Alfalfa sprouts are a vegetable.

    Alfalfa is a forage legume. Also known as lucerne in most of Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Sometimes called purple medic or Chilian clover.

• botanical information
• nutritional information
• Chinese herbology
• Ayurvedic herbalism
• cautions and contraindications
• planting and growing

botanical information:

    Botanical name: Medicago sativa

    Common name: alfalfa

    Use the botanical name when ordering seeds (bulbs, etc.) or when looking up information in the library. Common names vary by nation, culture, and region, and sometimes the same common name is applied to different plants.

nutritional information:

    Eat at least one serving of alfalfa per month, taking in account the season and local availability. Alfalfa is normally eaten as sprouted seeds (alfala sprouts). You can sprout alfalfa at home. For more information on healthy diet, see Goddess Diet Plan.

nutritional value per 1 cup alfalfa sprouts:

• Calories: 40 calories
• Proteins: 1 grams
• Fat: trace
• Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
• Carbohydrates: 1 gram
• Fiber: 1 gram
• Sodium: 2 milligrams

nutritional value per 1 tablespoon (tbsp) alfalfa sprouts:

• Calories: 1 calories
• Proteins: trace
• Fat: trace
• Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
• Carbohydrates: trace
• Fiber: trace
• Sodium: 0 milligrams

    See also Chinese herbalism below for Chinese gender and Chinese flavor.

Chinese herbalism:

    Chinese gender: yin (cool)

Ayurvedic herbalism:

    Ayurvedic Doshas: PK- V+ Pitta decreases; Kapha decreases; Vata increases.
    Part Used: herb (above ground parts of plant)
    Taste: astringent, sweet
    Energy: cooling
    Vipaka: (Post-Digestive Effect) pungent
    Tissues: plasma, blood
    Systems: circulatory, urinary
    Actions: alterative, diuretic, antipyretic, hemostatic
    Indications: ulcers, edema, arthritis, vitamin deficiency, mineral deficiency
    Precautions: high Vata
    Preparation: infunsion, powder (250 mg to 1 g)

    For more information, see the article on Ayurvedic medicine.

cautions and contraindications:

    Cautions and contraindications: Safe to humans; toxic to horses. See the article on alfalfa for more information.

    Wild gathering: Avoid wild gathering. Some plants are endangered species. Please grow your own herbs in your own goddess garden (or window boxes).

planting and growing:

    Planting: You can grow alfalfa sprouts in a large glass jar. Sprouts do not need sunlight to grow, and therefore can be grown in any room in the house.

See also: alfalfa

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