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Alfalfa - The Father of All Foods
- 8-5-2008
- Categorized in: Thrive
For centuries, alfalfa has been referred to as "The Father of all Foods" and this is why we have used it as the base for our product, Thrive. Alfalfa was first cultivated in Persia and in 500 B.C. it was then taken to Greece. Alfalfa spread until one day in 1854, it arrived in San Francisco, the American incubator of all good herbs.
Alfalfa has a very unique and distinctive quality that sets it apart from most other plants. The root system of the alfalfa plant reaches thirty feet deep into the soil. This allows the plant to access a large quantity of un-depleted nutrients, salts, and other necessary elements, while most other plants simply don't have this advantage. The leaves of the alfalfa plant contain the eight essential amino acids and ten non-essential amino acids.
People have used alfalfa for centuries worldwide for overall support and rejuvenation. Because of its deep root system, alfalfa has a rich source of calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, iron, potassium, and trace minerals. Specifically, it is one of the best sources for protein and is very high in chlorophyll, carotene, the vitamins A, D, E, B-6, K, and several digestive enzymes. Alfalfa helps to remove toxins and neutralizes acids. It alkalizes the body and detoxifies the body, especially the liver. Alfalfa is one of the most studied plants. We know it contains many important substances, including several saponins, many sterols, coumarin, flavonoids, alkaloids, acids, vitamins, amino acids, natural sugars, proteins, minerals, trace elements and other essential nutrients. Whole alfalfa also contains plenty of fiber with anti-cholesterolemic properties. Research suggests that it may inactivate dietary chemical carcinogens in the liver and small intestine before they have a chance to do the body any harm. It also contains an antifungal agent.
Alfalfa is commonly used for kidney and bladder infections. It is good for all colon disorders, anemia, hemorrhaging, menopause, diabetes, arthritis, gout, stabilizing blood sugar levels, balancing the pituitary gland, prostate disorders and detoxifying the blood and kidneys. Alfalfa helps soothe ulcers, the liver and acts as a heart tonic. It helps with estrogen production and morning sickness. It has in it a natural fluoride and is a mild diuretic. Alfalfa may be used for reducing fevers and rheumatism and has a mild laxative effect. It is good for cystitis or an inflamed bladder and relief from bloating and water retention. Used on the skin or in the bath, Alfalfa is good for fatigue or muscle tenderness. It is also used to reduce the pain and inflammation of rheumatism and arthritis. Alfalfa is a vitality augmenter (tonic), for insomnia, and to relax the nervous system.
Alfalfa contains an enormous quantity of nutrients, in a form that is easily digested and assimilated by man. It is up to 50% protein, contains a good quantity of beta-carotene, chlorophyll and octacosanol. Herbalists have used alfalfa for many different purposes. Most of those applications bear a one-to-one correspondence to the various nutrients in the plant. The one word that keeps appearing is "tonic". The plant is a kidney tonic, prostatic tonic, reproductive tonic, musculoskeletal tonic, glandular tonic and so forth. Alfalfa has a proven cholesterol-lowering effect. Steroidal anti-inflammatory action is suggested by its content of plant steroids, and by some research that found an estrogenic effect on ruminants (grazing animals). Alfalfa has also been shown to possess antibacterial action against gram-negative bacteria (such as Salmonella typhi), and it contains at least one protein with known anti-tumor activity.
MINERALS found in Alfalfa:
Calcium - is the most abundant mineral in the body. It makes up 1.5 to 2 percent of the total body weight, and the bones contain more than 99 percent of the body's calcium. In addition to its major function in building and maintaining bone and teeth, calcium is important in much of the body's enzyme activity. The contraction on muscles, release of neurotransmitters, regulation of heart beat, and the clotting of the blood all depend on calcium.
Magnesium - is second to potassium in terms of concentration within the body's cells. Its primary function is enzyme activation. Approximately 60 percent of the magnesium in the body is in bone, 26 percent in muscle, and the remainder in soft tissue and body fluids. However, the tissues with the highest magnesium concentration are these that are the most metabolically active (brain, heart, liver and kidney)--thus magnesium's critical role in energy production. Although calcium supplementation gets the headlines, magnesium supplementation may be far more important for many people. Magnesium has been referred to as "nature's calcium channel-blocker" because of its ability to block the entry of calcium into vascular smooth-muscle cells and heart muscle cells. As a result, magnesium supplementation can help reduce vascular resistance, lower blood pressure, and lead to more efficient heart function. Magnesium also helps regulate proper calcium metabolism through its actions on several hormones including parathyroid hormone and calcitonin.
Potassium - Potassium, sodium, and chloride and electrolytes--mineral salts that conduct electricity when dissolved in water. They are so intricately related, nutrition textbooks usually discuss them together, which I have done here. However my primary focus is on potassium. The reason why these nutrients are so intricately linked is that electrolytes are always found in pairs; a positively charged molecule like sodium or potassium is always accompanied by a negatively charged molecule like chloride. Potassium is an extremely important electrolyte that functions in the maintenance of: Water balance and distribution, Acid-base balance, Muscle and nerve cell function, Heart function, and Kidney and adrenal function. Although sodium and chloride are important, potassium is the most important dietary electrolyte. In addition to functioning as electrolyte, potassium is essential for conversion of blood sugar into glycogen, the storage form of blood sugar in the muscles and liver. A potassium shortage results in lower levels of stored glycogen. Because exercising muscles use glycogen for energy, a potassium deficiency produce great fatigue and muscle weakness, the first signs of potassium deficiency.
Zinc - is in every body cell and is a component in over 200 enzymes. In fact, zinc function in more enzymatic reaction that any other mineral. It is also necessary for proper action of many body hormones, including thymic hormones, insulin, growth hormone, and sex hormones. The average adult body contains a total of 1.4 to 2.5 grams of zinc, where it is stored primarily in muscle (65 percent of the total) and is highly concentrated in red and white blood cells. Other tissues with high zinc concentrations include the bone, skin, kidney, liver, pancreas, retina, and prostate. Adequate zinc levels are essential to good health. The beneficial effects of zinc are extensive because it is involved in so many enzyme and body function. Zinc is essential for the maintenance of vision, taste, and smell. A zinc deficiency results in impaired function of these special senses. Zinc is also critical to healthy male sex hormone and prostate function. A zinc deficiency may be a contributing factor in the high rate of prostate enlargement and male infertility (a zinc deficiency can result in decreased sperm count).
Chromium - In order to appreciate how chromium works, we must review how the body controls blood sugar levels. After a meal, the body responds to the rise in blood glucose levels by secreting insulin. Insulin lowers blood glucose by increasing the rate that glucose is taken up by cells throughout the body. Declines in blood glucose, which occur during food deprivation or exercise, cause the release of glucagons--another hormone produced by the pancreas. Glucagons stimulate the release of glucose stored in body tissues (especially the liver) as glycogen. If blood sugar levels fall sharply or if a person is angry or frightened, it may result in the release of epinephrine (adrenaline) and corticosteroids (cortisol) by the adrenal glands. These hormones provide quicker breakdown of stored glucose for extra energy during a crisis or increased need. Ideally, this is how the body words to control blood sugar levels. Unfortunately, a great deal of Americans stress these control mechanisms thorough poor diet and lifestyle. As a result, diabetes and hypoglycemia are common diseases. Obesity is also strongly linked to blood sugar disturbances because in obesity, there is a decreased sensitivity to insulin. Increasing the body's sensitivity to insulin, then, improves not only blood sugar control but also weight loss. The trace mineral chromium is critical to proper insulin action. Chromium functions in the body as a key constituent of the "glucose tolerance factor." Its works closely with insulin in facilitating the uptake of glucose into cells. Without chromium, insulin's action is blocked and blood sugar levels are elevated. Chromium's key benefit is helping insulin work properly.
Copper - is an essential trace mineral involved in several key enzymatic reaction in the human body. It is the third most abundant essential trace mineral (after iron and zinc). The highest concentration (amount per gram of tissue) of copper is in the brain and liver. Since several enzyme systems require copper, copper deficiency affects several body tissues. It results in iron deficiency anemia because copper is required in proper iron absorption and utilization. Copper is necessary for the proper function of the enzyme lysyl oxidase, which is required in the cross linking of collagen and elastin. Copper deficiency, therefore, is associated with poor collagen integrity. This poor integrity manifests itself in rupture of blood vessels, osteoporosis, and bone and joint abnormalities. Other symptoms of copper deficiency are brain disturbances, increased lipid per oxidation, elevated LDL cholesterol and reduced HDL cholesterol levels, and impaired immune function.
Iron - is critical to human life. It plays the central role in the hemoglobin molecule of our red blood cells (RBC), where it functions in oxygen transportation from the lungs to the body's tissues and the carbon dioxide transportation from the tissues to the lungs. Iron also functions in several key enzymes in energy production and metabolism, including DNA syntheses. Iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency in the United States. The groups at highest risk are infants under 2 years of age, teenage girls, pregnant women, and the elderly. Studies have found evidence of iron deficiency in 30 to 50 percent of the people in these groups. For example, some degree of iron deficiency occurs in 35 to 58 percent of young, healthy women. During pregnancy, the number is even higher.
Selenium - The trace mineral selenium functions primarily as a component of the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase, which works with vitamin E in preventing free radical damage to cell membranes. Low levels of selenium are linked to a higher risk for cancer, cardiovascular disease, inflammatory disease, and other conditions associated with increased free-radical damage to cell membrane. Low levels of selenium are linked to a higher risk for cancer, cardiovascular disease, inflammatory diseases, and other conditions associated with increased free-radical damage, including premature aging and cataract formation.
Other properties of Alfalfa:
High in protein – alfalfa has 18.9% as compared to beef at 16.5%, milk at 3.3% and eggs at 13.1%. (Muscles are composed of protein and the lack of it results in fatigue and weakness.) The protein content in alfalfa is quite high; in face, pound for pound it outranks beef, milk, and eggs. It not only does that but it is free of non-toxic, mucus-forming elements which promote healing of the body rather than the abject degeneration of the human system.
Alfalfa leaves are extremely rich in calcium this accounts for the claims of herbalists and doctors concerning the benefits of using alfalfa for repairing tooth damage and strengthening the structure of the teeth. Calcium is also necessary for proper muscle function; that includes the heart muscle as well. Calcium regulates the heart rhythm. How much more simple to indulge in alfalfa early in life rather than a pacemaker in later life. Alfalfa also contains a saponin, which is a substance that forms colloidal dispersion (a soap suds-like reaction) when shaken with water. The steroid saponins have been recently successfully investigated for their suitability as cortisone and hormone precursors.
Alfalfa has a very unique and distinctive quality that sets it apart from most other plants. The root system of the alfalfa plant reaches thirty feet deep into the soil. This allows the plant to access a large quantity of un-depleted nutrients, salts, and other necessary elements, while most other plants simply don't have this advantage. The leaves of the alfalfa plant contain the eight essential amino acids and ten non-essential amino acids.
People have used alfalfa for centuries worldwide for overall support and rejuvenation. Because of its deep root system, alfalfa has a rich source of calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, iron, potassium, and trace minerals. Specifically, it is one of the best sources for protein and is very high in chlorophyll, carotene, the vitamins A, D, E, B-6, K, and several digestive enzymes. Alfalfa helps to remove toxins and neutralizes acids. It alkalizes the body and detoxifies the body, especially the liver. Alfalfa is one of the most studied plants. We know it contains many important substances, including several saponins, many sterols, coumarin, flavonoids, alkaloids, acids, vitamins, amino acids, natural sugars, proteins, minerals, trace elements and other essential nutrients. Whole alfalfa also contains plenty of fiber with anti-cholesterolemic properties. Research suggests that it may inactivate dietary chemical carcinogens in the liver and small intestine before they have a chance to do the body any harm. It also contains an antifungal agent.
Alfalfa is commonly used for kidney and bladder infections. It is good for all colon disorders, anemia, hemorrhaging, menopause, diabetes, arthritis, gout, stabilizing blood sugar levels, balancing the pituitary gland, prostate disorders and detoxifying the blood and kidneys. Alfalfa helps soothe ulcers, the liver and acts as a heart tonic. It helps with estrogen production and morning sickness. It has in it a natural fluoride and is a mild diuretic. Alfalfa may be used for reducing fevers and rheumatism and has a mild laxative effect. It is good for cystitis or an inflamed bladder and relief from bloating and water retention. Used on the skin or in the bath, Alfalfa is good for fatigue or muscle tenderness. It is also used to reduce the pain and inflammation of rheumatism and arthritis. Alfalfa is a vitality augmenter (tonic), for insomnia, and to relax the nervous system.
Alfalfa contains an enormous quantity of nutrients, in a form that is easily digested and assimilated by man. It is up to 50% protein, contains a good quantity of beta-carotene, chlorophyll and octacosanol. Herbalists have used alfalfa for many different purposes. Most of those applications bear a one-to-one correspondence to the various nutrients in the plant. The one word that keeps appearing is "tonic". The plant is a kidney tonic, prostatic tonic, reproductive tonic, musculoskeletal tonic, glandular tonic and so forth. Alfalfa has a proven cholesterol-lowering effect. Steroidal anti-inflammatory action is suggested by its content of plant steroids, and by some research that found an estrogenic effect on ruminants (grazing animals). Alfalfa has also been shown to possess antibacterial action against gram-negative bacteria (such as Salmonella typhi), and it contains at least one protein with known anti-tumor activity.
MINERALS found in Alfalfa:
Calcium - is the most abundant mineral in the body. It makes up 1.5 to 2 percent of the total body weight, and the bones contain more than 99 percent of the body's calcium. In addition to its major function in building and maintaining bone and teeth, calcium is important in much of the body's enzyme activity. The contraction on muscles, release of neurotransmitters, regulation of heart beat, and the clotting of the blood all depend on calcium.
Magnesium - is second to potassium in terms of concentration within the body's cells. Its primary function is enzyme activation. Approximately 60 percent of the magnesium in the body is in bone, 26 percent in muscle, and the remainder in soft tissue and body fluids. However, the tissues with the highest magnesium concentration are these that are the most metabolically active (brain, heart, liver and kidney)--thus magnesium's critical role in energy production. Although calcium supplementation gets the headlines, magnesium supplementation may be far more important for many people. Magnesium has been referred to as "nature's calcium channel-blocker" because of its ability to block the entry of calcium into vascular smooth-muscle cells and heart muscle cells. As a result, magnesium supplementation can help reduce vascular resistance, lower blood pressure, and lead to more efficient heart function. Magnesium also helps regulate proper calcium metabolism through its actions on several hormones including parathyroid hormone and calcitonin.
Potassium - Potassium, sodium, and chloride and electrolytes--mineral salts that conduct electricity when dissolved in water. They are so intricately related, nutrition textbooks usually discuss them together, which I have done here. However my primary focus is on potassium. The reason why these nutrients are so intricately linked is that electrolytes are always found in pairs; a positively charged molecule like sodium or potassium is always accompanied by a negatively charged molecule like chloride. Potassium is an extremely important electrolyte that functions in the maintenance of: Water balance and distribution, Acid-base balance, Muscle and nerve cell function, Heart function, and Kidney and adrenal function. Although sodium and chloride are important, potassium is the most important dietary electrolyte. In addition to functioning as electrolyte, potassium is essential for conversion of blood sugar into glycogen, the storage form of blood sugar in the muscles and liver. A potassium shortage results in lower levels of stored glycogen. Because exercising muscles use glycogen for energy, a potassium deficiency produce great fatigue and muscle weakness, the first signs of potassium deficiency.
Zinc - is in every body cell and is a component in over 200 enzymes. In fact, zinc function in more enzymatic reaction that any other mineral. It is also necessary for proper action of many body hormones, including thymic hormones, insulin, growth hormone, and sex hormones. The average adult body contains a total of 1.4 to 2.5 grams of zinc, where it is stored primarily in muscle (65 percent of the total) and is highly concentrated in red and white blood cells. Other tissues with high zinc concentrations include the bone, skin, kidney, liver, pancreas, retina, and prostate. Adequate zinc levels are essential to good health. The beneficial effects of zinc are extensive because it is involved in so many enzyme and body function. Zinc is essential for the maintenance of vision, taste, and smell. A zinc deficiency results in impaired function of these special senses. Zinc is also critical to healthy male sex hormone and prostate function. A zinc deficiency may be a contributing factor in the high rate of prostate enlargement and male infertility (a zinc deficiency can result in decreased sperm count).
Chromium - In order to appreciate how chromium works, we must review how the body controls blood sugar levels. After a meal, the body responds to the rise in blood glucose levels by secreting insulin. Insulin lowers blood glucose by increasing the rate that glucose is taken up by cells throughout the body. Declines in blood glucose, which occur during food deprivation or exercise, cause the release of glucagons--another hormone produced by the pancreas. Glucagons stimulate the release of glucose stored in body tissues (especially the liver) as glycogen. If blood sugar levels fall sharply or if a person is angry or frightened, it may result in the release of epinephrine (adrenaline) and corticosteroids (cortisol) by the adrenal glands. These hormones provide quicker breakdown of stored glucose for extra energy during a crisis or increased need. Ideally, this is how the body words to control blood sugar levels. Unfortunately, a great deal of Americans stress these control mechanisms thorough poor diet and lifestyle. As a result, diabetes and hypoglycemia are common diseases. Obesity is also strongly linked to blood sugar disturbances because in obesity, there is a decreased sensitivity to insulin. Increasing the body's sensitivity to insulin, then, improves not only blood sugar control but also weight loss. The trace mineral chromium is critical to proper insulin action. Chromium functions in the body as a key constituent of the "glucose tolerance factor." Its works closely with insulin in facilitating the uptake of glucose into cells. Without chromium, insulin's action is blocked and blood sugar levels are elevated. Chromium's key benefit is helping insulin work properly.
Copper - is an essential trace mineral involved in several key enzymatic reaction in the human body. It is the third most abundant essential trace mineral (after iron and zinc). The highest concentration (amount per gram of tissue) of copper is in the brain and liver. Since several enzyme systems require copper, copper deficiency affects several body tissues. It results in iron deficiency anemia because copper is required in proper iron absorption and utilization. Copper is necessary for the proper function of the enzyme lysyl oxidase, which is required in the cross linking of collagen and elastin. Copper deficiency, therefore, is associated with poor collagen integrity. This poor integrity manifests itself in rupture of blood vessels, osteoporosis, and bone and joint abnormalities. Other symptoms of copper deficiency are brain disturbances, increased lipid per oxidation, elevated LDL cholesterol and reduced HDL cholesterol levels, and impaired immune function.
Iron - is critical to human life. It plays the central role in the hemoglobin molecule of our red blood cells (RBC), where it functions in oxygen transportation from the lungs to the body's tissues and the carbon dioxide transportation from the tissues to the lungs. Iron also functions in several key enzymes in energy production and metabolism, including DNA syntheses. Iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency in the United States. The groups at highest risk are infants under 2 years of age, teenage girls, pregnant women, and the elderly. Studies have found evidence of iron deficiency in 30 to 50 percent of the people in these groups. For example, some degree of iron deficiency occurs in 35 to 58 percent of young, healthy women. During pregnancy, the number is even higher.
Selenium - The trace mineral selenium functions primarily as a component of the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase, which works with vitamin E in preventing free radical damage to cell membranes. Low levels of selenium are linked to a higher risk for cancer, cardiovascular disease, inflammatory disease, and other conditions associated with increased free-radical damage to cell membrane. Low levels of selenium are linked to a higher risk for cancer, cardiovascular disease, inflammatory diseases, and other conditions associated with increased free-radical damage, including premature aging and cataract formation.
Other properties of Alfalfa:
High in protein – alfalfa has 18.9% as compared to beef at 16.5%, milk at 3.3% and eggs at 13.1%. (Muscles are composed of protein and the lack of it results in fatigue and weakness.) The protein content in alfalfa is quite high; in face, pound for pound it outranks beef, milk, and eggs. It not only does that but it is free of non-toxic, mucus-forming elements which promote healing of the body rather than the abject degeneration of the human system.
Alfalfa leaves are extremely rich in calcium this accounts for the claims of herbalists and doctors concerning the benefits of using alfalfa for repairing tooth damage and strengthening the structure of the teeth. Calcium is also necessary for proper muscle function; that includes the heart muscle as well. Calcium regulates the heart rhythm. How much more simple to indulge in alfalfa early in life rather than a pacemaker in later life. Alfalfa also contains a saponin, which is a substance that forms colloidal dispersion (a soap suds-like reaction) when shaken with water. The steroid saponins have been recently successfully investigated for their suitability as cortisone and hormone precursors.
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The Aim of Public Education is Not to Spread Enligtenment at All; It is Simply to Reduce as Many Individuals as Possible to the Same Safe Level, to Breed a Standard Citizenry, to Put Down Dissent and Originality. ~ HL Mencken |
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The Cure for Health Care and Indigenous Power is to Remove the AMA and FDA, and Unleash the Power and Creativity of the Free Market. Many People Have Been Brainwashed into Thinking the State Protects Them. The Truth is the Exact Opposite. ~ Morris Fishbein |
|
You may find links that lead to
interesting information, or there
may be links to undesirable sites.
If you find any of these undesirables,
PLEASE let us know the URLs so
we can block them from our campaign. |