Does Alfalfa Stand Up for the Claim "The Father of All Foods"?

Abstract

Copyright © 2018 Antoine Al-Achi. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and work is properly cited. The Arabs called alfalfa (or Lucerne) (Medicago sativa) by its grandeur name “The Father of All Foods,” and this claim became well-known among the botanists and the herbalists. The name is, of course, in recognition of its nutritive value. Modern science has collaborated this claim by revealing its actual content. Alfalfa, as a plant, is extensively used in animal feed worldwide. However, people can also consume this plant for its nutritive content and potential medicinal effects. The plant is known to contain phytoestrogens, namely coumestrol and apigenin [1]. In the United States, alfalfa has been used to produce hay suitable to maintain the life of livestock such as dairy cattle, mature ruminants, and horses [2]. When compared to other animal feed sources (Rhodes hay, Cynodon pasture, and linseed cake-maize mixture), alfalfa had the highest in Crude Protein (CP) content (approximately 24% vs. 7.5%) [3]. Alfalfa belonged to the plant family Leguminosae (Fabaceae) and was originally native to Iran. However, the plant has been cultivated worldwide since the Roman Empire [4].