AYURVEDIC FOODS

Alfalfa Sprouts Benefits (According to Ayurveda)

How Does This Ayurvedic Food Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

Promotes strength and solidity. Anabolic, but without creating stagnation. Regulates estrogen (phytoestrogens can increase or decrease estrogen as needed). Liver, Spleen Yin Tonic. Alfalfa is a urinary & GI membrane restorative. (Source: Holmes)

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Are Alfalfa Sprouts Good for My Ayurvedic Diet?

Find out by taking this free, easy quiz. You'll learn your body type, and whether 'Alfalfa Sprouts' is a good fit. Complete the basic quiz in 1 minute, or go deeper with additional quizzes at your own leisure to learn more about your body.

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AYURVEDA'S GUIDE TO VITALITY & WHOLESOME NOURISHMENT

Your Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body and your specific imbalances. With an Ayurvedic diet you feel joy and satisfaction because what you are eating truly nourishes and balances you. Disease results from diets and lifestyles that are incompatible with your nature. By eating a personalized diet matched to your body, you experience optimal health. See How it Works.
SERVING SIZE: 1/4 c
SPECIES: Medicago sativa
FAMILY: Fabaceae

PREPARATION: RAW
EAT IN: SPRING

Metabolic Nature of Alfalfa Sprouts

See a complete list of all biocharacteristics.
INCREASES
Guna Help

Increases These Biocharacteristics (Gunas)

Functional Ayurveda helps you assess imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics (gunas). Aggravating these characteristics weakens your body and causes imbalance. By knowing which characteristics are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct imbalances before you get sick. Every characteristic has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold). You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite characteristic.

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CLEAR

ABOUT CLEAR BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Clear refers to anything that cleanses or flushes out wastes, or that digests ama.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CLEAR

DRY

ABOUT DRY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Dry is identified by lack of moisture, lack of fat, or anything that causes diuresis.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DRY

LIQUEFIED

ABOUT LIQUEFIED BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Substances that thin fluids (lower viscosity of blood plasma). These may include blood thinners or mucolytic herbs.

LEARN MORE ABOUT LIQUEFIED

COLD

ABOUT COLD BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Cold refers to anything that reduces body temperature, metabolism, and blood flow.

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LIGHT

ABOUT LIGHT BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Lightness is identified by reduced weight.

LEARN MORE ABOUT LIGHT

MOBILE

ABOUT MOBILE BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Mobile refers to anything that stimulates the nervous system, muscles, or activity.

LEARN MORE ABOUT MOBILE

TASTES
Taste Help

The 6 Tastes

Taste is used to sense the most basic properties and effects of food. Each taste has a specific medicinal effect on your body. Cravings for food with certain tastes indicate your body is craving specific medicinal results from food. Taste is experienced on the tongue and represents your body's reaction to foods. Sweet taste causes physical satisfaction and attraction whereas bitter taste causes discomfort and aversion. Kapha should use less sweet taste while Vata and Pitta would benefit from using more sweet taste. One of the first signs of illness is that your taste and appetite for food changes. The six tastes are sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. Do you crave foods with any of the tastes below?

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ASTRINGENT

ABOUT ASTRINGENT BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Astringency is characterized by constriction, drawing together, or drying.

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BITTER

ABOUT BITTER BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Bitter taste has cholagogue action - it is cold, clear, light, and stimulating. It increases digestive enzymes, laxative, and drying.

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SALTY

ABOUT SALTY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Salty refers to anything with salt, or high mineral content.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SALTY

DOSHAS
Dosha Help

The Three Doshas / Body Types

According to the biocharacteristic theory of medicine, people tend to get sick, over and over again, due to habitual causes and imbalances that are unique to the person. Your body type summarizes this tendency, showing you the 'type' of conditions and imbalances that frequently challenge your health & wellness. Using body type, you can also identify remedies likely to improve your strength and resiliency. Your body type identifies physical and mental characteristics as well as your personal strengths and weaknesses. The calculation of your body type is based on your medical history.

The 3 functional body types (doshas), are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha). Catabolic individuals tend to break down body mass into energy. They are easily stimulated, hyperactive, underweight and dry. Metabolic individuals tend to burn or use energy. They tend to be rosy-cheeked, easily irritated, focused, driven, and easily inflamed. Anabolic individuals tend to store energy as body mass. If they store too much energy, they could gain weight easily and have congestion. Anabolic people tend to be stable and grounded.

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PACIFIES
Kapha pacifying Pitta pacifying Vata pacifying
HAS THE FOLLOWING
Affinity:
Energy Vitality

ENERGY-VITALITY

Includes vitality improving foods, herbs, and exercises by dosha.

SEE ALL 'ENERGY-VITALITY' FOODS / HERBS

, Weight Loss
Family: Fabaceae
HERBAL ACTIONS
(see all)

Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Alfalfa Sprouts
Help
Experiences are Personal
Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary. The list of herbal-actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.

Appetite Suppressant

APPETITE-SUPPRESSANT

Suppresses hunger without causing weight gain.

SEE ALL 'APPETITE-SUPPRESSANT' FOODS / HERBS

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Spleen Tonic

SPLEEN-TONIC

An herb that strengthens spleen function by improving strength of the blood. Spleen tonics Builds agni, brighten the person's appearances & firms up tissues.

SEE ALL 'SPLEEN-TONIC' FOODS / HERBS

Antilithic

ANTILITHIC

An herb that dissolves / breaks up stones (gallstones or kidney stones) so that it can be passed.

SEE ALL 'ANTILITHIC' FOODS / HERBS

,
Internal Detoxicant

INTERNAL-DETOXICANT

Liquefies, dissolves, decongests or dislodges internal stagnant toxins. Decongests the lymphatic system.

SEE ALL 'INTERNAL-DETOXICANT' FOODS / HERBS

Stimulates Energy

STIMULATES-ENERGY

This category groups thyroid and adrenal stimulating herbs.

SEE ALL 'STIMULATES-ENERGY' FOODS / HERBS

,
Nutritive

STRONG NUTRITIVE

An herb that is strengthening and nourishing.

SEE ALL 'NUTRITIVE' FOODS / HERBS

Blood Tonic

STRONG BLOOD-TONIC

An herb that produces more blood cells in the body, or otherwise improves blood cell quality or hemoglobin content. Helpful for anemia and other types of deficiency.

SEE ALL 'BLOOD-TONIC' FOODS / HERBS

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Vessel Tonic

VESSEL-TONIC

An herb that improves the tone and integrity of blood vessel walls. This is helpful in easy bruising.

SEE ALL 'VESSEL-TONIC' FOODS / HERBS

Diuretic

DIURETIC

Herbs that promote urine formation, thereby flushing the kidneys and urinary tract while eliminating any excess water retention. As diuretics reduce water retention, they are often used to reduce blood pressure.

SEE ALL 'DIURETIC' FOODS / HERBS

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Urinary Tonic

URINARY-TONIC

An herb that tonifies and strengthens the urinary system. These can be helpful for urinary incontinence or improving function after a urinary tract infection. They can also strengthen the bladder to ward off a urinary tract infection.

SEE ALL 'URINARY-TONIC' FOODS / HERBS

Hypolipidemic

HYPOLIPIDEMIC

Scrapes fats / cleanses blood vessels by 1) purging bile, 2) strengthening the liver's ability to metabolize fats, 3) by increasing uptake of cholesterol in the liver, and 4) by inhibiting fat cells.

SEE ALL 'HYPOLIPIDEMIC' FOODS / HERBS

Galactagogue

STRONG GALACTAGOGUE

Increases production of breast milk, often by raising prolactin and diaphoresis.

SEE ALL 'GALACTAGOGUE' FOODS / HERBS

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Anti Estrogenic

ANTI-ESTROGENIC

Reduces estrogen, which reduces thickness of the uterus endometrium, pelvic congestive disorders like fibroids, and frequently dysmenorrhea as well.

SEE ALL 'ANTI-ESTROGENIC' FOODS / HERBS

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Estrogenic

ESTROGENIC

Increases estrogen, helpful in menopause. Estrogen is anabolic and increases muscle growth, bone density, and moisture.

SEE ALL 'ESTROGENIC' FOODS / HERBS

Constituents:
Iron

STRONG IRON

Iron is necessary for the transport of oxygen in red blood cells.

SEE ALL 'IRON' FOODS / HERBS

,
Coumarin

COUMARIN

Moderately toxic, vascular tonic, hypotensive, and anti-inflammatory.

SEE ALL 'COUMARIN' FOODS / HERBS

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Flavonoids

FLAVONOIDS

Flavonoids are a colorful type of polyphenol. As all polyphenols, they have a strong antioxidant effect. Many flavonoids have an anti-inflammatory, and/or antiallergen effect.

SEE ALL 'FLAVONOIDS' FOODS / HERBS

,
Inositol

INOSITOL

Inositol is an alcohol sugar made naturally in the human body from glucose. It is lipotropic (aiding fat metabilism in the liver). It affects a variety of hormones, neurotransmitters, steroid, growth factors and water.

SEE ALL 'INOSITOL' FOODS / HERBS

,
Phytosterols

PHYTOSTEROLS

The plant version of cholesterol. Often precursors to stress and sex hormones.

SEE ALL 'PHYTOSTEROLS' FOODS / HERBS

,
Polyphenols

POLYPHENOLS

Polyphenols are powerful antioxidants seen in many fruits and vegetables. There are more than 8,000 types.

SEE ALL 'POLYPHENOLS' FOODS / HERBS

, Protein,
Saponins

SAPONINS

Can be used to make soap. Saponins stimulate mucus membrane secretion, liquefying mucus for easy removal (expectorant).

SEE ALL 'SAPONINS' FOODS / HERBS

, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin K

Foods with a Similar Nature to Alfalfa Sprouts

Stinging Nettles

Stinging Nettles has these Actions in Common

Antilithic, Diuretic, Nutritive, Appetite-suppressant, Galactagogue, Spleen-tonic, Blood-tonic, Internal-detoxicant, Urinary-tonic

LEARN MORE

Fenugreek

Fenugreek has these Actions in Common

Diuretic, Hypolipidemic, Spleen-tonic, Estrogenic, Internal-detoxicant, Stimulates-energy, Antilithic, Galactagogue, Nutritive

LEARN MORE

Saffron

Saffron has these Actions in Common

Galactagogue, Spleen-tonic, Blood-tonic, Internal-detoxicant, Stimulates-energy, Diuretic, Nutritive

LEARN MORE

Chickweed

Chickweed has these Actions in Common

Appetite-suppressant, Hypolipidemic, Blood-tonic, Internal-detoxicant, Diuretic, Nutritive

LEARN MORE

Fennel Seeds

Fennel Seeds has these Actions in Common

Stimulates-energy, Diuretic, Internal-detoxicant, Estrogenic, Spleen-tonic, Galactagogue

LEARN MORE

Dandelion Leaves

Dandelion Leaves has these Actions in Common

Anti-estrogenic, Hypolipidemic, Appetite-suppressant, Internal-detoxicant, Diuretic, Stimulates-energy

LEARN MORE

Fennel Stalk

Fennel Stalk has these Actions in Common

Spleen-tonic, Galactagogue, Stimulates-energy, Internal-detoxicant, Diuretic

LEARN MORE

Barley

Barley has these Actions in Common

Diuretic, Spleen-tonic, Internal-detoxicant, Appetite-suppressant, Nutritive

LEARN MORE

Flower / Bee Pollen

Flower / Bee Pollen has these Actions in Common

Blood-tonic, Nutritive, Diuretic, Stimulates-energy, Internal-detoxicant

LEARN MORE

Kale

Kale has these Actions in Common

Appetite-suppressant, Stimulates-energy, Hypolipidemic, Anti-estrogenic, Internal-detoxicant

LEARN MORE

Herb Supplements with a Similar Nature to Alfalfa Sprouts

Punarnava

Punarnava has these Actions in Common

Internal-detoxicant, Stimulates-energy, Urinary-tonic, Antilithic, Blood-tonic, Diuretic, Hypolipidemic

LEARN MORE

Manjistha

Manjistha has these Actions in Common

Hypolipidemic, Internal-detoxicant, Spleen-tonic, Antilithic, Blood-tonic, Diuretic

LEARN MORE

Vidari

Vidari has these Actions in Common

Diuretic, Galactagogue, Hypolipidemic, Nutritive, Urinary-tonic, Vessel-tonic

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Dong Quai

Dong Quai has these Actions in Common

Hypolipidemic, Internal-detoxicant, Stimulates-energy, Vessel-tonic, Blood-tonic, Estrogenic

LEARN MORE

Jamaica Sarsaparilla Root

Jamaica Sarsaparilla Root has these Actions in Common

Blood-tonic, Diuretic, Estrogenic, Internal-detoxicant, Spleen-tonic

LEARN MORE

Punarnavadi Guggulu Tablets

Punarnavadi Guggulu Tablets has these Actions in Common

Antilithic, Diuretic, Hypolipidemic, Internal-detoxicant, Urinary-tonic

LEARN MORE

Anantamul

Anantamul has these Actions in Common

Diuretic, Galactagogue, Internal-detoxicant, Urinary-tonic, Blood-tonic

LEARN MORE

Dandelion Root

Dandelion Root has these Actions in Common

Galactagogue, Hypolipidemic, Internal-detoxicant, Anti-estrogenic, Diuretic

LEARN MORE

Guggulu

Guggulu has these Actions in Common

Internal-detoxicant, Spleen-tonic, Stimulates-energy, Blood-tonic, Hypolipidemic

LEARN MORE

Cornsilk

Cornsilk has these Actions in Common

Antilithic, Diuretic, Internal-detoxicant, Nutritive, Urinary-tonic

LEARN MORE

Shilajit Tonic

Shilajit Tonic has these Actions in Common

Diuretic, Hypolipidemic, Internal-detoxicant, Stimulates-energy, Urinary-tonic

LEARN MORE


Joyful Belly is a recognized school of biocharacteristics medicine.

TRADITIONALLY INDICATED FOR THESE SYMPTOMS

Alfalfa Sprouts may be beneficial for these symptoms. The suitability of any food for a condition is highly dependent on the individual. Please see your doctor before using this food to treat a medical condition.

HOW DOES EATING AYURVEDICALLY MAKE YOU FEEL?

Eating Ayurvedically makes you feel nourished and energized. Food digests with ease when right for your body type (dosha). Healthy digestion is seen as the cornerstone of well-being in Ayurveda. Healthy digestion generally prevents illness. If you do get sick, a strong digestive fire reduces the severity of illness and increases your resilience. It also improves your mood. Once you begin eating Ayurvedically, you will feel refreshed, vital and strong.

Clinical Tools & Resources

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About John Joseph Immel

About the Author

John Immel, the founder of Joyful Belly, teaches people how to have a healthy diet and lifestyle with Ayurveda biocharacteristics. His approach to Ayurveda is clinical, yet exudes an ease which many find enjoyable and insightful. John also directs Joyful Belly's School of Ayurveda, offering professional clinical training in Ayurveda for over 15 years.

John's interest in Ayurveda and specialization in digestive tract pathology was inspired by a complex digestive disorder acquired from years of international travel, as well as public service work in South Asia. John's commitment to the detailed study of digestive disorders reflects his zeal to get down to the roots of the problem. His hope and belief in the capacity of each & every client to improve their quality of life is nothing short of a personal passion. John's creativity in the kitchen and delight in cooking for others comes from his family oriented upbringing. In addition to his certification in Ayurveda, John holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University.

John enjoys sharing Ayurveda within the context of his Catholic roots, and finds Ayurveda gives him an opportunity to participate in the healing mission of the Church. Jesus expressed God's love by feeding and healing the sick. That kindness is the fundamental ministry of Ayurveda as well. Outside of work, John enjoys spending time with his wife and 7 kids, and pursuing his love of theology, philosophy, and language.

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