Good quality ingredient with beneficial nutrients

Alfalfa / Lucerne in dog food

Alfalfa / Lucerne

Alfalfa (or lucerne as it is often called in the UK) is part of the legume family of plants making it a cousin of clover, peas and beans and, depending on how much there is in a food, it can be good or bad.

In it's whole form, alfalfa is widely regarded as a superfood for humans and, in small amounts, can be very beneficial for our dogs. It is a good, natural source of a whole host of nutrients including plenty of vitamins and minerals - most notably iron, magnesium, manganese, vitamin A, C, E and several B vitamins, as well as good quality fibre.

Since alfalfa also contains a fairly high proportion of protein, it can also be used in larger amounts as a protein supplement. Since dogs generally do a lot better on meat proteins than vegetable-derived forms, this is not something we recommend.

As a rule of thumb, if you see alfalfa listed in the top half of the ingredients list, chances are it is there as a cheap source of protein and is probably best avoided. In the bottom half, it is much more likely that it is just a small amount to provide valuable micronutrients and is no cause for concern.

Find foods containing Alfalfa / Lucerne See the full Ingredient Glossary

Comments

1 Comment AADF Privacy Policy Sign in to comment
Sign in to comment
Richard Hebden 7 years ago

Good source of antioxidant as well helping the light filter in the eye. A supplement added to better foods.

Sign in to reply

Advertisement

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Advertisers | Site map | Contact Us

Copyright © 2011 - 2024 All About Pet Food. All Rights Reserved. Company registered in Finland (why?) #3230956-3