Active Ingredient Alfalfa (medicago Sativa L.)

a plant species of the family fabaceae widely cultivated for animal feed.

Source:

medlineplus herbs and supplements: alfalfa (medicago sativa l.)

Medical Condition	Uses based on scientific evidence	Grade*
atherosclerosis	several studies in animals report reductions in cholesterol plaques of the arteries after use of alfalfa. well-designed research in humans is necessary before a firm conclusion can be drawn.	c
diabetes mellitus without mention of complication	a small number of animal studies report reductions in blood sugar levels following ingestion of alfalfa. human data are limited, and it remains unclear if alfalfa can aid in the control of sugars in patients with diabetes or hyperglycemia.	c
pure hypercholesterolemia	reductions in blood levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein ("bad cholesterol") have been reported in animal studies and in a small number of human cases. high-density lipoprotein ("good cholesterol") has not been altered in these cases. although this evidence is promising, better research is needed before a firm conclusion can be reached.	c

*Key to grades
A: Strong scientific evidence for this use;
B: Good scientific evidence for this use;
C: Unclear scientific evidence for this use;
D: Fair scientific evidence against this use;
F: Strong scientific evidence against this use.