Alfalfa

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on May 21, 2022.

What are other common names?

• Medicago sativa
• Alfa
• Alfalfa Juice
• Feuille de Luzerne
• Grand Trèfle
• Herbe aux Bisons
• Herbe à Vaches
• Lucerne
• Luzerne
• Medicago
• Phyoestrogen
• Phyto-œstrogène
• Purple Medick
• Sanfoin

What is this product used for?

Alfalfa is used by some people as a source of some vitamins and minerals. No information from medical studies supports the use of alfalfa for any health problem.

What are the precautions when taking this product?

• Always check with your doctor before you use a natural product. Some products may not mix well with drugs or other natural products.

• Do not use this product if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant soon. Use birth control you can trust while taking this product.

• Be sure to tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding. You will need to talk about the benefits and risks of using this natural product.

• Alfalfa sprouts often have many germs. People who are likely to get an infection should not use fresh alfalfa sprouts. Take extra care if you are at a high risk for infection. This includes people who have had a transplant, are on chemo, or have an autoimmune disease. This also includes young children and the elderly.

• Take extra care if you are taking drugs to thin your blood. These are drugs like warfarin (Coumadin), heparin, or enoxaparin (Lovenox).

• Take extra care if you are taking drugs to dissolve blood clots. These are drugs like alteplase (Activase), reteplase (Retevase), or streptokinase.

• Take extra care if you are taking drugs to help with swelling or inflammation. These are drugs like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil), or naproxen (Naprosyn).

• Take extra care and check with your doctor if you have:

  • Bleeding problems

  • Weak immune system or immune disease

  • Problems with your uterus

What should I watch for?

• Upset stomach

When do I need to call the doctor?

• Signs of a very bad reaction. These include wheezing; tightness in the chest; fever; itching; bad cough; blue skin color; seizures; swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat. Go to the ER right away.

• Signs of infection. These include a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, chills, very bad sore throat, ear or sinus pain, cough, more sputum or change in color of sputum, pain with passing urine, mouth sores, wound that will not heal, or pain.

• Signs of bleeding problems. These include bruising or bleeding that is not normal; blood in your stools or dark, tarry colored stools; changes in menstrual periods like lots of bleeding, spotting, or bleeding between cycles.

• Very bad throwing up

• Very bad belly pain

Last Reviewed Date

Consumer information use

This generalized information is a limited summary of diagnosis, treatment, and/or medication information. It is not meant to be comprehensive and should be used as a tool to help the user understand and/or assess pot...