White melilot (white burkun) - Melilotus albus medic. Leguminous family - Leguminosae. Sweet clover (grass): medicinal properties, application, indications Sweet clover medicinal use in folk

The beneficial properties and contraindications of sweet clover are known in most European countries. Several types of grass are found in India, China, North and South America. This vegetable raw material is used not only for medical purposes, but also in cooking, perfumery, alcoholic beverage industry, it is used for flavoring food and tobacco products.

Features of a medicinal plant

Yellow melilot grows in the wild. It is a good fodder plant, a green soil fertilizer and a quality honey plant. Recently, its medicinal properties are more and more appreciated, therefore in some countries it is cultivated, new varieties are being developed.

Area

It is a medicinal plant of the steppe and forest-steppe zone. Distributed throughout the European part. Loves southern regions, Minor, Central Asia, Caucasus. In Russia, it can be found even in Western Siberia. Most types of sweet clover grow in Ukraine. Also, this plant can be found in North and South America, New Zealand.

Botanical characteristics of sweet clover

It is a biennial herb. Differs in a branched, erect stem. Its height can reach from 50 to 150 cm. Leaves with serrated edge, trifoliate. The plant is easily recognized by its characteristic bright yellow flowers, which are collected in thin clusters in the form of spikelets. Donets exudes a coumarin aroma, which can be described as "the smell of freshly cut grass."

Other types

There are three more types of this plant, which are used in folk medicine and beekeeping.

Procurement of raw materials

The dried sweet clover has a fragrant, pleasant smell of cut grass. It is important to maintain storage conditions - to protect the grass from moisture. When mold appears, raw materials must not be used.

Healing action

What are the medicinal properties of sweet clover?

• Expectorant.
• Anticonvulsant.
• Emollient.
• Calming.
• Wound healing.
• Anticoagulant (anticoagulant).
• Pain reliever.
• Absorbent.
• Carminative.
• Anti-inflammatory.
• Distracting.

What's in the chemical composition?

• Coumarin, dicumarin (prevent blood clotting).
• Organic acids.
• Glycosides.
• Slime.
• Vitamins C, A.
• Essential oil.
• Flavonoids.
• Tannins.

Indications

What are the indications for the yellow clover treatment?

• Varicose veins. The herb reduces capillary permeability. The main application of sweet clover is chronic venous insufficiency, varicose veins, thrombophlebitis, hemorrhoids. Herbal medicines help relieve pain, itching, swelling, heaviness in the legs, cramps with venous insufficiency.
• External use... Compresses and lotions are used for bruises, sprains, subcutaneous hemorrhages, non-healing wounds, abscesses, boils, tumors. The remedy well stops external bleeding, relieves swelling, inflammation in the joints, pain in rheumatism, arthrosis, gout. With fluxes, it is recommended to rinse the mouth with decoctions of sweet clover.
• Respiratory system . Broths help with coughs, inflammation of the respiratory system. They are prescribed for bronchitis, tracheitis, laryngitis.
• Digestive organs... Sweet clover herb acts as a mild laxative and carminative. Helps with indigestion, relieves cramps, bloating.
• Nervous system . The remedy is known for its sedative, narcotic properties, relaxes the nervous system, helps with insomnia, neurasthenia, psychosis. Drink it for migraines, severe headaches, convulsions.
• Leukopenia (decrease in the level of leukocytes). Often the disease develops after radiation therapy for cancer. The herb helps to increase leukocytes.
• For women . Nursing mothers apply compresses for inflammation of the mammary glands (mastitis), cracked nipples. They act as a distracting and anti-inflammatory agent. Also, the herb normalizes the menstrual cycle, it is used to treat ovarian inflammation. It is useful to drink with menopause - it relieves irritability, tension, normalizes sleep.
• For men . Most often, the remedy is used for prostate adenoma, which develops in men after 50 years. The herb acts as a resorption, analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent.

Contraindications of yellow clover: low blood coagulability, hemorrhagic diathesis (tendency to internal and external bleeding), liver disease, pregnancy, childhood. The herb is dangerous for the kidneys, for diseases of the central nervous system, mental disorders. A medical consultation before using this herb is strictly required.

Methods of preparation and use of sweet clover

What is the use of sweet clover at home? Decoctions, infusions, ointments are prepared from herbs. It is also used in cooking, and sweet clover honey belongs to the highest quality varieties of honey.

Decoction

The herb can be brewed separately. It is also often included in the fees used to treat abscesses. It is a good emollient, anti-inflammatory, expectorant. It is taken for varicose veins, insomnia, respiratory diseases.

Preparation

1. Take 1 tbsp. spoonful of herbs.
2. Pour a glass of boiling water over.
3. Boil for 1 minute.
4. Insist 1 hour.
5. Strain.

Broths are taken orally in 1 tbsp. spoon after meals 3 times a day. They are used externally in the form of lotions and compresses.

Infusion

There are several recipes for infusions. Coarser infusions are recommended for external use.

Cooking a weak infusion

1. Take 1 tsp. herbs.
2. Pour a glass of boiling water over.
3. Insist 40 minutes.
4. Strain.

Warm infusion is taken orally ¼ glass 3 times a day. Good for insomnia and nervous disorders.

Preparation of concentrated infusion

1. Take 1 tbsp. l. herbs.
2. Pour a glass of boiling water over.
3. Insist 2 hours.
4. Strain.

This infusion can be taken in 1 tbsp. l. 3 times a day.

In gynecology, infusions are taken orally, they are also used externally in the form of douching, tampons, trays. Concentrated infusions are added to therapeutic baths for joint diseases.

Ointment

The ointment is prepared on the basis of fat - melted pork, duck, goose, butter or petroleum jelly. It can be used for mastitis, diseases of the blood vessels and joints, for bruises, bruises, abscesses, for the ripening of boils.

Preparation

1. Take 1 tbsp. l. herbs.
2. Mix with ¼ cup duck fat.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil.
4. Insist until cool.

The ointment is applied to a napkin and applied to the affected skin area or sore spot.

Features of use for varicose veins

Treatment of varicose veins is a long and complex process. It is important to include the correct diet and drinking regimen, gymnastics, massage. An important role is influenced by the patient's lifestyle, age, occupation. There are positive reviews about the treatment of yellow melilot with the threat of blood clots. Varicose veins are also treated with other herbal remedies: horse chestnut, figs, hare cabbage, hops, thistle, comfrey, milk thistle, Kalanchoe, goat's rue, lungwort, asparagus.

How to prepare a decoction for vein treatment

1. Take 1 tbsp. l. dry grass.
2. Pour 2 cups of warm water (not boiling water!).
3. Insist 4 hours.
4. Strain.

How to use herbal for veins? Drink 1 dessert spoon 3 times a day before meals. Doctors recommend taking this herb together with other herbs.

How to prepare herbal remedy for vein treatment

1. Take 2 parts each of milk thistle herb, hazel leaves.
2. Add 1 part each of melilot grass and prickly steel.
3. Mix and take 1 tbsp. collection spoon.
4. Pour in 1.5 cups of water.
5. Boil for 10 minutes and leave for 1 hour.

Take a collection of ¼ glass 3 times before meals.

Melilot honey

Melilot exudes a lot of nectar. Due to the unique structure of the flower, nectar does not evaporate in hot weather, and is not washed off by rain. This honey plant is grown industrially to obtain valuable melilot honey. The greatest honey productivity is given by annual and white sweet clover. Melilot honey is not only a useful delicacy, but also a valuable medicine. It is used externally for mastitis, abscesses, tumors, pain in muscles and joints. Inside take for coughs, hypertension, indigestion, headaches, fatigue, neuroses. Read more about it in our other article.

Cooking

Among the Slavic peoples, sweet clover is not such a well-known herb in cooking. However, among southerners and Caucasian peoples, it is a popular seasoning for fish and meat dishes. Fresh, dry leaves and flowers are salted, preserved, salads and soups are prepared from them, they are added to homemade cheeses and liqueurs. As a seasoning, sweet clover should be used sparingly, as its excess in the diet can cause side effects.

Side effects

Melilotus officinalis is a poisonous plant. Overdose and uncontrolled intake lead to severe side effects:

• dizziness;
• drowsiness;
• headache;
• nausea and vomiting;
• hemorrhage;
• paralysis.

What is important to know?

• Do not increase the dosage of the herb.
• Do not give to children.
• If you experience any side effects, consult a doctor immediately.
• White sweet clover is considered more toxic, so it is much less commonly used as a medicine.

Melilotus officinalis is the first remedy for varicose veins and hemorrhoids. Also, the herb is effective for cramps, nervous system agitation, insomnia. It is an effective distracting, analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent for mastitis, rheumatism, gout. Ointments, compresses are made from it and applied to sore spots.

Other plant names:

burkun white

Brief description of white sweet clover:

White sweet clover (white burkun) - This is an annual or biennial herb up to 1.5 m high. The stem is strong, erect, ribbed in the upper part.

Leaves are compound trinity, with oblong-lanceolate leaves and subulate stipules. Flowers are small, bilaterally asymmetrical, white, moth type, collected 40–80 in narrow, long axillary racemes, inflorescences, pedicel longer than the calyx. Corolla with wings is shorter than the flag and almost equal to the boat. Fruits - ovoid beans, reticulate, later black-brown, with 1–2 seeds. The herb has an aromatic odor and a salty bitter taste. The smell of sweet clover from the aromatic substance coumarin contained in it resembles the smell of hay. Blooms in June - August.

Other types of sweet clover:

The same meaning has a yellow or medicinal sweet clover - M. officinalis (L.) Pall., Which is distinguished by the yellow color of the flowers and the structure of the beans. Distributed in the same areas and has a similar ecology and agricultural technology.

Growing places:

In the wild, it is found almost throughout Russia, except for the Arctic, Eastern Siberia and the Far East. It grows in ravines, river floodplains, damp meadows, weedy places. Introduced into culture about 200 years ago in France.

Melilot cultivation:

The annual melilot is propagated by seeds, the germination of which has not been lost for more than 10 years. With spring sowing, in the first year, it develops stems at the end of summer, blooms in the second year from June, blooms almost all summer. The fruits ripen in August. In the first year, the herbage is used 1–1.5 months before the onset of cold weather, in the second year it gives two mowings: the first - before flowering for hay (until the stems are hardened), the second - for silage or green fodder. Undemanding to growing conditions; it is distinguished by high frost resistance, drought resistance and heat resistance. It grows on different soils (preferably on loose calcareous soils), even on alkaline and dry soils, where other legumes grow poorly and have low yields, does not withstand acidic swampy soils.

In areas of sufficient moisture, they are sown under the cover of cereals, in arid regions - without a cover crop. Sowing is regular row (between rows of grain crops) or wide row (across rows). Before sowing, the seeds are scarified and treated with bacterial fertilizer. When used on green fertilizer, it is plowed in autumn; with good development of plants, 200-300 kg / ha of nitrogen enter the soil, which corresponds to 30-40 t / ha of manure.

Melilot is winter-hardy, drought-resistant. Grows best in soils rich in lime. Saline soils are salted and enriched with nitrogen. It is promising for the development of saline soils of forest-steppe, steppe and semi-deserts. Differs in high resistance against diseases and pests.

Sweet clover blank:

For medicinal purposes, the herb is harvested during the flowering period, the roots - in early spring or autumn.

Chemical composition of white melilot:

The white sweet clover grass contains coumarin, dicumarol, and in larger quantities than in the medicinal sweet clover. Coumarin, found in all parts of the plant, gives hay aroma and bitter taste.

In addition, the plant contains coumaric, lactic acids, choline, tannins, about 17% protein, 2% fat, 40% nitrogen-free extractives and 6% ash compounds, resinous substances, essential oil, vitamin C, carotene; seeds are fatty oil.

An interesting feature of melilot cloves is their ability to intensively extract molybdenum from the soil. It accumulates mainly in leaves and seeds. In the aerial part of the plant, there can be 300 times more molybdenum than it is contained in the soil.

All these active ingredients form the basis of the chemical composition of white melilot (white burkuna).

Pharmacological properties of white sweet clover:

The pharmacological properties of sweet clover are determined by its chemical composition.

Preparations made from white melilot have a wound healing, expectorant, carminative, analgesic, stimulating biogenic effect (2 times more effective than aloe extract).

It is used in medicine as an irritant for the manufacture of sweet clover plaster. The aqueous extract has insecticidal and antibacterial properties.

The use of sweet clover in medicine, treatment of clover:

The name of the sweet clover is associated with the predominant use of the plant by traditional medicine in the treatment of "bottom" diseases - diseases of the organs of the lower abdominal cavity, especially female ("female sweet clover").

For purulent wounds, ulcers, inflammation of the mammary glands, poultices were made from grass and flowers. Melilotus officinalis, like white melilot, is a raw material for the production of a blistering green plaster used for carbuncles and boils.

For atherosclerosis and hypertension, it is used in scientific and folk medicine.

Paul Sedir calls white sweet clover male (as opposed to female yellow) and reports on the following use of it: “From flowers and leaves with melted cow butter, they make an ointment for wounds and colds. The herb is drunk for fever, dryness, dropsy, abdominal pain and to increase the amount of milk.

It was noticed that when feeding white sweet clover grass to livestock, animals, even with small wounds, developed severe, difficult to stop bleeding. This circumstance was the reason for the proposal of dicumarol as an anticoagulant for the prevention and treatment of thrombosis, thrombophlebitis, embolism, thrombolytic complications, as well as in myocardial infarction.

As lactogonic, antifebrile, for ascites, malaria, colds, headache, dropsy, abdominal pain, tabes, various gynecological diseases (especially inflammation of the ovaries and infertility), sweet clover herb is used in the form of an infusion, decoction or tincture (on vodka, from dry or fresh herb) in folk medicine.

A wound-healing ointment is prepared from flowers and leaves for the treatment of various cuts and wounds. Melilot herb preparations are active against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli.

Dosage forms, method of administration and doses of white sweet clover preparations:

From the grass and roots of sweet clover, effective medicines and forms are made that are used in the treatment of many diseases. Let's consider the main ones.

Infusion of white sweet clover herb:

Brew with 1 cup boiling water 1 tbsp. l. dry or fresh chopped herbs, insist, wrapped, 1 hour, drain. Take 1/4 cup 3 times a day 15-20 minutes before meals with a tendency to thrombus formation.

Infusion of white sweet clover herb:

Brew 500 ml of boiling water 1 tbsp. l. herbs, insist, wrapped, night, strain. Drink 1/4 cup 4 times a day. At the same time, medical supervision and a study of the pro-thrombin time are mandatory.

Decoction of white sweet clover roots:

Brew with 1 cup boiling water 1 tbsp. l. chopped roots, put on fire, bring to a boil and keep on low heat for 20 minutes. Insist 30 minutes, drain. Take 1 tbsp. l. 3-4 times a day, 30 minutes before meals for thrombosis.

Tincture of white sweet clover herb:

Pour 5 parts of vodka 1 part (by volume) of dry or fresh grass, leave for 8-10 days, shaking the contents periodically, drain. Take 15-20 drops, 3 times a day, before meals.

The medicinal preparation "Dikumarin" (in tablets of 0.1 g) is synthetically made from white sweet clover.

Contraindications for white clover:

The plant is poisonous. If the dose is exceeded or if taken for a long time, it can cause bleeding from the kidneys (blood in the urine) and other organs. The mechanism of the toxic action of coumarin contained in the melilot is that coumarin inhibits the formation of the enzyme prothrombin in the liver, causing a decrease in its content in the blood (hypoprothrombinemia) and a decrease in the blood's ability to coagulate. The clinical consequence of this condition is the occurrence of multiple hemorrhages in tissues and organs. The effect of coumarin is enhanced if the victim's food for a long time was insufficient in vitamin K.

Poisoning develops in 1-3 weeks. There are multiple hemorrhages in tissues and organs, diarrhea (sometimes bloody). Muscle weakness, drowsiness, paresis, anemia. Blood in the urine and convulsions may appear.

In case of poisoning, gastric lavage is necessary. Orally or intramuscularly (1% solution) appoint vikasol. With the first route of administration, the daily dose is 0.06 g, with the second - 0.03 g. Calcium chloride is used (5-10 ml of a 10% solution intravenously or 3-4 times a day, 1 tbsp. L. In 5% solution inside), blood transfusion.

The use of sweet clover on the farm:

Melilot is used in cooking for the preparation of okroshka or salads.

Dry leaves and flowers - a spice of a salty-bitter taste for soups, salads, main courses, marinades; as well as a good filler for aromatic sachets.

Unlike the overwhelming number of clovers pollinated by bumblebees, sweet clovers are pollinated by bees and are one of the most valuable melliferous plants, because a lot of honey is obtained (from 1 hectare of its crops bees can collect 200-600 kg of honey), and its taste and medicinal qualities are very high. They say that if a traveler walks through the thickets of sweet clover, his legs will be knee-deep in honey. In medicine, sweet clover is used for the preparation of a medicinal patch, in the tobacco industry - for flavoring tobacco, in brewing - for flavoring beer, in a distillery - for making tinctures.

Amateur anglers use sweet clover as an additional bait for fish. The method justifies itself in reservoirs with stagnant water. A certain amount of grass is placed in a bag and lowered to the bottom at the fishing site. Slowly penetrating into the water, coumarin attracts fish.

Melilot is one of the botanical barometers - its flowers exude an especially strong aroma before the rain, and bees and other insects are especially abundant over it, attracted by the smell at this time.

Melilot is a valuable forage plant rich in vitamins and mineral salts. They use it for grazing, for silage, hay and hay flour. It is eaten by all types of farm animals. In terms of feed merits, it is not inferior to alfalfa and clover. 100 kg of green mass contains 17.5 feed units and 3.3 kg of digestible protein. Contains the aromatic substance coumarin, so animals in the first days of grazing reluctantly eat it, but quickly get used to it. Sweet clover is pitted 2-3 times during the summer. Silage is harvested in the first year one month before frost, in the second year - at the beginning of flowering. They are ensiled, as a rule, in a mixture with other cereal plants. Mow for hay at the beginning of flowering. The yield of green mass of sweet clover of white natural thickets ranges from 20 to 50 centners per hectare, hay 10-30 centners. In Russia, sweet clover is cultivated in the Urals, in Siberia.

Melilot is also sown to fix the sands.

A bit of history:

Melilot is an invasive plant, originally it was a subject of culture, but soon took root in natural communities. It has been found in the wild on the territory of our country since 1882. The general distribution is Europe, Siberia, the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Far East, as well as America and Australia.

As a strong-smelling potion, sweet clover could be a talisman - in particular, the Bulgarians sewed it into clothes to protect it from a whirlwind, which was considered by the Slavs to be the product of dark forces hostile to man.

They say that the Zaporozhye and Don Cossacks, by the specific melilot smell of smoke from the cradles, distinguished theirs from strangers.

A biennial herb from the legume family, up to 1 m high, with a taproot branching root. Stems ascending, branched, almost round at the bottom and slightly angular at the top. Leaves are alternate, trifoliate, glabrous, long-petiolate) with entire subulate stipules. Leaflets obovate or lanceolate, sawtooth-serrate. The flowers are small, yellow, irregular, butterflies, on short pedicels, collected in long axillary racemes. The fruit is glabrous, transversely rugose, one-two-seeded pod. Blooms in June-August. Occurs on alkaline and dry meadows, slopes of ravines, ravines, forest edges, among shrubs in forest-steppe and steppe zones.

Melilot is harvested during flowering, cutting off the tops and side shoots up to 30 cm long with knives without thick and coarse stems. Do not collect sweet clover grass on roadsides and near dirt roads, where it is covered with dust. Raw materials are harvested in dry weather, when the dew melts, since being wet it very quickly warms up and darkens. The raw materials are immediately sent for drying.

Raw materials are dried in attics with good ventilation or under awnings, spreading them in a thin layer (up to 5-7 cm thick) on paper or fabric and periodically turning them over. Drying is finished when the stems become brittle. It is impossible to overdry the raw materials, since then almost all the leaves crumble. Dry in dryers at a temperature not exceeding 40 ° C. The shelf life of raw materials is 2 years. The smell of raw materials is coumarin (the smell of fresh hay), the taste is salty-bitter. It is exported.

Useful properties of sweet clover

Sweet clover herb contains glycosides, the cleavage of which forms coumarin (colorless, crystalline substance with the smell of fresh hay), melilotol, cymarin, melilotic and coumaric acids, tannins and fat-like substances, derivatives of purine, choline, essential oil, protein, flavonoids, ascorbic acid , tocopherol, carotene, sugar, mucus. The decaying plant contains dicumarol (dicumarin), which prevents blood clotting.

It was experimentally established and clinically confirmed that coumarin contained in the herb inhibits the central nervous system and has an anticonvulsant effect. In patients with leukopenia, due to radiation therapy, coumarin causes an increase in the number of leukocytes, mainly due to granulocytes and, to a lesser extent, lymphocytes. Melilot is used for insomnia, hysteria, cardiospasm, migraine, climacteric complaints, as an expectorant for inflammatory diseases of the respiratory system, laxative. The herb of the plant is part of the emollient preparations for poultices and the preparation of a green (blister and corn) plaster.

Donnik is an ancient medicine, it is also known from the pre-Slavic era. In folk medicine, an aqueous extract of the herb is used for increased nervous excitability, insomnia, headache, neurasthenia, hysteria, melancholy, menstrual disorders, especially during menopause, bronchitis, dropsy, pain in the intestines and bladder, flatulence, as well as lactic acid (2 teaspoons of herbs insist with 1/2 cup boiling water for 4 hours, drink in 3 doses 20-40 minutes before meals.) Outwardly, infusion and decoction of sweet clover, as well as ointment from clover flowers are used to treat furunculosis, purulent wounds, mastitis, otitis media (2 tablespoons of herbs are infused with 2 cups of boiling water for 5-6 hours).

The biological activity of a plant is determined by the presence of coumarin in it. Sweet clover coumarin increases systolic blood pressure, increases cardiac output and the number of leukocytes in the blood, improves cerebral and peripheral blood supply and blood circulation to the abdominal organs.

There is information about the use of sweet clover in India as an emollient, hemostatic agent; with flatulence. In Chinese medicine, in fees - for the treatment of epidemic encephalitis.

Aboveground part. In homeopathy - for making essences; inside - with climacteric ailments and psychosis due to hyperemia. In folk medicine - a laxative, included in the emollient collection; with gynecological diseases; infusion, decoction - with flatulence, diseases of the upper respiratory tract and lungs, hypertension, atherosclerosis; as an expectorant, sedative, diuretic, antibacterial, hypotensive, antispasmodic, analgesic. Outwardly, infusion, decoction (baths, compresses, washing, poultices, lotions, ointments, patches) - as irritating, distracting, anti-inflammatory, cleansing, emollient; with abscesses, furunculosis, mastitis, articular rheumatism and malignant tumors. In Bulgaria, infusion, decoction - anticoagulant and fibrinolytic; with chronic bronchitis, cystitis, migraine, hypertension. In Poland - for insomnia, neurasthenia, heart and headaches; externally - for the treatment of hemorrhoids. In Austria and Germany - for stomach diseases and bronchitis. In France, the broth inside is antispasmodic and astringent; with gout.

Leaves. A tissue preparation "Meliocin" was proposed, the biostimulating effect of which is twice as high as that of aloe extract.

Flowers (fresh). Ointment (externally) - for boils, carbuncles to accelerate their maturation.

Dangerous properties of sweet clover

Contraindicated in pregnancy and kidney disease. Melilot is a poisonous plant, the dosage should be strictly observed. It is advisable to use it only in fees

In large doses, it inhibits the central nervous system, adversely affects smooth muscles. With prolonged use and overdose, it causes dizziness, headaches, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, sometimes liver damage, hemorrhages (under the skin, into muscles, internal organs) and even paralysis of the central nervous system. You can not use it during pregnancy, internal bleeding, reduced blood clotting. The therapeutic use of sweet clover is possible only as directed and under the supervision of the attending or local doctor.

Poisoning of animals is associated with feeding them spoiled hay or silage from sweet clover. When hay decays (under the influence of molds), poisonous dicoumarin is formed, which has an anticoagular effect. Poisoning develops with a latency period of 3-5 days and is characterized by bleeding, hemorrhages, dyspeptic disorders, inhibition of liver function, hematuria, and allergic reactions are possible. Penetrating the placenta, dicoumarin can cause fatal bleeding in the fetus. Poisoning is especially dangerous with a lack of vitamin K in the diet. In case of poisoning, sick animals are given feed rich in vitamin K (alfalfa, clover hay, carrots, etc.). Cattle are injected intramuscularly with 0.1-0.3 g of vitamin K and calcium-containing preparations (calcium gluconate, calcium chloride).

If you suffer from puffiness and pain after injuries, then the folk recipe for ointment based on sweet clover will be your savior!

Medicinal sweet clover: useful properties and application

Sweet clover: description, useful properties, application and contraindications

It is one of the most unusual plants used in folk medicine. Its unusualness is due to the chemical composition of the plant, which is not typical for legumes. But first things first.

The plant is called differently in different places. There are also such names: burkun, burkun, wild buckwheat, female sweet clover, yellow sweet clover, bottom grass, yellow burkun.

Such a number of names is explained by the vast distribution area of \u200b\u200bsweet clover.

Biological description of sweet clover

Medicinal sweet clover (lat. Melilotus officinalis) is a biennial herb, growing up to 1 meter in height, belonging to the legume family (Fabaceae). Currently distributed on all continents (with the exception of Antarctica).

In places where sweet clover is rare or not found at all, it is cultivated. For some countries, this plant is even exported.

The root system of medicinal sweet clover is pivotal. Stems ascending, rounded below, angular above. The leaves, like many other legumes, are trifoliate, obovate in shape, sawtooth-toothed at the edge.

The flowers are dirty yellow, irregular, located on short pedicels. Blooms depending on climatic conditions from June to August.

Distribution of sweet clover

Found in Great Britain, New Zealand, North America, in the very south of South America, but the "historical homeland" of the plant is Europe, Minor, Central and Central Asia.

In Russia, it is widespread everywhere, preferring to develop meadows, roadsides, quarries, wastelands, deposits, etc. Very often it grows together with its congener - sweet clover, white, with a different flower (white petals are white) and the shape of the bean surface (white ones are wrinkled).

Preparation of medicinal sweet clover

The herb of the plant is of medical importance. Its harvesting should fall on the flowering phase, since it is at this time that the maximum concentration of biologically active substances is observed in the plant.

The grass is cut with a knife, but not the entire aerial part of the plant is taken, but only the top up to 30 centimeters long. Coarse and thick stems are not suitable as medicinal raw materials. I think there is no need to explain that harvesting is carried out far from large settlements and roads.

Harvesting is done only in dry weather, as a raw plant quickly deteriorates. After harvesting, drying cannot be postponed for these reasons either.

Drying itself is carried out using conventional technology or in stoves and ovens at temperatures up to 40 degrees. Raw materials are stored for up to 2 years in a sealed container. It has a very strong fresh hay smell (coumarin smell) and has a salty bitter taste.

The chemical composition of sweet clover

The herb of medicinal sweet clover contains the following useful substances:

• coumarin;

Hello dear reader!

Midsummer. Heat. Calmness. Near the road - thickets of almost human-sized grass. Astringent aroma of sweet clover. It is around its flowers that bees, heavily loaded with bribes, are buzzing. Some plants have yellow flowers, others, very similar, have white flowers. They belong to the same genus, which explains the similarity. The beneficial properties of sweet clover are the topic of this article.

Clover thickets by the road

Types of sweet clover

Melilot is a genus of plants in the legume family. This genus contains quite a lot of species. But the most common sweet clover is medicinal (or yellow) and white clover. These are biennial herbs. They grow throughout Eurasia, especially in the steppe zone. But they settled widely - both throughout the middle zone and to the north. Plants even got overseas - to America.

Sweet clover has bright yellow moth flowers, similar to those of many other legumes. They are rather small, collected in brushes. They have a strong aroma.

Sweet clover inflorescence

The fruit of the sweet clover is an ovoid bean 3-4 mm in size, with one or two seeds inside.

The stem is erect, strongly branched. In plants of the second year, it can reach a height of one and a half meters.

The leaves are small, alternate. The lowest one is trifoliate, of obovate leaflets. The rest of the leaves are lanceolate, oblong, with denticles along the edges. The shape of its leaves, especially the trifoliate, is also similar to many other legumes.

Sweet clover with white clover

The stems and leaves of white sweet clover are very similar to those of sweet clover. Flowers are similar in shape. Only the petals in them are white.

White sweet clover

It is noteworthy that the chemical composition of plants is in many ways similar. Consequently, the useful properties of both melilot are similar. Both of them are medicinal plants, let one be called "medicinal", and the other is just "white".

Melilot habitats are wastelands, roadsides, railway embankments. It is often found in crops as a weed. But sweet clovers are also grown on purpose, as fodder plants. A number of varieties have been developed.

Useful properties of sweet clover

Human use of plants is determined by their chemical composition. Melilot, like other legumes, has a high content of protein and fats in leaves and fruits. The glycoside coumarin, choline, purines are contained in significant amounts. These are important biologically active substances.

Let us remember the close relationship of both sweet clovers and their similarity, including in application. But I will still describe the use of the medicinal sweet clover, the beneficial properties of which have been most well studied.

Therapeutic use of sweet clover

The use of yellow sweet clover in folk medicine goes back centuries. The plant has been perfectly studied by doctors during this period. Sweet clover has shown its outstanding healing properties in the treatment of many diseases.

I think that the name of the plant comes from its medicinal use. After all, sweet clover was treated for gout. And the lower part of the abdominal cavity of the human body was often called the "bottom". Diseases of this "lower part" are "bottom diseases".

Melilot preparations (extracts, infusions, ointments) were used by traditional medicine to treat abscesses, boils, and tumors. With inflammation of the mammary glands, lotions were made from the infusion of sweet clover grass. Inflamed joints in rheumatism were treated with similar lotions.

For colds, bronchitis, cough, sweet clover decoctions can be used as an expectorant that helps to remove phlegm.

Melilot is also used as part of herbal teas, which have a calming effect, used for insomnia.

The beneficial properties of sweet clover are also recognized by modern medicine. It has been established, for example, that coumarin is an anticoagulant. Melilot preparations reduce blood clotting and are used for thrombosis, angina pectoris.

The main form of using sweet clover is infusions. One of the recipes is as follows.

Put two tablespoons of dried herbs in an enamel bowl and pour a glass of boiling water over it. Heat 15 minutes in a water bath. Cool the infusion, strain and squeeze. Dilute the infusion with boiled water, adding it to a whole glass (200 ml).

Take 2 - 3 times a day for half a glass.

Another infusion can be used as a sedative for insomnia, headache, hyperexcitability, and even hysteria and neurasthenia.

To obtain it, 1 teaspoon of dry melilot grass is poured with a glass of boiling water and insisted for 30 minutes.

Take 2 - 3 times a day, half a glass before meals.

At home, it is quite easy to get an ointment from a sweet clover that promotes the ripening and opening of abscesses and boils.

To do this, mash 2 tablespoons of fresh flowers with 2 - 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Use such an ointment freshly prepared, applying it to a sore spot.

But remember: self-medication is dangerous! Be sure to consult your doctor. Coumarin, which is part of the flowers, is poisonous, and if the dosage is violated, the occurrence of headache, vomiting... With completely excessive use, even liver damage and circulation!

Collection of sweet clover herbs

The herb is collected for medicinal purposes during the flowering period. At this time, the delicate parts of the plant are cut or cut off - flower brushes, tops of shoots with leaves.

Raw materials are dried under a canopy in the shade, spreading it in a thin layer. When dried properly, the leaves will remain green and the flowers yellow.

Melilot (burkun, chrestovik) is a herbaceous biennial plant of the legume family. Grows in Central Asia, Russia, Europe, South America, Ukraine, in the steppes of the Caucasus. This is an unpretentious plant that tolerates drought well. In the wild it is found in ravines, on forest edges, roadsides, wastelands, meadows.

The name "sweet clover" comes from the Greek words "lotus" - forage grass and "chalk" -. The plant has a pronounced coumarin odor. It is a good honey plant and a valuable forage crop.

Currently, there are 22 types of sweet clover. Among which the medicinal burkun provides the greatest value for human health. It is used in the food and medical industries.

It is interesting that sweet clover is medicinal, improves the structure of the soil, is used for tobacco fragrance, soap aromatization. In addition, it has a beneficial effect on the human body: it has anticonvulsant properties, lowers blood pressure, and eliminates respiratory diseases. The herb is indicated for use by people suffering from neurasthenia, insomnia, migraine, hypertension, angina pectoris, cardiospasm.

Botanical description and preparation

Melilot is a herbaceous bush that reaches 1.5 m in height. The stem is woody at the base, dense and branched. The leaves are trifoliate, petiolate, sessile, oblong-obovate or elliptical in configuration. Flowers are yellow, small, forming axillary racemes.

Fruits are naked oval beans, short, with a subulate acumen at the top, brown in color. Flowering period - June-August, fruiting - July-October.

Lateral shoots, plant tops with leaves and flower brushes serve as medicinal raw materials. The grass is harvested in dry weather. It is important to wait until the dew leaves the plant, otherwise it will quickly darken, deteriorate due to moisture.

Raw materials are dried in a well-ventilated area or in the shade under a canopy. The grass is laid out on a cloth or paper base in a thin layer, up to 5 cm in thickness. During the drying process, parts of the plant are periodically turned over. Harvested dry grass emits a strong aromatic coumarin smell, reminiscent of fresh hay and has a salty bitter taste.

Composition and properties

The use of sweet clover is due to the presence of coumarin and its derivatives (up to 0.9%) in fresh grass, which give the plant not only a pleasant aroma, but also increase the number of leukocytes, interfere with blood clotting, and have a calming effect on the human nervous system. Due to these properties, the stems and flowers are used to thin the blood.

The chemical composition of the herb sweet clover:

• melilotin;
• glycoside melilotoside;
• polysaccharides (in the form of mucus);
• coumaric and melilotic acids;
• fatty substances;
• saponins;
• purine derivatives;
• essential oils;
• nitrogenous bases;
• tannins;
• phenolic triterpene compounds;

Fatty acids (linolenic, arachidic, behenic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, lignoceric, palmitic) are concentrated in plant seeds.

Pharmacological properties of burkun:

• anti-inflammatory;
• antiseptic;
• expectorant;
• emollient;
• carminative;
• anticonvulsants;
• hypotensive;
• anticoagulant;
• wound healing;
• soothing;
• sweatshops.

Coumarin, which is part of the plant, has a narcotic effect, inhibits the central nervous system, and is poisonous in large doses. Therefore, preparations based on a chrestovik cannot be used on their own without a doctor's prescription.

Melilot grass exhibits cardiotropic, anti-ischemic and antihypoxic activity.

Effect on the body:

1. Improves blood circulation in the myocardium, abdominal organs and brain.
2. Increases blood pressure.
3. Promotes an increase in the strength of contractions of the heart muscle.
4. Relieves the condition of patients suffering from neurological disorders, diseases of the upper respiratory tract and heart.
5. Stimulates the phagocytic activity of leukocytes.

In folk medicine, medicinal herb is used internally for painful menstruation, joint swelling, headache, inflammation of the mammary glands. It is recommended for lactating women to drink a decoction of sweet clover as a milk-producing agent. Outwardly, it is applied to treat boils, rheumatism, purulent wounds, ulcers. To relieve ovarian inflammation, take herbal baths.

Indications for use:

• constipation;
• insomnia;
• hypertension;
• angina pectoris;
• rheumatism;
• bronchitis;
• thrombosis of the coronary vessels;
• increased nervous irritability;
• atherosclerosis;
• diseases of the female reproductive system, blood;
• flatulence;
• diffuse toxic goiter;
• leukopenia;
• convulsions;
• abscesses;
• dystonia;
• headaches.

Melilot is primarily a medicinal plant that should be consumed strictly as prescribed by a doctor. The herb should not be taken by pregnant women, people with kidney disease, hemorrhagic vasculitis, individual intolerance and suffering from reduced blood clotting.

In case of an overdose, dizziness, vomiting and nausea, weakness in the body, and drowsiness occur.

Application in traditional medicine

With amenorrhea

Mix the sweet clover, centaury and coltsfoot flowers in equal amounts, pour 15 g of the resulting collection in 200 ml of boiling water, strain after 2 hours. Take 50 ml 6 times a day for a month.

With inflammation of the ovaries

Common, sweet clover, flowers of coltsfoot, centaury mix in equal proportions. Introduce a tablespoon of the collection into 200 ml hot, brought to 80 degrees, leave for 3 hours, drain.

The method of use is the same as in the first case. To achieve an effective result throughout the entire period of treatment, abstinence from sexual activity is recommended.

With hypertension

To lower blood pressure, 5 g of dry melilot grass is brewed in 200 ml of warm water, left for 2 hours, filtered. Take 3 times a day, 100 ml.

With cracks in the anus, herpes. Method of preparation of the infusion: pour 15 g of herb with 300 ml of boiling water. After 2 hours, strain the drink, take it as with hypertension.

For headaches

Fill one third of a half liter jar with dry grass clover, pour to the top. Leave the tincture for 14 days, shake it periodically. Strain after 2 weeks. Rub the whiskey with the resulting product for headaches.

For arthrosis, sprains, rheumatism, abscesses, inflammations, melilot flowers are crushed to a state of homogeneous mass, mixed with petroleum jelly. Apply the ointment to damaged areas as needed.

Food use

The leaves and dried flowers of sweet clover are used as a seasoning for fish dishes, compotes, soups, salads, and young roots are eaten raw, fried or boiled. Herb powder is added to soft drinks, wine, liqueurs, and liqueurs as a flavoring.

To avoid overdose, the daily intake of dried burkun leaves is 5 g, and fresh - 20 g.

Recipe number 1 "Salad health"

Ingredients:

• green onions - 25 g;
• sweet clover leaves - 20 g;
• hard-boiled - 1 pc;
• fresh cucumbers - 50 g;
• - 25 ml;
• vegetable oil;

Cooking principle: cut cucumbers, onions, eggs and leaves of sweet clover, pour sour cream and vegetable oil, salt. Mix the ingredients thoroughly. Serve the salad immediately after cooking, otherwise it will drain.

Recipe number 2 "Spring mood drink"

Ingredients:

• dry flowers and leaves of sweet clover - 10 g;
• hot boiled water - 1 liter;
• cranberry juice - 50 ml;
• honey - 100 ml.

Method of preparation: Melilot grass is added to hot water, which is boiled for 5 minutes, cooled to 50 degrees. The infusion is filtered, cooled, honey and cranberry juice are added. When serving, garnish with mint, add ice pieces.

Recipe number 3 "Okroshka with sweet clover"

Ingredients:

• boiled - 50 g;
• bread kvass - 500 ml;
• sweet clover - 20 g;
• sour cream - 25 ml;
• boiled beef - 70 g;
• fresh cucumbers - 50 g;
• onions - 25 g;
• boiled egg - 1 pc;
• mustard, salt,.

Cooking technology: grind the leaves of sweet clover and onions with salt, mustard. Dice the potatoes, cucumbers, eggs and meat. Mix the ingredients, season with sour cream, add salt, sugar, pour kvass.

Melilot honey

It is a natural dietary product with antiseptic and immunomodulatory effects. Melilot honey owes its beneficial properties to a honey plant that absorbs biologically active substances, vitamins, etc. The natural sugar substitute is recommended for lactating women to maintain lactation, enrich milk with nutrients. In addition, it exhibits antispasmodic effects, combats constipation, flatulence, and relieves pain during menstruation.

Honey has absorbing properties, therefore it is useful for mastitis, lactostasis, cysts (diseases of the mammary glands) and joint tumors, arthritis, arthrosis. A sugar product from melilot, normalizes the activity of the immune system, improves the condition of patients suffering from autoimmune diseases, improves peripheral blood circulation. It has a tonic effect and functions as a natural energy.

Melilot honey is a product of a pale yellow or slightly greenish hue, quickly candied. A delicate vanilla note is felt in the aroma and taste.

Application:

1. To stimulate the immune system, it is recommended to eat sweet clover honey daily, 25 g for adults and 10 g for children. After using the product, monitor the baby's reaction. If itching, redness, irritability occurs, it is stopped.

Remember, due to the abundance of pollen, honey acts as a strong allergen and can cause an allergic reaction, therefore, when introducing the product into the diet of children, be careful not to exceed the strictly established doses. Do not risk your baby's health.

1. To maintain the body in hypothyroid conditions, it is recommended to eat 15-30 ml of honey per day.
2. For the treatment of trachitis, pneumonia, bronchitis and laryngitis, a core is cut from a large black radish. Put 15 ml of melilot honey in the resulting depression. The root crop is left for 1.5 days. During this time, it secretes juice, which, when mixed with honey, forms a healing elixir. The product should be consumed 15 ml 3 times a day 15 minutes before a meal.
3. To improve the condition of the skin (cleansing, eliminate greasy, getting rid of boils, pimples and blackheads) prepare nutrient mixture for outdoor use. Mask ingredients: fresh cucumbers (200 g) and honey (5 ml). The green vegetable is grated, mixed with the bee substrate, applied to the cleansed dermis for 15 minutes, washed off with water. The product moisturizes, nourishes and disinfects problem skin. To care for dry dermis, an additional component is introduced into the composition - (15 ml).

Melilot honey is used with caution in the presence of allergies to legumes, bee products, overweight and diabetes. When diagnosing cardiovascular pathologies, it is recommended to consult a doctor before taking it, since coumarin is a part of honey flowers. This compound stimulates the work of the pulsating organ, increases arterial systolic pressure.

In other cases, the product is not only harmless, but on the contrary, useful. However, this only applies to natural melilot honey. When choosing a product, pay attention to its color and consistency. It should visually resemble ghee, be almost uniform, candied with almost indistinguishable grains. This natural beekeeping product emits a subtle vanilla aroma. A strong smell indicates that there is a fake in front of you.

How to grow sweet clover

For germination of sweet clover seeds, an ambient temperature of 2-4 degrees above zero is required. A year after planting, the plant blooms. This period lasts from June to August. By the end of summer, it is time for fruiting. The collected seeds are scarified before spring sowing.

The root system of the sweet clover is highly developed, so it is picky about soil conditions. Acidic soil is detrimental to the plant. Melilot is a drought-resistant grass that does not require constant watering, on the contrary, excessive moisture leads to rotting of the root system.

Fertilizers containing potassium and phosphorus are used as top dressing.

The seeds have a compacted shell, the integrity of which is deliberately violated before planting in the ground. Thus, the chances of their germination increase. Seeds are sown in early spring in the prepared soil in rows, leaving a distance of 3 cm between them. On average, 200 seeds should fall on 1 meter.

Within a year after planting, the root system of the plant develops intensively. And the top is covered with beautiful greenery, which dies off in autumn. Only the root collar overwinters with the so-called renewal buds. Remember, the plant should not be in the lowlands, because if melt water accumulates due to the abundance of moisture, it will die.

The clover is cleaned with a secateurs. For medicinal purposes, only the lateral shoots with the top of the plant are cut off, crushing thick coarse branches. Raw materials are dried under a canopy in a well-ventilated place. The grass is spread over the surface or collected in bunches, which are hung in the form of garlands. When small stems, flowers, leaves, fruits dry, grind them, pass through a sieve. Store in a closed container.

Conclusion

Melilot is a medicinal herb with an erect, branched stem. The shrub can be seen in the ravines, in the meadow and fields, at the edge of the forest. Sweet clover contains coumarin, which normalizes blood circulation in the abdominal cavity, increases the number of leukocytes in the blood, and increases blood pressure. Burkun-based preparations have antiseptic, wound-healing, analgesic, anticonvulsant, expectorant and laxative effects. They are indicated in the treatment of hemorrhoids, thrombophlebitis, lymphostasis, varicose veins (inside) and bruises, sprains, hemorrhages (externally).

Ointments are prepared from the plant, special pillows that relieve inflammation from the joints. Melilot honey and tea, used to fight colds and coughs, decoction and infusion - to increase lactation, relieve swelling, pain during menstruation. In addition, the leaves, roots and flowers of burkun are used in the food industry. They are added to salads, boiled, fried, baked and served as a side dish for fish and vegetable dishes. The safe daily dose of the fresh ground part of the plant is 20 g, dried - 5 g. If the maximum permissible norms are exceeded, side reactions from the body are possible: dizziness, rashes, nausea, vomiting.