White sweet clover (white burkun) - Melilotus albus medic. Leguminous family - Leguminosae. Sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis)

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 - white sweet clover, which differs in flower color (in the case of white, the color of the petals is white) and the shape of the surface of the beans (in the case of 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 for 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 useful 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 - with yellow flowers, others, very similar - with white ones. 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:

Improves blood circulation in the myocardium, abdominal organs and brain.
Raises blood pressure.
Helps increase the strength of contractions of the heart muscle.
It alleviates the condition of patients suffering from neurological disorders, diseases of the upper respiratory tract and heart.
Stimulates the phagocytic activity of leukocytes.

In folk medicine, medicinal herbs are taken orally for painful menstruation, joint swelling, headaches, and 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, the daily intake 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

This is a natural dietary product that has an antiseptic and immunomodulatory effect. Sweet clover honey owes its useful properties to a honey plant that 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. A sugary product from sweet clover, normalizes the activity of the 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:

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.

To maintain the body in hypothyroid conditions, it is recommended to eat 15-30 ml of honey per day.
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.
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). The green vegetable is rubbed on a grater, mixed with a 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).

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. The natural bee product 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. The collected seeds are 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 maximum permissible norms, adverse reactions from the body are possible: dizziness, rashes, nausea, vomiting.

In the article we discuss sweet clover. You will learn what the plant looks like, what healing properties it has. We will tell you how to treat varicose veins, hemorrhoids and hypertension with the help of products based on it. Consider contraindications for use, and tell you how sweet clover is used in cooking.

Sweet clover is a herbaceous representative of the legume family (lat. Fabaceae). The Latin name is Melilotus officinalis. Among the people, the plant is known as yellow burkun, wild buckwheat, burkunets, female clover, meadow burkun, Italian grass.

What does it look like

Appearance of sweet clover medicinal sweet clover has a thick taproot with many processes. The plant has a strong coumarin smell, which can be compared to the smell of freshly cut grass.

The plant has a straight branched stem. The height of the shoot is from 1 to 2 meters.

The leaves are lanceolate, serrated, growing in 3 pieces on a long petiole. The surface of the leaf is bluish-green above, pale below.

Small yellow flowers are collected in loose drooping inflorescences in the form of brushes. Each flower consists of 10 stamens, 1 corolla and 5 petals. Sweet clover blooms from mid-summer to early autumn. Elliptical grains with pollen. The color of the pollen is yellow.

The fruits are smooth flattened beans. They consist of one, rarely two seeds. The length of the bean is 3-4 cm. It begins to bear fruit in August.

Where does it grow

Sweet clover is found in the steppe and forest-steppe zones. Grows in meadows, wastelands, along roads. The plant often forms thickets along with white sweet clover, which differs only in the color of the flowers and the shape of the beans.

Melilot officinalis grows almost throughout Russia. Found in Europe, Asia, New Zealand, North America and the British Isles.

For more information about the sweet clover, see the following video:

Flowers, leaves, shoots

The entire upper part of the plant has medicinal properties: shoots, leaves, flowers. In pharmacies, you can find pharmaceuticals with the addition of this plant in combination with horse chestnut and blueberries.

Chemical composition

Melilot officinalis contains:

organic acids;
essential oil;
tannins;
coumarins;
vitamin A;
vitamin C;
glycosides;
flavonoids;
slime.

Medicinal properties

Sweet clover is well studied, unlike white sweet clover, so it is more often used as a medicinal plant. It has expectorant, analgesic, anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory effects. Plant-based products are used to treat diseases of the respiratory tract, hearing organs and gastrointestinal tract.

Sweet clover grass has a calming effect. Plant-based products lower blood pressure and restore the functioning of the nervous system. They are used for nervous disorders, migraines and insomnia.

The plant helps women cope with mastitis and menstrual irregularities. Means based on it normalize the hormonal background.

Sweet clover accelerates wound healing, treats furunculosis and acne. The plant is added to homemade ointments for external use.

How to collect

As soon as the plant blooms, you can start harvesting medicinal raw materials. The grass is cut along with the flowers, dried under a canopy, spreading them out in a thin layer.

Store sweet clover in cloth bags or glass containers in a dark, ventilated place. Shelf life - 2 years.

How to apply

You can buy sweet clover herb at any pharmacy. On the basis of sweet clover prepare infusions and decoctions for oral administration. The plant is used for the preparation of monocomponent products or added to medicinal preparations.

Infusion of sweet clover is used to treat diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, nervous and cardiovascular systems.

The tool has an anticonvulsant effect and improves blood circulation in all organs. The infusion of the plant is used externally for inflammation of the joints, rheumatism and sciatica.

A decoction of sweet clover is used to treat respiratory diseases accompanied by coughing: bronchitis, asthma, tracheitis.

Decoction for varicose veins

Sweet clover reduces capillary permeability, eliminates heaviness in the legs and relieves swelling. A decoction of the plant is often used to treat varicose veins and thrombophlebitis. The remedy is taken orally and lotions and foot baths are made on its basis.

Ingredients:

Grass sweet clover - 1 tablespoon.
Water - 400 ml.

How to cook: Grind the herb, pour warm water, cover and let it brew for 4 hours. Filter the finished broth with a strainer or gauze.

How to use: Take 1 tablespoon 3 times daily before meals.

Result: The decoction eliminates cramps, swelling and heaviness in the legs. The remedy is effective for venous insufficiency.

Tincture for pregnancy (for infertility)

During pregnancy, drugs based on sweet clover are contraindicated for use, since the plant is poisonous. The herb tincture is used to treat female infertility. The tool normalizes the hormonal background and, with regular use, increases the chances of conception.

Ingredients:

Melilot officinalis - 100 gr.
Vodka - 500 ml.

How to cook: Pour vodka over dry grass, cover, put in a dark and cool place for 2 weeks. Strain the finished product.

How to use: Take 10-15 drops before each meal, but no more than 4 times a day.

Result: Tincture normalizes hormonal levels, stimulates ovarian function.

Infusion for hypertension (from pressure)

Sweet clover is used to normalize blood pressure, vasoconstriction and increase the level of leukocytes in the blood. Infusion of the plant increases the minute volume of the heart. The drug is taken for 3 weeks, a two-week break is necessary before a second course.

Ingredients:

Melilot officinalis - 5 gr.
Meadowsweet - 15 gr.
Field horsetail - 10 gr.
Horse chestnut - 10 gr.
Water - 500 ml.

How to cook: Combine the herbs, pour into a thermos, pour boiling water over and insist for 5-6 hours.

How to use: Take ⅓ cup of the infusion three times daily between meals.

Result: The infusion lowers blood pressure and normalizes the heart rhythm. This healthy recipe is effective in coronary heart disease.

Ointment for hemorrhoids

Sweet clover is used to treat hemorrhoids. A decoction of the plant is taken orally, the ointment is applied externally. Comprehensive treatment quickly eliminates the symptoms of the disease.

Ingredients:

Medicinal sweet clover flowers - 20 gr.
Vaseline - 50 gr.

How to prepare: Grind the flowers into a powder with a rolling pin, combine with petroleum jelly and mix.

How to use: Apply to the anal sphincter after each bowel movement.

Result: The ointment eliminates pain, relieves inflammation and itching, resolves hemorrhoids. The tool is suitable for the treatment of external hemorrhoids.

The use of sweet clover in cooking

Southern peoples use sweet clover in cooking as a seasoning for meat and fish dishes, sweet clover is especially popular in the Caucasus. Fresh leaves and flowers of the plant are added to salads, first courses and drinks. They are often used in home preservation.

Melilot medicinal - honey plant

Appearance of sweet clover honey. Honey from sweet clover nectar has high taste characteristics.

Along with buckwheat, acacia and linden, sweet clover honey is a first-class product. It has a white or light amber color and a pleasant subtle vanilla aroma.

200 kg of honey is produced from 1 hectare of sweet clover thickets. An artificially grown plant produces up to 600 kg of honey per hectare.

Contraindications

Contraindications to the use of drugs based on sweet clover:

period of pregnancy;
internal bleeding;
pathology of the liver and kidneys;
low blood pressure;
poor blood clotting.

Melilot officinalis is a poisonous herb, so the dosage of preparations based on it should be strictly observed. Uncontrolled intake of sweet clover causes side effects:

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

Classification

Sweet clover is a biennial representative of the genus Sweet clover (lat. Melilotus), the legume family (lat. Fabaceae). The plant belongs to the order Legumes (lat. Fabales), class Dicotyledonous (lat. Dicotyledones), Flowering department (lat. Magnoliophyta).

Varieties

The genus Donnik unites 22 species of herbaceous plants. The most famous of them:

sweet clover white;
Indian clover;
plowed clover;
sweet clover;
toothed clover;
large-fruited sweet clover.

Melilot officinalis infographics

Photo of sweet clover, its useful properties and application
Infographics on sweet clover

What to remember

Sweet clover is used in folk medicine for the treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular and nervous systems.
Plants are poisonous, so before using products based on it, you should consult a specialist.
In the culture of the southern peoples, it is customary to use sweet clover in cooking. It is added to soups, main dishes and drinks.

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Classmates

Sweet clover is found almost everywhere. Many consider it overgrown with weeds. But this plant has, with proper use, many healing properties. The honey plant successfully cures many diseases.

The herb gained popularity both among herbal healers and in official medicine. Medicinal preparations are produced from a medicinal plant by the pharmaceutical industry.

The two-year-old honey plant belongs to the family. legumes. It is called wild buckwheat grass, bottom grass, burkun, and can also be called differently, depending on the area of growth.

Sweet clover has a rod-shaped root. Its stem is straight, branching all over. The length is from half a meter to one and a half meters. The leaves are oblong or elliptical with serrate margins. Leaves are bluish above, pale below. The whole plant looks like silver.

Sweet clover has yellow moth flowers, small, up to 7 mm. They are formed in the sinuses and at the top with many brushes.

The plant has small fruits (beans) of an oval configuration, brownish in color with a sharp subulate ending. Flowering occurs almost all summer from June to August, ripening - from July and the entire autumn period.

Grass grows on the sides of the highway, in meadows, along ravines and wastelands. It comes across as a weed in young forest plantings, on agricultural fields. The plant spreads in the Urals, throughout Europe, in the West. Siberia, the Caucasus and other regions.

Procurement of raw materials

For medical purposes, flower brushes, lateral branches no more than 30 cm, plant tops are suitable. Harvesting is done during the flowering period. It is necessary to choose a time when the weather is dry and sunny and there is no more dew, otherwise the raw material will soon darken and become unusable.

It is forbidden to collect medicinal herbs near the highway, as it collects a large amount of dust and toxic substances.

The plant is not dried in the open sun: in attics, under roofs. Good ventilation is required. The raw material is laid out on a paper or fabric bedding with a layer of 5 cm, which needs to be turned over from time to time.

When drying in a dryer, it is necessary to control the temperature, it should not be more than 40 degrees. After drying, the grass cools and splits into special clean bags.

The plant is ready to eat when it begins to break with a crunch. The finished raw material has a salty-bitter taste. The smell of grass is fresh hay, or rather the aroma of coumarin.

Chemical composition

The flowers and leaves of the plant contain from 0.4 to 0.9 percent coumarin, which gives it a pleasant aroma. In addition, the plant contains many useful substances:

melilotin acid;
choline;
purine derivatives;
flavonoids;
melitoside glycoside;
a small amount of essential oils;
protein elements;
fat-like elements;
dicoumarol;
amino acids;
mucous substances (polysaccharides);
phenolcarboxylic acids;
carbohydrates;
nitrogenous and phenolic compounds;
tannins;
micro and macro elements (selenium, molybdenum).

Also, honey plant contains vitamins E and C in large quantities.

Medicinal properties

The valuable qualities of the plant are in coumarin. It serves as a sedative for the nervous system, stops convulsions.

From medical studies it follows that the substance increases blood pressure, increases the power of the heart muscle, improves blood circulation in the brain and abdominal cavity.

In addition, the substances found in the grass and flowers of sweet clover are biogenic stimulants. The use of drugs, the basis of which is sweet clover, increases leukocytes and activates them.

Decoctions, infusions, ointments, lotions are prepared from the plant; it is contained in medicinal preparations. With the use of sweet clover, a patch is produced for the treatment of purulent-inflammatory processes.

Inside, the funds are prescribed as relieving convulsions and sedatives, for expectoration of mucus from the bronchi and lungs.

Traditional medicine advises using the herb for constipation and flatulence, gynecological diseases, and externally for mastitis.

Sweet clover honey is also good for mastitis, it is used to massage joints with arthritis.

Indications for the use of sweet clover

Sweet clover stimulates cerebral circulation in the coronary and peripheral vessels, is prescribed for patients with atherosclerosis, with vegetovascular dystonia, with migraines, hysterical conditions.

The medicine ''Meliocin'', obtained by Bulgarian pharmacologists from the leaves of sweet clover, has a high biostimulating effect. The plant is successfully used by Bulgarian, Polish, Austrian, German, Indian, Chinese doctors.

Preparation of funds from sweet clover

Many different remedies are known from sweet clover for the treatment of various purposes. It can be infusions, decoctions, baths and other means.

Infusion

At 2 tsp. crushed plant is poured 2 cups of hot water. The mixture is infused for 4 hours and filtered. Used for 2/3 cup 3 r./d. half an hour before meals.
2 tbsp. l. dry plants are placed in an enameled container, poured with a glass of boiling water. The mixture is covered with a lid and heated on a steam bath for 15 minutes. Then the infusion is left for 45 minutes, filtered. The volume of the resulting infusion is topped up with boiled water to the original volume. Reception for half a glass 2-3 rubles / day.

An infusion is used as an expectorant and for inflammations of a different nature, it lowers blood pressure.

Infusions are stored for no more than 2 days on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.

Decoction

10 g of dried crushed raw materials are taken, poured with one glass of cold water. Within 30 min. boil over low heat, then cool and strain.
In 250 ml of water at room temperature, 2 tbsp. l. dry shoots of the plant and brought to a boil. On low heat for 30 minutes. After that, strain the broth.

Both decoctions are used for 1 tbsp. l. 3 rubles / day with liver diseases, colds accompanied by cough, sleep disorders, bronchitis.

Ointment

An ointment is prepared from the flowers of the plant. Take 2 tablespoons of raw materials, 2-3 teaspoons of butter or some kind of fat. The raw material of small fractions is thoroughly triturated with fat or oil, and can be brought to a boil.
2 tbsp. l. grind the powder of the flowers of the plant with 50 g of petroleum jelly.

It is used for boils, rotting wounds, skin rashes of a different nature, for burns with ultraviolet rays. It has the ability to draw out pus.

Compresses and baths

An infusion is prepared for external use. 2 tbsp. l. raw materials are poured with 2 cups of boiling water and infused for 2 hours. Then apply to sore spots.
For local baths, 40 g of a dry plant is poured with 400 ml of boiling water. Then the infusion stands for 30 minutes, filtered. It is used for healing wounds, including purulent and non-healing ones.

If small and large joints hurt, tissue bags with grass in the form of heat should be applied to the sore spots for 20 minutes. The treatment lasts 10 days.

Tincture

Take 100 g of dried raw materials, add a bottle (0.5) of vodka and leave for 2 weeks. Then strain and leave in a cool place. Stored up to 2 years. It is used 10-15 drops 3 r./d. before eating. Drink water.
50 g of fresh raw materials are filled with a bottle of vodka (0.5) and left for 2 weeks in a dark place. Then it is filtered and stored in the refrigerator. Reception - 15 drops 2 r./d.

Both tinctures are used for infertility, endometriosis, normalization of hormonal disruptions, menopause, diseases of the lungs and bronchi, to increase systolic pressure.

Application in the economy

It is a fragrance in the manufacture of tobacco, soap accessories, is used to get rid of moths and add fragrance to linen. The leaves of the plant can be used to dye fabrics.

Sweet clover honey is among the first-class. Honey is amber, transparent, has a pleasant smell.

The grass is used for animal feed in agriculture, nutritionally similar to alfalfa. It is a fertilizer, enriches the soil with nitrogen.

Contraindications

When used in large doses, the plant adversely affects the nervous system and negatively affects smooth muscles. With prolonged use or use in doses exceeding the norm, there are dizziness, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, pain in the head. Occasionally causes liver damage and even CNS paralysis.

It is forbidden to use sweet clover during pregnancy, low blood clotting, bleeding. The plant is used strictly according to the recommendation and under the supervision of the attending physician. It is undesirable to use herbal preparations for children under 2 years of age.

An inconspicuous plant, a fragrant honey plant sweet clover will help with many diseases, alleviate chronic ailments, and relieve suffering. It is important to prepare the plant on time and correctly and use it correctly in accordance with the recipes.

We bring to your attention a video describing the medicinal properties of sweet clover and recipes for preparing the infusion:

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Melilot officinalis (guryan, burkun)

Melilotus officinalis

From the steppe of the Don
On a horseshoe
There was fragrant grass -
Golden head.

is a biennial herbaceous plant of the legume family (Fabaceae). It grows in fields, meadows, along roads, along the slopes of ravines. For therapeutic purposes, grass is used - the tops of the shoots with leaves and flowers. Collect grass during flowering.

If you want to have a wonderful smell of a flowering meadow or fresh hay at home, take a few sprigs of sweet clover in your bouquet. It meets us along roads, ditches, on fallow fields, in ravines, where it blooms all summer from June to October with graceful thin tassels of yellow and whitish flowers. In addition to the tundra and alpine meadows, it is found everywhere. Its trifoliate leaves rise and fold by night. They look like flowers of peas and beans, only small.

Sweet clover smells very nice, especially when it dries. Its flowers are mixed with the highest grades of pipe tobacco. Anglers use sweet clover as a fragrant bait for fish. Sweet clover flowers are put into fermented milk when making cheeses.

Raw material contains coumarin, dicoumarin, cymarin, melyl and coumaric acids, essential oil, etc. Infusion and decoction of sweet clover has an expectorant, emollient, carminative, analgesic effect.

Due to the presence of coumarin sweet clover depresses the central nervous system and has an anticonvulsant effect.

In scientific medicine, sweet clover grass used for the preparation of an exhaust green plaster and introduced into the composition of emollient fees, accelerating the opening of abscesses and boils. Dicoumarin isolated from sweet clover is used as an anticoagulant for thrombophlebitis.

In folk medicine, herbal infusion used for chronic bronchitis, insomnia, migraine, ailments caused by high blood pressure and menopause, with liver diseases.

A mixture of sweet clover grass with coltsfoot flowers in the form of a decoction helps with ovarian inflammation, cancer, psychosis, and metabolic disorders.

Outwardly, an infusion of herbs, as well as an ointment, is used for abscesses, abscesses, inflammation of the mammary glands, rheumatic tumors of the joints.

To prepare the infusion, take 2 teaspoons of herbs, pour two cups of boiling water, insist in a sealed container, take 1/2 cup 2-3 times a day.

To prepare the ointment, take 2 tablespoons of fresh sweet clover flowers, rub with 2-3 tablespoons of fresh butter (Surina, 1974).

In Karelia, sweet clover is used for atherosclerosis, leucorrhea, fever, myositis, intestinal colic, dysmenorrhea, gout, as a diuretic (with ascites) and lactogenic agent (Yudina, 1988). It has been scientifically established that sweet clover preparations are active against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli. Alcohol extracts in the experiment exhibit antifibrinolytic activity.

In experiments on animals, it was found that the introduction of an aqueous extract of sweet clover grass into the body accelerates liver regeneration. Identified and stimulating properties. With inflammation of the eyes, lotions are made with an admixture of honey, with a headache, compresses are made.

Fresh plant and dry powder treat festering wounds, swelling of the joints, itching in the perineum - sitz baths.

In Belarus, sweet clover is used for painful menstruation, for diseased ovaries, and as a means of preventing blood clotting (Ges, 1976).

Experimental and clinical studies have established that sweet clover has a narcotic effect. In patients with leukopenia due to radiation therapy, coumarin causes an increase in leukocytes, mainly due to granulocytes. In large doses, sweet clover causes nausea, vomiting, headache, and has a paralyzing effect on smooth muscles.

In Bulgaria sweet clover is used orally for chronic catarrh of the bronchi, for pain in the bladder, kidneys, and hypertension. Infusion of sweet clover is instilled into the ear with inflammation of the middle ear and with flow from the ears.

In ancient herbalists, instructions are given for the use of sweet clover for abdominal pain, to increase milk in nursing mothers ("Plant Resources", 1987).

Even 1000 years ago, Avicenna widely used sweet clover in the form of ointments for tumors of the eyes, testicles, and uterus. He believed that a decoction of the stems and leaves of sweet clover with wine drives menstruation and the fetus.

Sweet clover tea is useful with thrombophlebitis and as a lactic acid for nursing mothers, with colds and salt deposits. Since ancient times, sweet clover has been used for bottom disease, as gout was called.

In scientific medicine use grass to make exhaust green plaster, accelerating the opening of boils.

Powder from leaves and inflorescences can be used for flavoring compotes, dressing soups, salads and second courses.

For salad take one medium cucumber, cut, add green onions and 50 g of sweet clover leaves. On top, you can put slices of boiled eggs, season with sour cream or mayonnaise.

Okroshka: boiled meat, potatoes, cucumber and egg finely chopped. Grind the crushed fresh leaves of sweet clover and onion with salt and mustard. Mix everything together, pour kvass. Top with sour cream before serving.

For tea take half a glass of dry leaves and inflorescences of sweet clover and the same amount of crushed dry inflorescences with fireweed leaves, pour a liter of cold water, bring to a boil. Pour into cups, adding sugar to taste. You can add 1 tablespoon of green tea to this tea.

Powder: grind the dried leaves and inflorescences of sweet clover in a coffee mill, sift. Use for flavoring compotes, dressing soups, salads and second meat dishes. Recommended for thrombophlebitis.