Alfalfa is a well-known fodder crop with high nutrition value for many types of livestock. Alfalfa leaf makes a pleasant tasting, balancing tea that melds very nicely with mint and lemon.

Alfalfa had a rich tradition of use as a healing herb as well. Utilized since ancient times for its high nutrient value, Arabs fed it to their horses to increase strength and stamina. In traditional folk medicine, it has been administered as a nutritive tonic and was found to be particularly useful in cases of malnutrition or during convalescence. Revered for its soothing and strengthening properties, alfalfa was used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), making its first appearance around 200 CE during the Han Dynasty, for digestive system support and to stimulate the appetite.

The dried alfalfa leaf is widely available in herbal shops and health food stores as an herbal tea, tablet, powder or made into a liquid chlorophyll supplement. The seed is often sprouted and eaten in salads and sandwiches.