home Folk remedies Sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis)

Sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis)

Sweet clover (Melilotus in Latin) is a herbaceous plant of the Legume family. Its Russian name is related to the word “donnoy,” which was once used to describe gout. Latin name derived from the Greek words “chalk” and “lotus”, meaning honey and fodder grass.

The plant is also called bottom grass, barkun, bottom grass, vargun, hare's chill, ragwort, sticky, burkun, wild hop, horseweed, sweet clover and wild buckwheat.

Titles in other languages:

English Sweet clover, field melilot;
German Honigklee.

The sweet clover plant is commonly called bottom grass, bottom grass and sweet clover.

Appearance

The height of the sweet clover is up to two meters. The plant has a branched stem, a tap root, trefoil leaves with stipules, and white or yellow pendulous long flowers. The plant blooms in summer - from June to August.

Kinds

Many types of this plant are known - jagged, Sicilian, Italian, fragrant, Volga, rough, beautiful, Polish and others.

Traditional and official medicine uses only two types of sweet clover, which we will consider.

An annual or biennial plant with a straight stem up to 170 cm in height. The leaf plate is divided into three parts. Tiny flowers white collected in elongated brushes. Flowering occurs in summer period, lasting one month. Its delicate, pleasant aroma is similar to coumarin, but not close. This type- the best honey plant.

White sweet clover does not have a strong aroma, but is an outstanding honey plant.

Biennial plant up to one and a half meters in height. The stem is bare, the leaves are trifoliate. Flowers yellow color, very small in long brushes. The aroma is strong, coumarin. It blooms all summer and the first month of autumn.

Medicinal sweet clover has bright yellow flowers with a strong coumarin aroma.

Where does it grow

You can find sweet clover in both Asia and Europe. The plant has spread widely across the planet. It is often found in meadows, forest-steppe zones, ravines, forest edges and steppes.

Sweet clover grows almost everywhere and mainly in wastelands

Blank

Harvesting is carried out during the flowering period.
The tops of the sweet clover are cut off with a knife, obtaining raw materials up to thirty centimeters long. Thick and too coarse stems, as well as plants on the roadsides, are not cut off. The collection of sweet clover is carried out only in dry weather, since a wet plant quickly deteriorates.
After cutting, the plant is immediately sent to dry. It is laid out outside, hidden under a canopy, or in an attic with excellent ventilation (it is important that the temperature is up to +40 degrees).
The raw material should be laid out on fabric or paper in a layer of up to seven centimeters. It is turned over periodically.
When the stems break easily, drying is completed. You need to make sure that the raw materials do not dry out, otherwise the leaves will fall off.
Dried sweet clover can be stored for up to two years.

Sweet clover is collected only in dry weather, during the flowering period, and dried until the stems begin to break easily.

Peculiarities

Dried sweet clover has a bitter-salty taste.
The smell of the dried plant resembles fresh hay (it is called coumarin).
Sweet clover is used to improve the soil and restore soil fertility.
The plant is also medicinal, melliferous and fodder.

Nutritional value and calorie content

For 100 g of sweet clover:

Chemical composition

The sweet clover contains:

glycosides (one of them is coumarin, which provides the aroma of the plant);
essential oil;
cymarin;
protein;
acids – coumaric, ascorbic, melilotic;
fat-like substances;
purine derivatives;
melilotol;
flavonoids;
tannins;
Sahara;
choline;
slime.

When sweet clover begins to rot, dicoumarin is formed in it.

Beneficial features

The plant has the following effects:

Sweet clover is a good laxative and pain reliever.

Contraindications

The plant is not used for:

pregnancy;
kidney diseases;
problems with blood clotting;
internal bleeding.

When using sweet clover, remember that the plant is poisonous - never exceed the dosage and it is better to use it as part of a collection.

Excessive and too long consumption of sweet clover can cause central nervous system depression, drowsiness, dizziness, liver damage, headaches and other problems. Animals that consume rotted hay containing sweet clover are poisoned by dicoumarin.

Honey

Bees collect honey from sweet clover all summer.

The color of honey is determined by the type of plant and the soil in which it grew. It ranges from white to amber, sometimes with golden and greenish tints.

Sweet clover honey smells very pleasant.

Yellow sweet clover produces honey, the taste of which is very mild and the smell is delicate.

White sweet clover produces honey with a sharper, slightly bitter taste and smell with notes of vanilla.

Sweet clover honey is very healthy

Benefit

The honey obtained from sweet clover is highly beneficial. It contains fructose (40 percent) and glucose (about 37 percent).

When using sweet clover honey externally and internally, it is noted beneficial features:

Increases energy levels and body tone.
It has analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects in respiratory diseases.
Improves the condition of people with hypertension and heart disease.
Has a diuretic effect.
Eliminates dizziness and headaches.
Stimulates lactation.

During long-term storage, sweet clover honey becomes a viscous mass of white or yellow color.

Calorie content

Calorie content of 100 grams of sweet clover honey is 314 kcal.

The color of sweet clover honey varies from white to golden, the smell is also different, it all depends on the place where the bees collect nectar

Application

In cooking

Only yellow sweet clover is used for food, since white sweet clover is classified as a poisonous plant.
There are many recipes that include sweet clover, but adding this aromatic herb not worth it (there is a risk of headache and nausea).
Fresh young sweet clover is added to salads, okroshka, and soups.
The crushed dried plant is used as a seasoning, adding to sauces, drinks, snacks and main courses.

Half a liter bread kvass you need to put 70 grams of boiled beef, cut into pieces, 50 grams of boiled potatoes, a hard-boiled egg and 50 grams fresh cucumber. Chop clover leaves (20 grams), as well as 25 grams of onion, grind with mustard, sugar and salt, add to okroshka. Season with sour cream to taste.

Garnish made from sweet clover roots

Wash the roots of the young plant well and, after salting, fry using vegetable oil. This side dish can be served with fish or meat.

Meat stewed with clover

Cut 250 grams of meat into pieces and fry a little. Place it in a casserole dish and add 50 grams of chopped onion, 50 grams of coarsely grated carrots, 200 grams of chopped potatoes and 20 grams of sweet clover leaves. You also need to put pepper in the casserole dish, Bay leaf and dill seed, then pour everything with water so that it covers the ingredients. Simmer the dish until cooked over low heat.

Drink with clover

Bring a liter of water to a boil, put 10 grams of sweet clover inflorescences and leaves in it, add sugar to taste and about 100 ml of cherry or cranberry juice. When the drink boils, remove from heat and cool.

Watch the following video from the TV show "1000 and 1 Spice of Scheherazade". From it you will learn a lot about the yellow clover plant.

In medicine

Both yellow and white sweet clover are used for medicinal purposes. The leaves, stems, and flowers of these plants are used.
Since white sweet clover is poisonous, only experienced healers risk using it.
The plant contains coumarin, which has a depressant effect on the nervous system. This substance prevents seizures and increases the number of leukocytes.
Sweet clover is used for migraines, insomnia, hysteria, headaches, menopause, flatulence, bronchitis and other problems.
The herbaceous part of the sweet clover is included in preparations from which poultices are made. The plant is also a component of a green patch that helps against calluses and abscesses.
After infusing dry clover (2 small spoons) with boiling water (half a glass) for four hours, it is used to stimulate lactation, divided into three portions.
Decoctions, as well as infusions prepared from sweet clover, are effective for otitis media, mastitis, purulent wounds, boils.
Homeopaths use sweet clover in the preparation of drugs against psychosis.
Traditional medicine considers the plant an excellent laxative, and also prescribes sweet clover for hypertension, pain, lung diseases, gynecological pathologies, bloating and other problems.
The drug meliocin, which has a stimulating effect, is made from the leaves of sweet clover.

IN medicinal purposes use white and medicinal clover, they treat the nervous system, women's diseases, boils and other problems

Infusion for headaches, hypertension, insomnia

Infuse in a closed container filled with boiled water cold water(two glasses) sweet clover herb (take two teaspoons). Take the infusion two to three times a day, half a glass.

For baths and compresses

Prepare the infusion by placing a closed container with 2 tablespoons. spoons of sweet clover and 500 ml of water onto a hot stove.

Tincture for migraine

Pour the sweet clover herb with 40% alcohol (1 to 10) and place it in a dark place for 10-15 days. After straining, the tincture can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two years. You can use it either internally or externally - fifteen drops each.

Poultices

They can be prepared from flowers, steamed with boiling water, or from crushed leaves.

For hemorrhoids

Take two parts each of multi-colored and lush cloves, as well as one part each of knotweed, sweet clover and cinquefoil. After grinding everything in a mortar or coffee grinder, take 20 grams of the resulting powder and grind it with 80 grams of fat or lard (melt it first). Keep this mixture in a water bath for four hours, and then strain while still hot.

At home

Sweet clover is used as:

fragrance in tobacco products;
soap flavoring;
forage plant;
honey plant;
soil improver.

Varieties

The plant is considered a valuable crop and is grown in different climatic zones. Sweet clover is represented by many varieties, of which more and more are constantly appearing. White clover is represented by the varieties Volzhanin, Diomid, Rybinsky, Volga, Stepnoy and others. Medicinal sweet clover is represented by the varieties Lazar, Siberian, Golden, Alsheevsky and others.

Volga melilot belongs to the white large varieties, but is an annual

Growing

Sweet clover seeds germinate at a temperature of +2+4 degrees. Only ripe or slightly unripe seeds germinate well. They are scarified before sowing. In the first year, the melilot develops a root and a green part. The plant begins to bloom a year after planting.

Sweet clover is an unpretentious plant, it sprouts well at slightly above-zero temperatures, although it begins to bloom only in the second year

Due to the presence of a strong root system, sweet clover is not picky about soil. The plant is also drought-resistant, so it does not need to be constantly watered. Only acidic soil and excess moisture have a bad effect on sweet clover.

In Rus', sweet clover was called “burkun grass”. It was also often called bottom grass and sweet clover. Modern name This plant is translated from Greek as “honey lotus”.

What does the sweet clover plant look like?

Sweet clover is a biennial herb that belongs to the legume family (the subfamily of moths) and has medicinal properties. The bushy stem of this plant reaches 2 meters in height. Its small yellow or white (depending on the variety) flowers, about 5 cm in diameter, are collected in racemes.

When describing what the above-ground part of the sweet clover grass looks like, it is necessary to add that the small leaves covering its stem have an oval-elongated shape and are attached to short roots. The root system of the plant is taprooted and developed.

Sweet clover grass

Where does it grow

The habitat of sweet clover covers:

Western Siberia;
Kazakhstan;
Central Asia;
individual regions of Russia.

Wild burkun can most often be found:

at the roadside;
near the shore of a reservoir;
on a steppe meadow.

However, farmers can also grow this grass on their plots.

Types and characteristics of cultivation

The cultivated sweet clover is represented by several dozen species (about 50), but the most famous are the white (toothed) and yellow (medicinal) sweet clover. These are similar varieties of plants, differing from each other in the color of the flowers.

In the yellow-colored species:

beans with less textured surface;
smoother leaf outlines;
often lower height (about 1.5 meters).

Sweet clover is unpretentious to the composition of the soil, but still prefers non-acidic calcareous soil. Cold-hardy, but reacts negatively to sharp changes temperatures, and prefers to grow in southern regions with air humidity of at least 60%. It tolerates drought without loss and even acquires a more intense aroma during this period. Excess moisture, on the contrary, can lead to the death of the plant.

In arid regions, sweet clover is usually sown without cover, which brings tangible benefits, helping to achieve good harvests of greenery.

Sweet clover is unpretentious to soil composition

Sweet clover bears fruit in small grayish beans, inside of which there are yellow seeds. Grass that appears in the first year after sowing does not produce seed material. She doesn't even have flowers. The budding of the plant can only be observed in the second year of its life. At the same time, it is completely covered with flowers, becoming white or yellow, depending on the variety. The approximate lifespan of each flower is 5 days.

However, there are species of burkun for which this rule does not apply. They bloom already in the year of sowing. This usually applies to annual varieties.

Attention! To sow one hundred square meters of arable land with clover, you will need about 120 g of seeds.

Serrated and medicinal species sweet clover are distinguished by their productivity (when collected from one hectare, the farmer gets up to 215 centners of green mass) and are early ripening (the time period from the day of sowing to harvesting is no more than 60 days).

If Burkun is intended to be used as fodder for livestock, agrotechnical instructions for its cultivation should be followed especially carefully. Otherwise, there is a high risk that the raw materials will soon deteriorate and cause mass death of animals.

phosphate;
potash;
nitrogen.

This rule also applies to recently transplanted plants (they are fed in the fall).

Properties of culture and scope of application

Burkun is widely used in folk medicine. Most often it is used to combat:

gout;
joint inflammation;
tumors;
purulent wounds;
abscess;
cough;
varicose veins and venous insufficiency;
stagnation of milk during lactation;
pain;
hormonal disorders;
bronchitis;
kidney diseases;
nervous overexcitation and insomnia;
intestinal obstruction and hemorrhoids;
consequences of sprains;
diseases of the prostate and urinary tract;
menopause and consequences hormonal changes during menstruation.

Decoctions and herbal teas which have a sedative and diuretic effect.

Foot baths with plant flowers allow you to get rid of:

swelling;
itching;
fungal infections.

Gauze compresses and lotions with Burkun infusion can stop weeping lesions skin or mild bleeding that occurs due to injuries or burns.

Attention! Taking excessive amounts of drugs containing sweet clover can cause insomnia, as well as attacks of nausea and vomiting. Particular attention to this point should be paid to pregnant women and persons who have been diagnosed with internal bleeding or increased blood clotting.

The herb is often used as a flavoring for:

tobacco;
alcohol;
soap;
perfume products.

Medicines containing this plant are prescribed for angina pectoris and seizures.

Sweet clover

The yellow-colored species is often grown to feed large cattle and as a green manure crop. Also, sweet clover is a highly productive honey plant. From one hectare you can get about 320 kg of product (for annual Burkuns this figure reaches 450 kg), which is a means of maintaining body tone and preventing diseases. Such honey, like the plant itself, will have antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. Thanks to its use, a person can get rid of attacks of dizziness and migraines.

About diseases and pests

The main danger that sweet clover can be exposed to is the uncontrolled growth of weeds, so the plant requires regular weeding.

This is all the more useful due to the fact that other herbs can become a source of diseases dangerous to the plant:

septoria;
white rot;
transporosis;
powdery mildew.

The likelihood of diseases spreading from other legumes is especially high, so crops belonging to this family are not recommended to be planted nearby. In addition, all diseased plants should be immediately eliminated from the site to avoid massive contamination of crops.

Important! Burkun is practically immune to attacks from insect pests. Although it can be damaged to a certain extent by bedbugs, cutworms, caterpillars or weevils.

How and when to collect and prepare

To prepare the leaves and flowering part of the sweet clover, you will need to properly collect and dry the plant:

Cut the grass stem as close to the root as possible.
Tear off leaves, shoots, tops and flower clusters.
Lay out the collected raw materials evenly on paper and place everything under a canopy.

The entire procedure is carried out during the flowering period. U yellow sweet clover it occurs in the first ten days of summer, while in white it begins a little later, but lasts about a month. Dried grass preserves green color and acquires a richer smell. Maximum permissible period storage of such preparations is 24 months. It would be appropriate to use them as tea leaves or as a seasoning for soup or fish, giving the dish more piquancy.

Sweet clover is an unpretentious plant that can take root well in wastelands and ravines, so growing it is quite simple. The herb has many beneficial properties, due to which it is widely used in folk medicine to treat various diseases.

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

The herb has gained popularity both among herbal healers and official medicine. From medicinal plant The pharmaceutical industry produces drugs.

The two-year-old honey plant belongs to the family. Bobovykh. The grass is called wild buckwheat, 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 and branches throughout. The length ranges from half a meter to one and a half meters. The leaves are oblong or elliptical with serrated edges. The leaves are bluish-gray on top and light underneath. The whole plant looks silvery.

Sweet clover has butterfly flowers of yellow color, small, up to 7 mm. They are formed in the sinuses and at the apex by many brushes.

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

Grass grows on the sides of the highway, in meadows, in ravines and wastelands. It occurs as a weed in young forest plantings and 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 clusters, side branches no more than 30 cm, and plant tops are suitable. Harvesting is done during the flowering period. You need to choose a time when the weather is dry and sunny and there is no dew, otherwise the raw material will soon darken and become unsuitable for use.

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

The plant is not dried in the open sun: in attics, under roofs. Good ventilation is necessary. The raw materials are laid out on a paper or fabric bedding in a layer of 5 cm, which must 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 is split 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 like fresh hay, or rather the aroma of coumarin.

Chemical composition

The flowers and leaves of the plant contain 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;
glycoside melitoside;
a small amount of essential oils;
protein elements;
fat-like elements;
dicumarol;
amino acids;
mucous substances (polysaccharides);
phenolcarboxylic acids;
carbohydrates;
nitrogenous and phenolic compounds;
tannins;
micro- and macroelements (selenium, molybdenum).

Honey grass also 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 nervous system, stops the convulsions.

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

In addition, the substances present in the grass and flowers of sweet clover are biogenic stimulants. The use of medications based on sweet clover increases white blood cells and activates them.

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

Internally, medications are prescribed as anti-convulsants and sedatives, for expectoration of mucus from the bronchi and lungs.

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

Sweet clover honey also helps with mastitis and is used to massage joints for arthritis.

Indications for use of sweet clover

Sweet clover stimulates cerebral circulation in coronary and peripheral vessels, is prescribed to patients with atherosclerosis, with vegetative-vascular dystonia, for migraines, hysterical states.

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

Preparation of products from sweet clover

There are many known varieties of melilot different means for treatment of various purposes. These can be infusions, decoctions, baths and other means.

Infusion

At 2 tsp. 2 cups of chopped plant are poured hot water. The mixture is infused for 4 hours and filtered. Use 2/3 cup 3 times a day. half an hour before meals.
2 tbsp. l. dry plants are placed in an enamel container and filled with a glass of boiling water. The mixture is covered with a lid and heated on steam bath within 15 minutes. Then the infusion is left for 45 minutes and filtered. The volume of the resulting infusion is added boiled water to the original volume. Take half a glass 2-3 times a day.

The infusion is used as an expectorant and for inflammation of various types, and lowers blood pressure.

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

Decoction

Take 10 g of dried crushed raw materials and pour into one glass cold water. Within 30 min. simmer over low heat, then cool and strain.
Pour 2 tbsp into 250 ml of water at room temperature. l. dry shoots of the plant and bring to a boil. Cook on low heat for 30 minutes. After this, strain the broth.

Both decoctions are used 1 tbsp. l. 3 rubles/day for 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 butter or some kind of fat. Raw materials of small fractions are thoroughly ground with fat or oil, and can be brought to a boil.
2 tbsp. l. Grind the powder of the plant's flowers with 50 g of petroleum jelly.

Used for boils, rotting wounds, skin rashes of various types, for burns caused by ultraviolet rays. Has the property of drawing out pus.

Compresses and baths

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

If small and large joints hurt, you should apply warm cloth bags with grass to the sore spots for about 20 minutes. 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. Can be stored for up to 2 years. Use 10-15 drops 3 times a day. before eating. Drink with water.
50 g of fresh raw material is poured into 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 times a day.

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

Application on the farm

It is a fragrance in the manufacture of tobacco and soap accessories, and 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 one of the first-class honeys. Honey is amber, transparent, and has a pleasant smell.

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

Contraindications

When used in large doses the plant adversely affects the nervous system and negatively affects smooth muscles. With long-term use or use in doses exceeding the norm, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, and pain in the head occur. Occasionally causes liver damage and even central nervous system paralysis.

It is forbidden to use sweet clover during pregnancy, low blood clotting, or bleeding. The plant is used strictly according to the recommendation and under the supervision of the attending physician. For children under 2 years of age, medications plant origin It is not advisable to use it.

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

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

In contact with

Over the centuries, experience has been accumulated in the treatment of various diseases. medicinal herbs. In witchcraft, sweet clover (yellow Burkun), lat. Melilotus officinalis. This can be found in temperate latitudes, in different areas: in a field, in a meadow, along the road. The beneficial properties of sweet clover are numerous due to its chemical composition.

Chemical composition

Chemical composition Sweet clover is very rich and contains:

coumarins and their derivatives;
protein (17.6%);
Sahara;
vitamin C (up to 389 mg), vitamin E (more than 45 mg), carotene (up to 84 mg);
lactone;
glycoside;
flavonoids (robinin, flovin, kaempferol);
melilotin;
essential oil (0.01%);
polysaccharides (mucus);
saponins;
allantoin;
hydroxycinnamic, coumaric, melilotic acids;
phenolic triterpene compounds;
carbohydrate compounds;
nitrogenous bases;
amino acids;
tannins;
fat-like substances (up to 4.3%);
macro- and microelements (accumulates molybdenum, selenium);
fatty acids (found in seeds).

Beneficial features

The herb sweet clover has numerous benefits, but do not forget about contraindications. It lowers blood pressure and has an antispasmodic effect in patients with angina pectoris and atherosclerosis.

It has a calming effect on cardiospasms, anxiety, excitability, insomnia, headaches, and menopause. It is used as a mucolytic agent for coughs, bronchitis, and is included in the ingredients of laxative tea.
It is used externally for healing wounds, treating boils, joint tumors, and inflammation of the ENT organs. The beneficial properties of sweet clover “work” even if not medical contraindications. The main ones are allergies to, as well as individual intolerance to its components.

Medicinal properties of sweet clover honey:

increases immunity;
restores the body in the postoperative period;
useful for shortness of breath, dizziness, headaches;
promotes lactation in lactating women, etc.

Did you know? In total, there are 22 species of sweet clover in nature. Not all of them have beneficial properties.

Collection and storage of medicinal raw materials

Collect side shoots and flowering flowers top part plants in the summer months. Thick stems are of no value; it is better to throw them away.
It is recommended to collect grass in meadows, fields, forest edges, away from highways, settlements, enterprises, treatment facilities etc.

Dry collected material in a shaded place, spread out in a layer of 3-5 cm at a temperature not exceeding 32 °C. After drying, crush the dried flowers and leaves (without stems).

Important! Cannot be dried healing herbs in the open sun.If stored improperly, mold appears on the grass, and instead of a plant with healing properties, sweet clover becomes poison.

Store in closed containers in a dry place for up to 2 years.

Traditional medicine recipes

For treatment, tinctures, ointments, tea are made from harvested or pharmaceutical burkun, sweet clover honey, and steamed herbs are used.

Infusion for internal use: 2 tsp. dry sweet clover pour 1.5 tbsp. distilled water, leave for 4 hours and drink 0.5 cups 40 minutes before meals. Has a sedative, analgesic, and antitussive effect.
For rubbing, compresses: 2 tbsp. l. herbs are poured with 2 cups of boiling water. Leave for 20 minutes.
For baths: 2 tbsp. l. dry raw materials are poured with 1 cup of boiling water. Leave for 10 minutes (sciatica, rheumatism, sprain).
Preparation of ointment: 2 tbsp. l. fresh flowers mixed with 2 tbsp. l. butter and heat over very low heat for 7-10 minutes. Use for furunculosis, ulcers, sprains.
Tincture: Pour 100 g of dried yellow burkun into a bottle (0.5 l) of vodka and leave for 2-3 weeks. Drink 10-12 drops before meals 3 times a day. Treats frequent migraines, hormonal imbalances, infertility, endometriosis.
For pain and swelling joints, wrap bags of steamed grass for 15-20 minutes before bed for 8-10 days.
Sweet clover honey is necessary for nursing mothers. Take 1 dessert spoon after each meal.
For cough, tracheobronchitis, pneumonia honey mixed with juice black radish and consume 1 dessert spoon 20 minutes before meals.

Did you know? Sweet clover honey accounts for 50-70% of the US honey market.

Use in cooking

Sweet clover is used in cooking as a seasoning for fish dishes and soups, they also eat salads with this plant, sweet clover tea, etc.

Salad recipe:

4 -5 fresh cucumbers, 2 boiled eggs, green onions, a pinch of sweet clover leaves, salt. Season with sour cream or sunflower oil. If desired, cut the young boiled.

Sweet clover tea:

3 dec. l. dry herbs, 3 tablespoons or juice, 3 tbsp. l. pour 1.1 liters of water. Boil and let it brew. Be sure to strain.

Contraindications and side effects

Yellow clover has not only medicinal properties, but also medical contraindications. Contraindications: pregnancy, lactation, decreased blood clotting, bleeding, kidney disease. Allergy sufferers should not use sweet clover honey.
Before starting treatment, a doctor's consultation is necessary. When using, strictly adhere to the dosage. In large doses it has a depressant effect on the nervous system. Side effects may have insomnia, headache, nausea, vomiting, bleeding of mucous membranes.

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

Features of a medicinal plant

Yellow sweet clover grows in wildlife. This is a good forage plant, green fertilizer for the soil and a high-quality honey plant. Recently, it has become increasingly appreciated healing properties, therefore, in some countries it is cultivated and new varieties are developed.

Area

This medicinal plant steppe and forest-steppe zones. Distributed throughout the European part. Loves the southern regions, Malaya, Central Asia, Caucasus. In Russia it can be found even in Western Siberia. Most types of sweet clover grow in Ukraine. This plant can also be found in North and South America and New Zealand.

Botanical characteristics of sweet clover

It's biennial herbaceous plant. It is distinguished by a branched, erect stem. Its height can reach from 50 to 150 cm. The leaves have a serrated edge, trifoliate. The plant is easily recognized by its characteristic bright yellow flowers, which are collected in thin racemes in the form of spikelets. The Donets exudes the aroma of coumarin, which can be described as “the smell of freshly cut grass.”

Other types

There are three more species of this plant that are used in folk 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, the raw materials should not be consumed.

Healing effect

What are the medicinal properties of sweet clover?

What's 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 clover?

Varicose veins. Grass reduces capillary permeability. The main use of sweet clover is chronic venous insufficiency, varicose veins, thrombophlebitis, hemorrhoids. Medicines from the herb help relieve pain, itching, swelling, heaviness in the legs, cramps due to venous insufficiency.
External use. Compresses and lotions are used for bruises, sprains, subcutaneous hemorrhages, non-healing wounds, abscesses, boils, tumors. The product effectively stops external bleeding, relieves swelling, inflammation in the joints, pain due to rheumatism, arthrosis, and gout. For fluxes, it is recommended to rinse the mouth with sweet clover decoctions.
Respiratory system . Decoctions help with coughs and respiratory inflammation. They are prescribed for bronchitis, tracheitis, laryngitis.
Digestive organs. The herb Melilot officinalis acts as a mild laxative and carminative. Helps with indigestion, relieves cramps and bloating.
Nervous system . The drug is known for its sedative, narcotic properties, relaxes the nervous system, helps with insomnia, neurasthenia, and psychosis. They drink it for migraines, severe headaches, and cramps.
Leukopenia (decreased white blood cell count). Often the disease develops after radiotherapy for cancer. The herb helps increase white blood cells.
For women . Nursing mothers apply compresses for inflammation of the mammary glands (mastitis) and cracked nipples. They act as a distraction and anti-inflammatory agent. The herb also normalizes menstrual cycle, it treats inflammation of the ovaries. It is useful to drink during menopause - it relieves irritability, tension, and normalizes sleep.
For men . Most often, the drug is used for prostate adenoma, which develops in men after 50 years. The herb acts as a resolving, analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent.

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

Methods of preparation and use of clover

What are the uses of sweet clover at home? Decoctions, infusions, and 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

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

Preparation

Take 1 tbsp. a spoonful of herbs.
Pour a glass of boiling water.
Boil for 1 minute.
Leave for 1 hour.
Strain.

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

Infusion

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

Preparation of a weak infusion

Take 1 tsp. herbs.
Pour a glass of boiling water.
Leave for 40 minutes.
Strain.

The warm infusion is taken orally, ¼ cup 3 times a day. It helps well against insomnia and nervous disorders.

Preparation of concentrated infusion

Take 1 tbsp. l. herbs.
Pour a glass of boiling water.
Leave for 2 hours.
Strain.

This infusion can be taken 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 medicinal baths for joint diseases.

Ointment

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

Preparation

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

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

Features of use for varicose veins

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

How to prepare a decoction for treating veins

Take 1 tbsp. l. dry grass.
Pour 2 glasses warm water(not boiling water!).
Leave for 4 hours.
Strain.

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

How to cook herbal tea for vein treatment

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

Take the collection ¼ cup 3 times before meals.

Sweet clover honey

Sweet clover produces a lot of nectar. Thanks to the unique structure of the flower, the 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 provided by annual and white sweet clover. Sweet clover honey not only a healthy treat, but also a valuable medicine. It is used externally for mastitis, abscesses, tumors, pain in muscles and joints. Taken internally for coughs, hypertension, indigestion, headaches, fatigue, and neuroses. Read more about it in our other article.

Cooking

Among the Slavic peoples, sweet clover is not so famous herb in cooking. However, among southerners and Caucasian peoples it is a popular seasoning for fish and meat dishes. Fresh, dry leaves and flowers are used for pickling and canning, they are used to prepare salads and soups, and they are added to homemade cheeses and liqueurs. As a seasoning, sweet clover should be used sparingly, since its excess in the diet can cause side effects.

Side effects

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

What is important to know?

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

Sweet clover is the first remedy for varicose veins and hemorrhoids. The herb is also effective for convulsions, nervous system excitement, and insomnia. It is an effective sedative, analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent for mastitis, rheumatism, and gout. Ointments, compresses are made from it and applied to sore spots.