Alfalfa: how much to take
Alfalfa is a legume sold as tablets or sprouts, mainly as a source of vitamins and for cholesterol. There are no good human trials.
Calculator Official intake Study doses Best form Safety Sources
Official daily intake
This is not an essential nutrient, so there is no official daily intake. Only study doses are shown.
Doses used in studies
These are doses tested in research, not personal advice. Some exceed the upper limit because they were short courses or given under medical care.
No study doses listed yet.
Best form and why
No best form
Why: There are no good human trials to base a dose on.
Food sources
Alfalfa sprouts and leaves.
Interactions
Alfalfa is high in vitamin K and can weaken warfarin. If you take a blood thinner, ask your doctor first.
Safety
Alfalfa seeds and sprouts contain L-canavanine. A few people with lupus had flare-ups linked to alfalfa tablets; this is debated, but people with lupus should avoid it.
Pregnant, breastfeeding, on medication, or managing a health condition? Check with a doctor or pharmacist before starting a supplement.
Sources
- Review / position paper Mousa SA (2010). Antithrombotic effects of naturally derived products on coagulation and platelet function. Methods Mol Biol 663:229-240
- Review / position paper Akaogi J et al. (2006). Role of non-protein amino acid L-canavanine in autoimmunity. Autoimmun Rev 5:429-435
Values checked: November 12, 2026.