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

Useful properties and contraindications of sweet clover are known in most European countries. Some 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 aromatization food products and tobacco products.

Features of a medicinal plant

Sweet clover yellow grows in the wild. It is a good fodder plant, a green fertilizer for the soil and a quality honey plant. Recently, more and more appreciated it healing properties, therefore, in some countries it is cultivated, new varieties are being developed.

area

This is a medicinal plant of the steppe and forest-steppe zone. Distributed throughout the European part. He loves the southern regions, Minor, Central Asia, the Caucasus. In Russia, it can be found even in Western Siberia. Most species 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's biennial herbaceous plant. It has a branched, upright stem. Its height can reach from 50 to 150 cm. Leaves with a serrated edge, trifoliate. The plant is easily recognizable by its characteristic bright yellow flowers, which are collected in thin brushes in the form of spikelets. Donets exudes the aroma of coumarin, it can be described as "the smell of freshly cut grass."

Other types

There are three more types of this plant that are used in traditional medicine and beekeeping.

Procurement of raw materials

Dried sweet clover has a fragrant, pleasant smell of cut grass. It is important to maintain storage conditions - protect the grass from moisture. If mold appears, raw materials should not be consumed.

healing action

What are medicinal properties sweet clover?

• Expectorant.
• Anticonvulsant.
• Emollient.
• Soothing.
• Wound healing.
• Anticoagulant (anticoagulant).
• Painkiller.
• Absorbable.
• Carminative.
• Anti-inflammatory.
• Distracting.

What is in the chemical composition?

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

Indications

What are the indications for treatment with yellow sweet clover?

• Varicose veins. Grass reduces capillary permeability. The main use of sweet clover is chronic venous insufficiency, varicose veins, thrombophlebitis, hemorrhoids. Herbal medicines help relieve pain, itching, swelling, heaviness in the legs, cramps in venous insufficiency.
• Outdoor use. Compresses and lotions are used for bruises, sprains, subcutaneous hemorrhages, non-healing wounds, abscesses, boils, tumors. The tool 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 sweet clover decoctions.
• Respiratory system . Decoctions help with cough, inflammation respiratory organs. They are prescribed for bronchitis, tracheitis, laryngitis.
• Digestive organs. The sweet clover herb acts as a mild laxative and carminative. Helps with indigestion, relieves spasms, bloating.
• Nervous system . The remedy is known for its sedative, narcotic properties, relaxes nervous system, helps with insomnia, neurasthenia, psychosis. It is drunk with migraines, severe headaches, convulsions.
• Leukopenia (decrease in the level of leukocytes). Often the disease develops after radiotherapy for cancer. Grass promotes an increase in leukocytes.
• For women . Nursing mothers apply compresses for inflammation of the mammary glands (mastitis), cracked nipples. They act as a distraction and anti-inflammatory agent. The grass also normalizes menstrual cycle, it treats inflammation of the ovaries. It is useful to drink during 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 resolving, analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent.

Yellow sweet clover contraindications: low blood clotting, hemorrhagic diathesis (tendency to internal and external bleeding), liver disease, pregnancy, childhood. Dangerous grass for the kidneys, with diseases of the central nervous system, mental disorders. Medical consultation before using this herb is strictly required.

Ways to prepare and use sweet clover

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

Decoction

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

Cooking

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

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

Infusion

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

Preparation of a weak infusion

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

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

Preparation of concentrated infusion

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

Such an 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 douches, tampons, and baths. Concentrated infusions are added to therapeutic baths for diseases of the joints.

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 maturation of boils.

Cooking

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

The ointment is applied to a napkin and applied to the affected area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe skin or sore spot.

Features of use for varicose veins

Treatment of varicose veins is a long and complex process. It is important to include proper diet And drinking regimen, gymnastics, massage. An important role is influenced by the lifestyle, age, occupation of the patient. There are positive reviews about the treatment of yellow sweet clover with the threat of blood clots. Also, varicose veins are 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 the treatment of veins

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 apply herb for veins? Drink 1 dessert spoon 3 times a day before meals. Doctors recommend taking this medicinal plant in combination with other herbs.

How to prepare herbal collection for the treatment of veins

1. Take 2 parts of milk thistle herb, hazel leaves.
2. Add 1 part sweet clover grass and prickly harrow herb.
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 cup 3 times before meals.

sweet clover honey

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

cooking

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

Side effects

Melilot officinalis - poisonous plant. Overdose and uncontrolled intake lead to pronounced side effects:

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

What is important to know?

• You can not increase the dosage of the herb.
• Do not give to children.
• When side effects consult a doctor immediately.
• White sweet clover is considered more toxic, so it is much less often used as medicine.

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

Other plant names:

white burkun

Brief description of white sweet clover:

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

The leaves are triangular, with oblong-lanceolate leaflets and subulate stipules. The flowers are small, bilaterally symmetrical, white, moth-like, collected 40–80 in long narrow axillary racemes-inflorescences, the peduncle is longer than the calyx. The corolla with wings is shorter than the flag and almost equal to the boat. The fruits are ovoid beans, reticulated, later black-brown, with 1–2 seeds. The herb has an aromatic smell 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 clover:

The yellow sweet clover or medicinal sweet clover has the same meaning - 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.

Places of growth:

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

Cultivation of sweet clover:

The annual sweet clover propagates by seeds, the germination of which is not lost for more than 10 years. When sown in spring 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 cuts: the first - before flowering for hay (until the stems are coarsened), the second - for silage or green fodder. It is undemanding to growing conditions; characterized by high frost resistance, drought resistance and heat resistance. It grows on different soils (preferably on loose carbonate), even on solonetsous and dry, where other legumes grow poorly and have low yields, it does not withstand acidic marshy soils.

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

Sweet clover is winter-hardy, drought-resistant. Grows best in soils rich in lime. Salted soils are desalinated and enriched with nitrogen. Promising for the development of solonetzic soils of the forest-steppe, steppe and semi-deserts. It is highly resistant to diseases and pests.

Sweet clover preparation:

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

The chemical composition of white sweet clover:

The herb of the white sweet clover contains coumarin, dicoumarol, and in larger quantities than in the sweet clover. Coumarin, found in all parts of the plant, imparts a hay flavor and a bitter taste.

In addition, the plant contains coumaric, molotic 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 oily.

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

All these active substances form the basis of the chemical composition of white sweet clover (white burkun).

Pharmacological properties of white sweet clover:

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

White sweet clover preparations 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 with sweet clover:

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

With purulent wounds, ulcers, inflammation of the mammary glands, poultices were made from grass and flowers. Melilot officinalis, like white sweet clover, is the raw material for the production of an abscessive green plaster used for carbuncles and boils.

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

Paul Sedir calls white sweet clover masculine (as opposed to yellow feminine) and reports the following use of it: “Flowers and leaves with ghee are made into an ointment for wounds and colds. Grass is drunk for fever, dryness, dropsy, abdominal pain and to increase the amount of milk.

It has been observed that when sweet clover grass is fed to livestock, animals, even with small wounds, develop 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 myocardial infarction.

As a lactogenic, anti-febrile, for ascites, malaria, colds, headache, dropsy, abdominal pain, dryness, various gynecological diseases (especially ovarian inflammation and infertility), sweet clover grass 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 grass preparations are active against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli.

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

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

White sweet clover herb infusion:

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

White sweet clover herb infusion:

Brew 500 ml of boiling water 1 tbsp. l. herbs, insist, wrapped, night, strain. Drink 1/4 cup 4 times a day. In this case, it is necessary to observe a doctor and study pro-thrombin time.

A decoction of white clover roots:

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

White sweet clover herb tincture:

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

From the white sweet clover, the medical preparation "Dicoumarin" is synthetically made (in tablets of 0.1 g).

White sweet clover contraindications:

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 effect of coumarin contained in sweet clover is that coumarin inhibits the formation of the prothrombin enzyme in the liver, causing a decrease in its content in the blood (hypoprothrombinemia) and a decrease in the blood's ability to clot. The clinical consequence of this condition is the occurrence of multiple hemorrhages in tissues and organs. The action of coumarin is enhanced if the food of the victim for a long time was with an insufficient amount of vitamin K.

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

In case of poisoning, gastric lavage should be carried out. Inside or intramuscularly (1% solution) appoint vikasol. In the first route of administration, the daily dose is 0.06 g, in the second - 0.03 g. Calcium chloride is used (5-10 ml of a 10% solution intravenously or 3-4 times a day, 1 tablespoon in 5% solution inside), blood transfusion.

The use of sweet clover on the farm:

Sweet clover is used in cooking for making okroshka or salads.

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

Unlike the vast majority of clovers pollinated by bumblebees, sweet clover is pollinated by bees and is one of the most valuable honey plants, because there is a lot of honey (bees can collect 200-600 kg of honey from 1 hectare of its crops), and its taste and medicinal qualities are very high. They say that if a traveler passes through the thickets of sweet clover, then his legs will be knee-deep in honey. In medicine, sweet clover is used to make a medical plaster, in the tobacco industry - to flavor tobacco, in brewing - to flavor beer, in alcoholic beverages - to make 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 spot. Slowly penetrating into the water, coumarin attracts fish.

Sweet clover is one of the botanical barometers - its flowers exude aroma especially strongly before rain, and bees and other insects, attracted by the smell at this time, especially abundantly hover over it.

Sweet clover is a valuable fodder plant rich in vitamins and mineral salts. It is used for grazing, for silage, hay and hay flour. It is eaten by all kinds of farm animals. In terms of nutritional value, 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. It contains the aromatic substance coumarin, so animals in the first days of grazing eat it reluctantly, but quickly get used to it. During the summer sweet clover is pitted 2-3 times. It is harvested for silage in the first year a month before frosts, in the second year - at the beginning of flowering. Ensilage, as a rule, is mixed with other cereals. Mowed for hay at the beginning of flowering. The yield of green mass of white sweet clover of natural thickets ranges from 20 to 50 centners per 1 ha, hay 10–30 centners. In Russia, sweet clover is cultivated in the Urals, in Siberia.

Sweet clover is also sown to fix the sands.

A bit of history:

Sweet clover is an adventive 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. General distribution - Europe, Siberia, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Far East as well as America and Australia.

Like 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 the Slavs considered to be a product of dark forces hostile to man.

It is said that the Zaporozhye and Don Cossacks distinguished their own from others by the specific melilot smell of smoke from the cradles.

biennial herbaceous plant legume family, up to 1 m high, with a taproot branched root. Stems are ascending, branched, almost round at the bottom and slightly angular at the top. The leaves are alternate, trifoliate, glabrous, long-petiolate) with entire subulate stipules. Leaflets obovate or lanceolate, serrated. The flowers are small, yellow, irregular, moth-like, on short pedicels, collected in long axillary racemes. The fruit is a naked, transversely wrinkled, one- or two-seeded bean. Blooms in June-August. It occurs in solonetsous and upland meadows, slopes of ravines, beams, forest edges, among shrubs in the forest-steppe and steppe zones.

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

The raw materials are dried in attics with good ventilation or under sheds, spread out in a thin layer (up to 5-7 cm thick) on paper or cloth and periodically turning over. Drying is completed when the stems become brittle. You can not overdry the raw materials, because 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 an export item.

Useful properties of sweet clover

Sweet clover herb contains glycosides, the breakdown of which produces coumarin (a colorless, crystalline substance with the smell of fresh hay), melilotol, cymarin, melilotic and coumaric acids, tannins and fat-like substances, purine, choline derivatives, essential oil, protein, flavonoids, ascorbic acid , tocopherol, carotene, sugar, mucus. In a decaying plant, dicoumarol (dicoumarin) was found, which prevents blood clotting.

It has been experimentally established and clinically confirmed that the coumarin contained in the herb depresses 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. Sweet clover is used for insomnia, hysteria, cardiospasm, migraine, menopausal complaints, as an expectorant for inflammatory diseases of the respiratory system, and a laxative. The herb of the plant is part of emollient preparations for poultices and the preparation of a green (blister and corn) patch.

Sweet clover is an ancient medicine, also known from the pre-Slavic era. In folk medicine, an aqueous infusion of the herb is used for increased nervous excitability, insomnia, headache, neurasthenia, hysteria, melancholy, menstrual disorders, especially in menopause, bronchitis, dropsy, pain in the intestines and bladder, flatulence, and also as a lactic acid (2 teaspoons of herbs insist with 1/2 cup of boiling water for 4 hours, drink in 3 doses 20-40 minutes before meals.) Externally, infusion and decoction of sweet clover, as well as ointment from sweet 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 in 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 collections - for the treatment of epidemic encephalitis.

Aboveground part. In homeopathy - for the manufacture of essences; inside - with menopausal ailments and psychoses due to hyperemia. In folk medicine - a laxative, included in the emollient fees; with gynecological diseases; infusion, decoction - with flatulence, diseases of the upper respiratory tract and lungs, hypertension, atherosclerosis; as expectorant, sedative, diuretic, antibacterial, hypotensive, antispasmodic, analgesic. Outwardly infusion, decoction (baths, compresses, washings, poultices, lotions, ointments, plasters) - as an irritant, 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 - with insomnia, neurasthenia, with heart and headaches; externally - for the treatment of hemorrhoids. In Austria and Germany - for diseases of the stomach and bronchitis. In France, the decoction inside is antispasmodic and astringent; with gout.

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

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

Dangerous properties of sweet clover

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

In large doses, it depresses 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, in muscles, internal organs) and even paralysis of the central nervous system. You can not use it during pregnancy, internal bleeding, reduced blood clotting. Therapeutic use of sweet clover is possible only as directed and under the supervision of the attending physician or district physician.

The poisoning of animals is associated with feeding them spoiled hay or silage from sweet clover. When hay rots (under the action of mold fungi), poisonous dicoumarin is formed, which has an anticoagulant effect. Poisoning develops with a latent period of 3-5 days and is characterized by bleeding, hemorrhages, dyspeptic disorders, depression of liver function, hematuria, and allergic reactions are possible. Penetrating through the placenta, dicoumarin can cause fatal bleeding in the fetus. Poisoning is especially dangerous when there is a lack of vitamin K in the diet. In case of poisoning, sick animals are given food 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 swelling and pain after injury, then folk recipe sweet clover ointments will be your savior!

Melilot officinalis: useful properties and applications

Melilot officinalis: description, useful properties, use and contraindications

This is one of the most unusual plants that is used in folk medicine. Its unusualness is due to the chemical composition of the plant, which is atypical for leguminous plants. But first things first.

The plant has different names in different places. There are also such names: burkun, burkunets, 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 ​​the sweet clover.

Biological description of sweet clover

Melilot officinalis (lat. Melilotus officinalis) is a biennial herbaceous plant that grows up to 1 meter in height, belonging to the legume family (Fabaceae). It is now 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 an export item.

The root system of the sweet clover is pivotal. Stems ascending, rounded below, angular above. The leaves, like those of many other legumes, are trifoliate, obovate in shape, with a saw-toothed margin.

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

Distribution of sweet clover

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

In Russia, it is distributed everywhere, preferring to develop meadows, roadsides, quarries, wastelands, deposits, etc. Very often it grows together with its relative - a white sweet clover, a flower of a different color (near the village of white color petals are white) and the shape of the surface of the beans (in white they are wrinkled).

Preparation of sweet clover

The plant's herb has medical significance. Its preparation 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 above-ground part of the plant is taken, but only the top up to 30 centimeters long. Rough 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 the raw plant quickly deteriorates. After harvesting, drying should in no case be postponed for these reasons either.

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

The chemical composition of sweet clover

The herb of sweet clover contains the following beneficial substances:

• coumarin;

Hello dear reader!

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

Thickets of sweet clover along the road

Types of sweet clover

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

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

Inflorescence of sweet clover

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

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

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

Melilot officinalis together with white sweet clover

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

White sweet clover

It is noteworthy that the chemical composition of plants is largely similar. Therefore, the beneficial properties of both sweet clover are similar. Both of them are medicinal plants, let one be called "medicinal", and the second - just "white".

The habitats of sweet clover are wastelands, roadsides, railway embankments. Often found in crops as a weed. But sweet clover is also grown specifically as fodder plants. A number of varieties have been bred.

Useful properties of sweet clover

The use of plants by humans is determined by their chemical composition. Sweet clover, like other legumes, has a high content of protein and fat in leaves and fruits. Significant amounts contain glycoside coumarin, choline, purines. These are important biologically active substances.

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

Medicinal use of sweet clover

The use of yellow sweet clover in folk medicine dates back centuries. During this period, the plant has been studied by doctors perfectly. Sweet clover showed 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, gout was treated with sweet clover. And the lower part of the abdominal cavity of the human body was often called the “bottom”. Diseases of this “lower part” are called “bottom diseases”.

Melilot preparations (extracts, infusions, ointments) were used by folk 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 with rheumatism were also treated with similar lotions.

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

Medicinal sweet clover is also used as part of herbal teas that have a calming effect, used for insomnia.

The beneficial properties of sweet clover are 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.

Infusions are the main form of sweet clover use. One of the recipes is this.

Put two tablespoons of dried herbs in an enamel bowl and pour a glass of boiling water over it. Heat for 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, headaches, irritability, and even hysteria and neurasthenia.

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

Take 2-3 times a day for half a cup before meals.

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

To do this, rub 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. The coumarin that is part of the flowers is poisonous, and if the dosage is violated, it may cause headache, vomiting. With completely immoderate use, even liver damage And blood circulation!

Collection of sweet clover grass

Clover grass is harvested for medicinal purposes during the flowering period. At this time, the tender parts of the plant are cut off or cut off - flower brushes, tops of shoots with leaves.

The raw materials are dried under a canopy in the shade, scattering it in a thin layer. With proper drying, the leaves will remain green and the flowers yellow.

Sweet clover (burkun, chrestovik) is a herbaceous biennial plant of the legume family. It grows on the territory of Central Asia, Russia, Europe, South America, Ukraine, in the steppes of the Caucasus. It is a hardy 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" - fodder grass and "chalk" -. The plant has a pronounced coumarin odor. It is a good honey plant and a valuable fodder crop.

Currently, there are 22 species 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 the sweet clover improves the structure of the soil, is used for flavoring tobacco, aromatizing soap. In addition, it has a beneficial effect on the human body: it has anticonvulsant properties, lowers blood pressure, eliminates respiratory diseases. The grass is indicated for use by people suffering from neurasthenia, insomnia, migraine, hypertension, angina, cardiospasm.

Botanical description and harvesting

Sweet clover is a herbaceous shrub reaching 1.5 m in height. The stem at the base is woody, dense and branched. Leaves trifoliate, petiolate, sessile, oblong-obovate or elliptical configuration. The flowers are yellow, small, form axillary racemes.

The fruits are bare oval-shaped beans, short, with an awl-shaped point at the top, brown in color. Flowering period - June-August, fruiting - July-October.

Medicinal raw materials are lateral shoots, plant tops with leaves and flower brushes. Grass is harvested in dry weather. It is important to wait until the dew has come off 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 fabric or paper base in a thin layer, up to 5 cm in thickness. In the process of drying, 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 benefits of sweet clover are due to the presence of coumarin and its derivatives in fresh grass (up to 0.9%), 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 officinalis:

• melilotin;
• melitoside glycoside;
• 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 are concentrated in the seeds of the plant (linolenic, arachidic, behenic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, lignoceric, palmitic).

Pharmacological properties of Burkun:

• anti-inflammatory;
• antiseptic;
• expectorants;
• emollients;
• carminative;
• anticonvulsants;
• hypotensive;
• anticoagulants;
• wound healing;
• soothing;
• diaphoretics.

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

Sweet clover grass exhibits cardiotropic, anti-ischemic and anti-hypoxic activity.

Effect on the body:

1. Improves blood circulation in the myocardium, abdominal organs and brain.
2. Raises blood pressure.
3. Helps increase the strength of contractions of the heart muscle.
4. It alleviates 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 used inside with painful menstruation, swelling of the joints, headache, inflammation of the mammary glands. Nursing women are advised to drink a decoction of sweet clover as a milk extractor. It is applied externally for the treatment of boils, rheumatism, purulent wounds, ulcers. Herbal baths are taken to relieve inflammation of the ovaries.

Indications for use:

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

Sweet clover is primarily a medicinal plant that should be used strictly according to the doctor's prescription. Grass 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, drowsiness occur.

Application in traditional medicine

With amenorrhea

Mix sweet clover, centaury and coltsfoot flowers in equal amounts, pour 15 g of the resulting collection into 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, coltsfoot flowers, centaury mixed in equal proportions. Enter a tablespoon of the collection in 200 ml of hot, brought to 80 degrees, leave for 3 hours, strain.

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 sweet clover 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. How to prepare the infusion: pour 15 g of herbs into 300 ml of boiling water. After 2 hours, strain the drink, take as in case of hypertension.

For headaches

Fill one third of a half-liter jar with dry sweet clover grass, pour to the top. Leave the tincture for 14 days, shake occasionally. Strain after 2 weeks. Rub the temples with the resulting remedy for headaches.

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

food application

Leaves and dry 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, tinctures, liqueurs as a fragrance.

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

Recipe number 1 "Health salad"

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 sweet clover leaves, pour sour cream and vegetable oil, salt. Mix the ingredients thoroughly. Serve salad to the table immediately after preparation, otherwise it will drain.

Recipe number 2 "Drink spring mood"

Ingredients:

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

Cooking method: sweet clover 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 pieces of ice.

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;
• onion - 25 g;
• boiled egg - 1 pc;
• mustard, salt, .

Cooking technology: clover leaves and onion grind with salt, mustard. Potatoes, cucumbers, egg and meat cut into cubes. Mix the ingredients, season with sour cream, add salt, sugar, pour kvass.

sweet clover honey

It's natural dietary product, which has an antiseptic and immunomodulatory effect. With their useful properties sweet clover honey, must honey plant, which absorbs biologically active substances, vitamins and. A natural sugar substitute is recommended for lactating women to maintain lactation, enrich milk with nutrients. In addition, it exhibits antispasmodic effects, fights constipation, flatulence, and relieves pain during menstruation.

Honey has absorbable properties, so it is useful for mastitis, lactostasis, cysts (mammary gland diseases) and joint tumors, arthritis, arthrosis. Sugar product from sweet clover, normalizes activity immune system, improves the condition of patients suffering from autoimmune diseases, improves peripheral circulation. It has a general strengthening effect, performs the function of natural energy.

Sweet clover honey is a product of a pale yellow or slightly greenish tint, quickly candied. A gentle 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 reaction of the baby. If itching, redness, irritability occurs, stop taking it.

Remember, due to the abundance of pollen, honey is the strongest allergen and can cause an allergic reaction, so when introducing the product into the diet of children, be vigilant, do not exceed strictly prescribed doses. Don't 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 out of a large black radish. 15 ml of sweet clover honey is placed in the resulting recess. The root crop is left for 1.5 days. During this time, it secretes juice, which, mixed with honey, forms a healing elixir. Means to use 15 ml 3 times a day 15 minutes before a meal.
3. To improve the condition of the skin (cleansing, eliminating high fat content, getting rid of boils, acne and blackheads), a nutrient mixture is prepared for external use. Mask ingredients: fresh cucumbers (200 g) and honey (5 ml). green vegetable rubbed on a grater, mixed with a bee substrate, applied to the cleansed dermis for 15 minutes, washed off with water. Moisturizes, nourishes and disinfects problematic skin. To care for dry dermis, an additional component is introduced into the composition - (15 ml).

Sweet clover 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 part of honey flowers. This compound stimulates the work of the pulsating organ, contributes to an increase in arterial systolic pressure.

In other cases, the product is not only harmless, but, on the contrary, useful. However, this applies only to natural sweet clover honey. When choosing a product, pay attention to its color and texture. It should visually resemble melted butter, be almost homogeneous, candied with almost indistinguishable grains. Natural product beekeeping emits a subtle vanilla aroma. A strong smell indicates that you have a fake in front of you.

How to grow sweet clover

Seeds of sweet clover require an ambient temperature of 2-4 degrees above zero to germinate. A year after planting, the plant blooms. This period lasts from June to August. By the end of summer comes the time of fruiting. harvested seeds scarified before spring sowing.

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

As top dressing, fertilizers containing potassium and phosphorus are used.

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 prepared soil in rows, leaving a distance of 3 cm between them. On average, 200 seeds should be per 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 neck overwinters with the so-called renewal buds. Remember, the plant should not be in a lowland, because in case of accumulation of melt water due to the abundance of moisture, it will die.

The sweet clover is harvested using a pruner. For medicinal purposes, only lateral shoots with the top of the plant are cut off, crushing thick coarse branches. Dry raw materials under a canopy in a well-ventilated place. The grass is laid out on the surface or collected in bunches, which are hung in the form of garlands. When small stems, flowers, leaves, fruits dry up, they are ground, passed through a sieve. Store in a closed container.

Conclusion

Sweet clover is a medicinal herbaceous plant with an upright branched stem. The shrub can be seen along 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. Preparations based on burkun 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 (outwardly).

Ointments are prepared from the plant, special pillows that relieve inflammation from the joints. Sweet clover honey and tea, used to combat colds and coughs, decoction and infusion - increase lactation, relieve swelling, pain during menstruation. In addition, the leaves, roots and flowers of Burkun have found application in the food industry. They are added to salads, boiled, fried, baked and served as a side dish for fish and vegetable dishes. A safe daily dose of the fresh ground part of the plant is 20 g, dried - 5 g. In case of exceeding the limit allowable norms, possible adverse reactions from the body: dizziness, rashes, nausea, vomiting.