ABSTRACT
Apparently our fathers of more recent vintage were the ones to ascribe therapeutic value to this plant. It is still difficult to understand how alfalfa, or lucerne, as it is known in Britain, ever gained a reputation as a medicinal herb. The leaves and flowering tops of Medicago saliva L. are not discussed in any of the classic American scientific works on natural drugs.1,2 Even Grieve's A Modem Herbal, a comprehensive work of English origin, scarcely mentions the plant.3 Of course, this perennial member of the family Fabaceae is one of our most common cultivated forage plants, being fed to animals either as hay or in a dehydrated form. While there is little or no research on alfalfa's health benefits for humans, there is a vast scientific literature on its value as a dietary supplement for lactating cows.
