds are sold as herbal supplements and not as foods, no standard nutrition information is available.
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