Below is general information about the effectiveness of the known ingredients contained in the product Alfalfa. Some ingredients may not be listed. This information does NOT represent a recommendation for or a test of this specific product as a whole.
INSUFFICIENT RELIABLE EVIDENCE to RATE
INSUFFICIENT RELIABLE EVIDENCE to RATE
Below is general information about the safety of the known ingredients contained in the product Alfalfa. Some ingredients may not be listed. This information does NOT represent a recommendation for or a test of this specific product as a whole.
POSSIBLY SAFE ...when the leaves are used orally and appropriately, short-term (4,6,12).
LIKELY UNSAFE ...when large amounts are used long-term. Chronic ingestion of alfalfa has been associated with drug-induced lupus effects (381,14828,30602).
PREGNANCY AND LACTATION: POSSIBLY UNSAFE
when used orally in medicinal amounts.
Alfalfa contains constituents with possible estrogenic activity (4,11,30592).
LIKELY SAFE ...when used orally in amounts commonly found in foods. Gelatin has Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status in the US (4912).
POSSIBLY SAFE ...when used orally and appropriately in medicinal amounts, short-term . A specific type of gelatin from donkey hide, called colla corii asini, has been safely used in doses of 6-10 grams orally daily for 6-8 weeks. Higher doses of 15 grams daily have been associated with an increased risk of inflammatory adverse effects, including sore throat, swollen gums, local eczema, and oral ulcers (97634,107011). Since gelatin is often derived from bovine bones and skin, there is some concern about contamination with diseased animal parts (1825). So far, there are no reports of disease transmission to humans due to use of contaminated gelatin preparations.
CHILDREN: POSSIBLY SAFE
when gelatin tannate is used orally and appropriately in medicinal amounts, short-term.
In children under 15 kg or under 3 years of age, gelatin tannate has been used with apparent safety at doses up to 250 mg four times daily for up to 5 days. In children over 15 kg or over 3 years of age, it has been used with apparent safety at doses up to 500 mg four times daily for up to 5 days (103296). There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of other forms of gelatin in children.
PREGNANCY: LIKELY SAFE
when used orally in the amounts commonly found in foods.
PREGNANCY: POSSIBLY SAFE
when a specific type of gelatin from donkey hide, called colla corii asini, is used orally in doses of 10 grams daily for 6 weeks.
Higher doses of 15 grams daily have been associated with an increased risk of inflammatory adverse effects, including sore throat, swollen gums, local eczema, and ulcers in the oral cavity (97634).
There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of other types of gelatin when used during pregnancy in medicinal amounts.
LACTATION: LIKELY SAFE
when used orally in the amounts commonly found in foods.
There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of using larger amounts of gelatin during lactation; avoid using.
Below is general information about the interactions of the known ingredients contained in the product Alfalfa. Some ingredients may not be listed. This information does NOT represent a recommendation for or a test of this specific product as a whole.
Theoretically, alfalfa might increase the risk of hypoglycemia when taken with antidiabetes drugs.
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Theoretically, alfalfa might interfere with the activity of contraceptive drugs.
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Theoretically, alfalfa might interfere with hormone therapy.
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Theoretically, alfalfa might decrease the efficacy of immunosuppressive therapy.
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Theoretically, concomitant use of alfalfa with photosensitizing drugs might have additive effects.
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Animal research suggests that excessive doses of alfalfa may increase photosensitivity, possibly due to its chlorophyll content (106043). It is unclear if this effect would be clinically relevant in humans.
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Theoretically, alfalfa might reduce the anticoagulant activity of warfarin.
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Below is general information about the adverse effects of the known ingredients contained in the product Alfalfa. Some ingredients may not be listed. This information does NOT represent a recommendation for or a test of this specific product as a whole.
General
...Orally, alfalfa leaf seems to be well tolerated.
However, a thorough evaluation of safety outcomes has not been conducted.
Most Common Adverse Effects:
Orally: Abdominal discomfort, diarrhea, and flatulence.
Serious Adverse Effects (Rare):
Orally: Lupus-like syndrome after chronic ingestion of alfalfa.
Dermatologic ...Dermatitis associated with alfalfa use has been reported. In a 1954 publication, dermatitis was noted in a 61-year-old female consuming 4-6 cups of tea made with two tablespoonfuls of alfalfa seeds for approximately two months prior to onset. Examination revealed diffuse, confluent edema and erythema on the face, eyelids, ears, hands, forearms, and distal humeral regions. The dermatitis improved with treatment; re-exposure to alfalfa resulted in a similar reaction (30609).
Endocrine
...Alfalfa contains constituents, including coumestrol, with reported estrogenic activity (30586,30592,4753).
Effects in humans are not known.
One case report documents hypokalemia in a female who had been drinking a "cleansing tea" containing alfalfa, licorice, and stinging nettle. The potassium level returned to normal after discontinuing the tea and initiating potassium supplementation. The specific cause of the hypokalemia is not clear. Notably, both stinging nettle and licorice have been associated with hypokalemia and may have been responsible for this effect (30562).
Gastrointestinal ...Orally, flatulence and bulkier feces were reported during the first week of a case series of three subjects ingesting alfalfa (30598). In a case series of 15 patients ingesting alfalfa, increased fecal volume and increased stool frequency was reported. Additional adverse effects included abdominal discomfort in two patients, diarrhea in two patients, loose stools in six patients, and intestinal gas in 13 patients (5816).
Hematologic ...Pancytopenia and splenomegaly were reported in a 59-year-old male who had been taking 80-160 grams of ground alfalfa seeds for up to six weeks at a time, for a five month period. Hematologic values and spleen size returned to normal when alfalfa was discontinued (381).
Other
...Alfalfa products, including sprouts, seeds, and tablets, have been found to be contaminated with Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Listeria monocytogenes, which have caused documented infections (5600,30566,30568,30572,30569,30564,30604,30610,30563,30607) (30566,30564,30604,30610,30563,30607,30576).
Orally, alfalfa has been associated with the development of a lupus-like syndrome in animals and humans (30594,14828,14830,30602), as well as with possible exacerbations of lupus in patients with known systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). These reactions may be associated with the amino acid L-canavanine (30594), which appears to be present in alfalfa seeds and sprouts, but not leaves, and therefore should not be present in alfalfa tablets manufactured from the leaves (30601). However, case reports have included individuals ingesting tablets. A lupus-like syndrome was described in four patients taking 12-24 alfalfa tablets per day. Symptoms included arthralgias, myalgias, and rash; positive antinuclear antibodies (ANA) arose anywhere from three weeks to seven months after initiating alfalfa therapy. Upon discontinuation of alfalfa tablets, all four patients became asymptomatic. In two patients, ANA levels normalized (14828). Two additional reports have documented possible exacerbation or induction of SLE associated with alfalfa use. One case involved a female with a 26-year history of SLE, who had been taking 15 tablets of alfalfa daily for nine months prior to an exacerbation. Because of the delay in onset of the exacerbation from the initiation of alfalfa therapy, causation cannot be clearly established (30575). In a different report, SLE and arthritis were found in multiple family members who had been taking a combination of vitamin E and alfalfa tablets for seven years (30602). It is not known what other environmental or genetic factors may have affected these individuals, and the association with alfalfa is unclear.
General
...Orally, gelatin seems to be well tolerated.
Most Common Adverse Effects:
Oral: Belching, bloating, and dyspepsia.
Serious Adverse Effects (Rare):
Injection: IgE-mediated allergic reactions, Kounis syndrome.
Gastrointestinal ...Orally, gelatin can cause unpleasant taste, sensation of heaviness in the stomach, bloating, dyspepsia, and belching (7704).
Immunologic
...Gelatin can cause allergic reactions.
Gelatin in foods can cause initial sensitization (7703). Gelatin-containing medicines including oral medications, suppositories, vaccines, and injectable products can cause IgE-mediated allergic reactions, including urticaria, angioedema, wheezing, hypotension, and anaphylaxis (7708,7709,7710,97633,111345). In the US, gelatin is used as a stabilizer in some vaccines such as measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR), and diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus (DPT) (7711). In one case report, a 73-year-old male experienced anaphylactic symptoms within 10 minutes of receiving gelatin lysate as a plasma expander during a routine surgery. The patient proceeded to develop heart, respiratory, and kidney failure and died 76 days after receiving the gelatin infusion (97633). At least 12 case reports describe life-threatening anaphylaxis after administration of gelatin-containing hemostatic agents during surgery. In these cases, hypotension, tachycardia, and increased airway pressure occurred shortly after injection of the agent into the pedicle tract (111345).
There are at least two cases of Kounis syndrome, an acute coronary syndrome related to a massive mast cell activation, after the use of a gelatin infusion during general anesthesia. In one case, immediate symptoms included bradycardia and hypotension, followed by myocardial ischemia and coronary vasospasm (97631).
Other ...Since gelatin is sometimes produced from bovine bones and skin, there is some concern about the potential risk of contamination with diseased animals and transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, mad cow disease) and other diseases (1825). So far, there are no reports of BSE or other disease transmission to humans from gelatin products.
