☯ TCM Properties
Clears Damp-Heat; Clears Heat from the Spleen and Stomach; Promotes Urination; Promotes Urination and Reduces Edema; Expels Urinary Stones
Traditional Chinese Uses
Mu Xu (alfalfa herb) is a cool, bitter herb used in Chinese medicine to clear Damp-Heat, promote urination, and relieve edema. It has been used historically for urinary complaints, jaundice, and night blindness. While not among the most commonly used herbs in classical formulas, its nutritive qualities — it is rich in vitamins and minerals — have given it relevance in dietary therapy for deficiency conditions and as a general tonic for vascular and metabolic health.
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
The Costanoan used Medicago sativa as an ear medicine (Bocek, 1984). The Keres employed it for unspecified medicinal purposes (Swank, 1932). It was additionally documented as fodder and as a food spice by the Navajo, Okanagan, and Shuswap (Moerman, 1998).
Botanical Description
Medicago sativa, alfalfa or lucerne, is a deep-rooted perennial herbaceous legume in the family Fabaceae, believed native to central and southwestern Asia and the eastern Mediterranean, and now cultivated worldwide as one of the most important forage crops. The plant produces a stout, woody taproot that can penetrate 4-5 m into the soil, allowing it to access deep moisture. The aerial stems reach 30-90 cm tall and are erect to ascending, much-branched, and slightly hairy. The alternate, trifoliolate leaves bear obovate, finely toothed leaflets 1-3 cm long, with the terminal leaflet stalked. Short axillary racemes of papilionaceous flowers appear in summer, with corollas typically violet to purple, occasionally yellow or variegated, 6-12 mm long. The fruit is a tightly coiled, spiraled, hairy pod 5-6 mm in diameter, containing several small kidney-shaped yellow-brown seeds. The species fixes atmospheric nitrogen through symbiosis with Sinorhizobium meliloti.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 6-15g | Daily | — | — | — |
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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