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An excellent honey plant, an assistant in the fight against many diseases and an excellent green manure ... Today we will talk about sweet clover. In the list of medicinal herbs, sweet clover is not the last, its healing properties have proven their strength more than once. The biennial plant is unpretentious, has several varieties and is grown all over the world.
Melilot plant description
The herb belongs to perennial legumes, subfamily of moths. A variety of cultivated sweet clover over time has grown to several dozen species, but the most important variety is yellow and white sweet clover.
Yellow sweet clover belongs to medicinal plants, is grown as a crop for cattle feed and as a crop - green manure. In addition to the above, the culture bears the undeniable title of one of the best melliferous herbs.
Sweet clover got its name from the Greek - "honey lotus". In Russia, sweet clover was grown for livestock feed, collected by herbalists for the preparation of decoctions and infusions, and was called: sweet clover, burkun or bottom grass.
The perennial plant has a sufficiently developed taproot system, a bushy stem and many small, oval-elongated, carved leaves on short petioles.
The flowering culture begins in summer, the multi-flowered brushes absorb small flowers of yellow or white color, about 5 cm in size. The fruits of sweet clover are beans, often too small.
Melilot is also a highly valuable fodder plant, which yields a lot of nutritious greenery and oxygenates the soil.
The most popular varieties of sweet clover for business executives are toothed and yellow clover, which provide livestock with weight gain and have a high lactation effect.
White and medicinal sweet clover are used in fragrances, including for tobacco products and as a flavoring agent in soap making. Much has been said about the melliferousness of the culture, but little has been said about the quality of the honey obtained.
So, bottom honey has a bright aromatic smell, rich amber color and delicate taste, it is considered one of the best in the early distillation of honey. Today sweet clover is grown all over the world and is widespread in Europe, Russia and Asia.
A variety of sweet clover
Melilot has more than 50 varieties. The most common varieties are yellow, white and medicinal sweet clover.
In addition to the above, annual and perennial varieties of sweet clover were bred.
Yellow or medicinal sweet clover. It is a biennial plant that prefers the southern regions. Medicinal sweet clover is not afraid of drought, hardy and cold-resistant. Flowering begins in the summer, in the first decade, the flowers are yellow, densely planted in the inflorescence.
The culture is sown at a rate of about 120 grams per hundred square meters of arable land.
The plant's melliferousness is high, up to 320 kg can be obtained per hectare. honey, the average weight gain of the hive per day is 3.5 kg.
White sweet clover no less popular crop, the plant is not afraid of drought, grown for silage and as a fodder base for livestock.
Flowering begins in summer, blooms later than its predecessor, but blooms longer, in terms of more than a month.
It is an excellent honey plant, gives an impressive amount of nectar, even in drought.
If the plant is grown as a fodder base for livestock, the agrotechnology of cultivation of sweet clover should be observed, and the condition of the animals must be monitored; it is not uncommon for a white sweet clover, if stored improperly or prematurely to deteriorate, to cause mass mortality among cattle. The melliferousness of the culture exceeds 450 kg. per hectare, and the daily rate of increase in the hive is about 4.5 kg.
Annual sweet clover, blooms in the first year after sowing, in summer. In terms of honey content, it overtakes perennial varieties. It is grown for a variety of livestock feed and as a melliferous crop.
The plant is unpretentious and grows in almost all soils.
According to the reviews of both "industrialists" and gardeners, the most popular varieties among white sweet clover can be considered:
Perennial sweet clover variety Hoarfrost, Meshchersky, Stepnoy, Chermasan, Sayansky. The yellow varieties include Karabalyk, Omsk and Siberian sweet clover.
These varieties are resistant to insect attacks, unpretentious, fruitful. They are distinguished by early maturity (the period from sowing to harvesting can be as little as 60 days), high yields (up to 215 centners of green mass can be obtained per hectare), the varieties are unsurpassed melliferous plants and an excellent nutritious forage crop.
The healing properties of sweet clover
Melilot, the herb included in the book of medicinal plants and for good reason.
Part of herbal teas and homeopathic remedies, it helps to cope with upper respiratory tract infections, has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects.
Decoctions and balms based on sweet clover help get rid of insomnia and even eliminate varicose veins.
Due to the plant's ability to reduce the permeability of small vessels and capillaries, as well as anti-inflammatory and restorative properties, sweet clover is able to relieve venous insufficiency and varicose veins.
Foot baths with this plant will relieve fatigue and swelling, itching, and relieve fungal infections. To solve the problem of inflammation in arthrosis and arthritis, oozing skin lesions in burns and injuries, gauze lotions and compresses are made on the affected and sore areas.
Such manipulations can stop even heavy bleeding.
For diseases of the nasopharynx and oral cavity, it is customary to rinse with a decoction of sweet clover. Such rinsing of the mouth will help with tonsillitis and pharyngitis, increase the pharynx's resistance to viral infections.
Decoctions and tea with sweet clover normalize the stool, and have a carminative effect, used for bloating and disruption of the gastrointestinal tract.
Sweet clover is able to reduce emotional stress, relieve insomnia and migraines, having antispasmodic properties, the herb relieves spasms and relaxes.
Some homeopaths claim that the herb can reduce the development of leukopenia and stimulate bone marrow function.
In addition to the above merits of the medicinal clover, the plant is valued by healers and sorceresses for its narcotic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory abilities during the menstrual cycle in girls.
Melilot tincture is able to facilitate the process of menopause in adulthood in women. For men, the herb is no less useful, the stronger sex plant heals from diseases of the prostate and urinary tract.
Melilot cultivation
Cultivation and sowing of sweet clover is not a burdensome process, if all agrotechnical measures are followed at an early stage. Dry regions most often use the method of sowing sweet clover without a cover, it allows you to get good mowing of greenery in the year of sowing.
The middle zone of Russia and the forest-steppe regions with a higher than average precipitation rate, sow sweet clover under the cover of forage cereals.
Coverless sowing is carried out, as well as the planting of perennial grasses with conventional tillage, plowing and harrowing.
As for the requirements for the cultivation of sweet clover, for a good harvest, a slightly acidic, non-waterlogged soil and an average precipitation rate will be required, otherwise the plant is unpretentious and feels good on any soil.
Absolutely all agricultural crops can become a predecessor for grass. The sown area before sowing must be plowed, harrowed and rolled. If the soil is scarce, nitrogen and mineral fertilizers are applied for plowing at a rate of 4 centners per hectare of arable land.
Melilot seed preparation should begin about a month before sowing, scarification, nitraginization and inoculation are carried out. All these activities are aimed at 100% increase in yield.
The sowing of the sweet clover is carried out by seed drills, in an ordinary way, at the rate of 15.5 kg. per hectare of area. The planting depth varies with the condition and density of the soil, on average it is about 3 cm.
Melilot care involves the presence of protective measures against harmful plants and insects by spraying and treating the soil with herbicides at the pre-sowing stage.
Top dressing is required only if the plant develops very poorly, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are applied at the rate of 45 kg. per hectare of land.
Melilot bloom begins the next year after sowing; in the same year it bears fruit, throwing out seeds. The optimum temperature for the growth and development of the culture is considered to be + 4 degrees, the germination of sweet clover seeds is high and lasts up to 10 years.
Sowing of sweet clover begins in early spring, in the first year of growth, the root system of the plant and the stem actively develop, and the next year gives development to the seeds.
The use of sweet clover
Sweet clover is widely used in medicine, pharmacology, cosmetology and agriculture. In addition to the above, flowering culture is an integral part of honey production.
During the flowering period, in the summer, beekeepers actively expose hives near the fields of flowering sweet clover, since the honey obtained from its pollen has truly healing properties.
Honey obtained from sweet clover relieves swelling, has a wide range of antibacterial properties, lowers blood pressure, moisturizes and nourishes the skin, has a diuretic and spasmodic effect.
Such honey increases immunity, eliminates infections of the nasopharynx, is effective for gastritis and ulcers, as well as diseases of the oral cavity. A spoonful of sweet clover honey per day eliminates immunodeficiencies, saturates the body with vitamins and carbohydrates, improves mood and gives a boost of vivacity.
Donnik has conquered its niche in dietary supplements and herbal preparations.
But this grass does not do without "pitfalls". Medicines based on sweet clover, as well as honey, are contraindicated for persons with individual intolerance and allergies.
In addition, sweet clover can be poisonous. The toxic component in the grass appears when the aromatic substance coumarin is destroyed, turning into dicoumarin, under the influence of mold. Here's a chemical reaction. Therefore, a spoiled or stale sweet clover should never be fed to livestock, even in the form of hay.
So in the Rostov region, a massive death of livestock was described, due to the ingestion of yellow melilot into their diet. In the course of the proceedings, veterinarians discovered a low level of blood clotting in cattle and a dysfunction of the liver, and also identified the reasons for this state of the horned - moldy silage from yellow melilot.
Sweet clover cleaning
The harvesting of sweet clover for seeds begins in the second year after sowing.
The seeds fall off easily, therefore, mowing begins when 1/4 of the seed pods turn yellow, later periods threaten with the complete shedding of small seeds into the soil and the appearance of volunteers. Do not worry about the not ripeness of the seeds, they will ripen calmly in the rolls.
After threshing the mowed mass and sifting, the seeds are sent to storage until the next sowing. It is customary to cultivate sweet clover seeds in areas not included in the crop rotation, due to its high vitality and the risk of turning from an agricultural crop into an annoying weed.
In general, the harvesting of sweet clover is always burdened with a headache, since late mowing results in coarse silage, with a high coumarin content.
If the sweet clover is mowed for silage, then the beginning of harvesting is the budding phase and the plant height up to 16 cm. This period reduces losses when collecting into windrows, and allows you to accelerate the next mowing of green mass.
Sweet clover is poorly suitable for hay harvesting, due to the high loss of leaves, in order to avoid this, business executives dry the already dried greens with installations with good ventilation.
If the sweet clover was grown as a green manure, its embedding in the soil begins when it reaches a height of about 25-37 cm. Before embedding, the grass is crushed with disc harrows, and then plowed.
So, with timely harvesting, of course, depending on your growing goals, you can get a fairly large amount of nutritious green mass or hay. And also use sweet clover as a green manure and saturate the soil with oxygen and important trace elements.
Melilotus officinalis is an herb of the legume family (Latin Fabáceae).
The plant has other names: burkun, wild buckwheat, yellow sweet clover, female sweet clover, yellow burkun, Italian grass, meadow burkun, burkunets, bottom grass.
It is a biennial taproot plant. Stem erect, branched, 0.5-1.5 m high. Leaflets are oblong-obovate or elliptical with a serrate edge. The leaves are glaucous above, whitish below, the whole plant is slightly silvery.
Flowers are yellow, collected in apical and numerous axillary racemes. They are moth, not large - 5-7 mm long.
Fruits are bare, brown beans, short, oval, with an awl-shaped acumen at the top.
Blooms in June-August; fruits ripen from July to late autumn.
Along with sweet clover medicinal in medicine, tall clover is also used, which is distinguished by larger flowers with a pubescent calyx, beans with sparse hairs.
The widespread white sweet clover, which has white flowers, is almost never used, but it has similar healing properties. Melilotus officinalis, that is, yellow, unlike its counterpart, is more studied and is much more widely used in folk medicine in many countries.
Melilotus officinalis grows on wastelands, along roadsides, on dry and steppe meadows. It is found as a weed in fallow fields, in young forest belts. Distributed throughout the European part of the CIS, in the middle and southern Urals, in Western Siberia, in the Caucasus.
Procurement and drying of raw materials
The medicinal raw materials are flower brushes, tops of grass with leaves and side shoots (up to 30 cm in length), harvested during flowering. Often the medicinal sweet clover grows together with the white clover, but they must be harvested separately. Harvested in dry, clear weather, when the dew melts, otherwise, being wet, it quickly darkens and deteriorates.
Dried in the shade under awnings, in attics, in a well-ventilated place. Spread the grass in a thin layer (up to 5 cm), on a cloth or paper, periodically turning it over. You can also use a dryer, but the temperature should not exceed 40C. The resulting raw material tastes salty-bitter, with a strong aromatic coumarin smell (the smell of fresh hay).
Chemical composition
Melilot grass contains 0.4-0.9% coumarin, which gives the raw material a pleasant smell (fresh grass contains coumarigen glycoside), dihydrocoumarin - melilotin with the same odor, coumaric and melilotic acids, melilotoside glycoside, flavonoids, purine derivatives, fat-like substances , proteins, traces of essential oil, etc.
Medicinal properties and application
The healing properties of sweet clover have been known since ancient times. For medicinal purposes, it was used and repeatedly mentioned in their writings by the ancient Roman doctors - Dioscrid and Galen, the Persian doctor Avicenna. And in the Middle Ages, sweet clover was widely used by Paracelsus.
The plant has anti-inflammatory, expectorant, anticoagulant, hypotensive, antiseptic, emollient, diaphoretic, sedative, carminative, wound healing, anticonvulsant, analgesic properties.
Thanks to coumarin, sweet clover raises systolic blood pressure, relieves convulsions well, increases the minute volume of the heart and the number of leukocytes in the blood, which can help patients with radiation sickness. Improves blood circulation in the abdominal cavity organs, as well as cerebral, peripheral and coronary blood supply.
Melilot preparations are used in the treatment of cough, bronchitis, hypertension, atherosclerosis, flatulence, constipation, increased nervous excitability, hysteria, migraine, insomnia, diffuse toxic goiter, neuropirculatory dystonia, rheumatoid and gouty arthritis, in inflammatory diseases of the female genital organs , abscesses, boils, as well as during menopause.
It is widely used in Bulgaria, Poland, Austria, France and Germany, China and India. In Bulgaria from the leaves obtained the drug "Meliocin", which has a biostimulating effect twice as high as that of aloe extract.
Traditional medicine recipes
Melilot infusion (cold): 2 teaspoons of chopped sweet clover grass are poured with 2 glasses of cold water, insisted for 4 hours, filtered. Take 1/3 cup 2-3 times a day 20-40 minutes before meals.
For external use in the form of compresses, trays, an infusion is used at the rate of 2 tablespoons of herbs for 2 cups of boiling water, leave for half an hour, then strain.
Melilot decoction: 10 g of dry chopped herbs in 1 glass of water, boil for half an hour over low heat, then strain. Take 1 tbsp. spoon 3 times a day for acute respiratory diseases, bronchitis, insomnia, liver diseases.
Alcohol tincture of sweet clover (on vodka): pour 100 g of dry raw materials (grass) with half a liter of vodka or diluted alcohol (40%). Insist for two weeks, then strain and take 10-15 drops orally, 3 times a day before meals, with water. Use the tincture for infertility and hormonal disorders, endometriosis, migraine, etc. Keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2 years.
Here is another recipe for fresh grass melilot extract: pour 50 grams of fresh chopped grass with half liters of vodka, leave in a dark place for two weeks, then strain. Use internally, 15 drops, 2 times a day.
For external use, compresses with ointment can also be applied.
Oil extract: to accelerate the "ripening" of the boil, an oil extract in sunflower oil is used, which is prepared by infusion for 3 hours in a water bath from 1 part of cut grass with 9 parts of sunflower oil, and then filtered through a cotton swab hot.
Sweet clover ointment prepare according to this recipe: 2 tablespoons of freshly dried sweet clover flowers, grind into powder, then add 50 g of petroleum jelly and mix everything well. Such an ointment is used to accelerate the maturation and healing of boils, carbuncles, purulent wounds, etc.
And one more recipe for sweet clover ointment, in butter: take 3 tbsp. tablespoons of butter and 50-60 g of fresh melilot flowers. We carefully grind the flowers into powder, and then mix with oil. Such an ointment draws out abscesses well, relieves inflammation.
The use of sweet clover in cooking
In many countries, sweet clover is used as a seasoning for fish dishes, salads, soups; in the manufacture of cheese, canned food, compotes, pickling cucumbers, tomatoes. Leaves with flowers are used as a flavoring agent in the meat, fish, dairy, and tobacco industries; production of various tinctures and soft drinks. In the Caucasus, young roots, raw or boiled, are used for food, and the leaves are used as a spice.
Melilot powder: dried inflorescences and leaves in a mortar or grind in a coffee grinder, sift through a sieve. Add to first and second courses, sauces, appetizers, drinks, as a spice.
Sweet clover salad: chop 20 g of young leaves, add 100 g of chopped fresh cucumbers, green onions 50 g, hard-boiled egg to them, salt and stir. Season with vegetable oil (mayonnaise).
Drink: put 10 g of leaves (inflorescences) in half a liter of boiling water, add 100 ml of cranberry or cherry juice and sugar to taste. Bring to a boil and refrigerate.
Sweet clover is also an excellent honey plant, and sweet clover honey has medicinal properties. Translated from Greek, the name of this plant means - honey clover. Melilot honey is used for joint tumors in case of rheumatism, inflammation of the mammary glands, bronchitis, dropsy, flatulence, migraines, insomnia, hypertension, etc.
Contraindications
It should be remembered that when using sweet clover in large doses, it is impossible, it is a poisonous plant. Contraindicated with reduced blood clotting, kidney disease, pregnancy, hemorrhagic diathesis, internal bleeding. In large doses, it has a depressing effect on the central nervous system.
With prolonged and uncontrolled use, it can cause headache, dizziness, drowsiness, vomiting, nausea, sometimes hemorrhage, liver damage and even paralysis of the central nervous system.
The beneficial properties and contraindications of sweet clover are known in most European countries. Several types of grass are found in India, China, North and South America. This plant raw material is used not only for medical purposes, but also in cooking, perfumery, alcoholic beverage industry, it is used for flavoring food and tobacco products.
Features of a medicinal plant
Yellow melilot grows in the wild. It is a good fodder plant, a green soil fertilizer and a quality honey plant. Recently, its medicinal properties are more and more appreciated, therefore in some countries it is cultivated, new varieties are being developed.
Area
It is a medicinal plant of the steppe and forest-steppe zone. Distributed throughout the European part. Loves southern regions, Minor, Central Asia, Caucasus. In Russia, it can be found even in Western Siberia. Most types of sweet clover grow in Ukraine. Also, this plant can be found in North and South America, New Zealand.
Botanical characteristics of sweet clover
It is a biennial herb. Differs in a branched, erect stem. Its height can reach from 50 to 150 cm. Leaves with serrated edge, trifoliate. The plant is easily recognized by its characteristic bright yellow flowers, which are collected in thin clusters in the form of spikelets. Donets exudes a coumarin aroma, 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 folk medicine and beekeeping.
Procurement of raw materials
The dried sweet clover has a fragrant, pleasant smell of cut grass. It is important to maintain storage conditions - to protect the grass from moisture. When mold appears, raw materials must not be used.
Healing action
What are the medicinal properties of sweet clover?
- Expectorant.
- Anticonvulsant.
- Emollient.
- Calming.
- Wound healing.
- Anticoagulant (anticoagulant).
- Pain reliever.
- Absorbent.
- Carminative.
- Anti-inflammatory.
- Distracting.
What's in the chemical composition?
- Coumarin, dicumarin (prevent blood clotting).
- Organic acids.
- Glycosides.
- Slime.
- Vitamins C, A.
- Essential oil.
- Flavonoids.
- Tannins.
Indications
What are the indications for yellow clover treatment?
- Varicose veins. The herb reduces capillary permeability. The main application of sweet clover is chronic venous insufficiency, varicose veins, thrombophlebitis, hemorrhoids. Herbal medicines help relieve pain, itching, swelling, heaviness in the legs, cramps with venous insufficiency.
- External use... Compresses and lotions are used for bruises, sprains, subcutaneous hemorrhages, non-healing wounds, abscesses, boils, tumors. The 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 decoctions of sweet clover.
- Respiratory system . Broths help with coughs, inflammation of the respiratory system. They are prescribed for bronchitis, tracheitis, laryngitis.
- Digestive organs... Sweet clover herb acts as a mild laxative and carminative. Helps with indigestion, relieves cramps, bloating.
- Nervous system . The remedy is known for its sedative, narcotic properties, relaxes the nervous system, helps with insomnia, neurasthenia, psychosis. Drink it for migraines, severe headaches, convulsions.
- Leukopenia (decrease in the level of leukocytes). Often the disease develops after radiation therapy for cancer. The herb helps to increase leukocytes.
- For women . Nursing mothers apply compresses for inflammation of the mammary glands (mastitis), cracked nipples. They act as a distracting and anti-inflammatory agent. Also, the herb normalizes the menstrual cycle, it treats ovarian inflammation. It is useful to drink with menopause - it relieves irritability, tension, normalizes sleep.
- For men . Most often, the remedy is used for prostate adenoma, which develops in men after 50 years. The herb acts as a resorption, analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent.
Contraindications of yellow clover: low blood coagulability, hemorrhagic diathesis (tendency to internal and external bleeding), liver disease, pregnancy, childhood. The herb is dangerous for the kidneys, for diseases of the central nervous system, mental disorders. A medical consultation before using this herb is strictly required.
Methods of preparation and use of sweet clover
What is the use of sweet clover at home? Decoctions, infusions, ointments are prepared from herbs. It is also used in cooking, and sweet clover honey belongs to the highest quality varieties of honey.
Decoction
The herb can be brewed separately. It is also often included in the fees that are used to treat abscesses. It is a good emollient, anti-inflammatory, expectorant. It is taken for varicose veins, insomnia, respiratory diseases.
Preparation
- Take 1 tbsp. spoonful of herbs.
- Pour a glass of boiling water over.
- Boil for 1 minute.
- Insist 1 hour.
- Strain.
Broths are taken orally in 1 tbsp. spoon after meals 3 times a day. They are used externally in the form of lotions and compresses.
Infusion
There are several recipes for infusions. Coarser infusions are recommended for external use.
Cooking a weak infusion
- Take 1 tsp. herbs.
- Pour a glass of boiling water over.
- Insist 40 minutes.
- Strain.
Warm infusion is taken orally ¼ glass 3 times a day. It helps well against insomnia, with nervous disorders.
Preparation of concentrated infusion
- Take 1 tbsp. l. herbs.
- Pour a glass of boiling water over.
- Insist 2 hours.
- Strain.
This infusion can be taken in 1 tbsp. l. 3 times a day.
In gynecology, infusions are taken orally, they are also used externally in the form of douching, tampons, trays. Concentrated infusions are added to therapeutic baths for joint diseases.
Ointment
The ointment is prepared on the basis of fat - melted pork, duck, goose, butter or petroleum jelly. It can be used for mastitis, diseases of the blood vessels and joints, for bruises, bruises, abscesses, for the ripening of boils.
Preparation
- Take 1 tbsp. l. herbs.
- Mix with ¼ cup duck fat.
- Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Insist until cool.
The ointment is applied to a napkin and applied to the affected 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 the correct diet and drinking regimen, gymnastics, massage. An important role is influenced by the patient's lifestyle, age, occupation. There are positive reviews about the treatment of yellow melilot with the threat of blood clots. Varicose veins are also treated with other herbal remedies: horse chestnut, figs, hare cabbage, hops, thistle, comfrey, milk thistle, Kalanchoe, goat's rue, lungwort, asparagus.
How to prepare a decoction to treat veins
- Take 1 tbsp. l. dry grass.
- Pour 2 cups of warm water (not boiling water!).
- Insist 4 hours.
- Strain.
How to use herbal for veins? Drink 1 dessert spoon 3 times a day before meals. Doctors recommend taking this herb together with other herbs.
How to prepare herbal remedy for vein treatment
- Take 2 parts each of milk thistle herb, hazel leaves.
- Add 1 part each of melilot grass and prickly steel.
- Mix and take 1 tbsp. collection spoon.
- Pour in 1.5 cups of water.
- Boil for 10 minutes and leave for 1 hour.
Take a collection of ¼ glass 3 times before meals.
Melilot honey
Melilot exudes a lot of nectar. Due to the unique structure of the flower, nectar does not evaporate in hot weather, and is not washed off by rain. This honey plant is grown industrially to obtain valuable melilot honey. The greatest honey productivity is given by annual and white sweet clover. Melilot honey is not only a useful delicacy, but also a valuable medicine. It is used externally for mastitis, abscesses, tumors, pain in muscles and joints. Inside take for coughs, hypertension, indigestion, headaches, fatigue, neuroses. Read more about it in our other article.
Cooking
Among the Slavic peoples, sweet clover is not such a well-known herb in cooking. However, among southerners and Caucasian peoples, this is a popular seasoning for fish and meat dishes. Fresh, dry leaves and flowers are salted, preserved, salads and soups are prepared from them, they are added to homemade cheeses and liqueurs. As a seasoning, sweet clover should be used sparingly, as its excess in the diet can cause side effects.
Side effects
Melilotus officinalis is a poisonous plant. Overdose and uncontrolled intake lead to severe side effects:
- dizziness;
- drowsiness;
- headache;
- nausea and vomiting;
- hemorrhage;
- paralysis.
What is important to know?
- Do not increase the dosage of the herb.
- Do not give to children.
- If you experience any side effects, consult a doctor immediately.
- White sweet clover is considered more toxic, so it is much less commonly used as a medicine.
Melilotus officinalis is the first remedy for varicose veins and hemorrhoids. Also, the herb is effective for cramps, nervous system agitation, insomnia. It is an effective distracting, analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent for mastitis, rheumatism, gout. Ointments, compresses are made from it and applied to sore spots.
Melilotus officinalis Pall is a plant that is ubiquitous in European and Asian dry meadows, steppes, wastelands, and fallow lands. Belonging to the genus of melliferous juveniles of the legume family, it is a dense, woody at the base, well-branched stem, which reaches a height of one to one and a half meters, and sometimes grows in culture up to two meters. On the stem, there are medium-sized trifoliate petiole leaves, the color of which is bluish-green above, and paler below. Because of this feature of the location of the leaves, sweet clover is also often called the bottom trefoil.
In general, sweet clover got its name from the words "bottom" (in ancient times they called the disease, today known as gout) and "bottom", which the ancient Russians used to denote diseases of the lower abdominal cavity. The scientific name of the plant Melilotus has Greek roots and is formed by the words "chalk", which means "honey", and "lotus" - "fodder grass".
The plant has a fairly large number of interesting folk names. So, herbalists often call the herb of sweet clover burkun medicinal, wild hop, hare chill, tomka, chrestovik, malasny, common, sticky, Italian and molten grass, wild buckwheat or burkovina.
Sweet clover belongs to aromatic herbs and, thanks to such substances included in its chemical composition, as melitol, coumarin, mellitic acid and essential oils, it has a pronounced pleasant coumarin smell. Its flowering period is in the summer months, the fruits ripen from July to late autumn. The tops of the stems, leaves and flowers of the plant are used as medicinal raw materials, which are cut off during flowering. The herb of sweet clover is dried in well-ventilated attic spaces, under awnings. The dried grass acquires a strong specific aroma, which is comparable to the smell of fresh hay, although it would be more correct to say that hay smells like sweet clover.
Finished medicinal raw materials are stored in tightly closed cans or wrapped in paper.
Chemical composition
Melilot grass contains glycosides, as a result of the cleavage of which coumarin is formed - a camphor substance with a bitter taste. Its content ranges from 0.4 to 0.9%. Also in the chemical composition of melilot are present:
- Orthohydrocumaric (or melilotic) acid, which has a strong honey smell;
- Tsimarin, which has a diuretic effect;
- Tannins;
- Coumaric acid;
- Essential oils;
- Protein compounds;
- Fatty substances;
- Purine derivatives, which regulate the course of various biological processes in the body (in particular, they have a stimulating effect, as well as antitumor, antiviral and antiallergic activity);
- Cholines, which help improve memory, affect carbohydrate metabolism, regulate insulin levels in the body, and also improve the transport and metabolism of fats in the liver;
- Flavonoids, which affect the activity of most enzymes in the body, regulate the permeability of the vascular walls of the circulatory system, improve their elasticity, and also prevent sclerotic lesions;
- Vitamin C;
- Tocopherol;
- Carotene;
- Sahara;
- Slime.
In decaying sweet clover plants, dicumarol (dicumarin) was found, which prevents blood clotting.
Beneficial features
The use of sweet clover, thanks to the coumarin it contains, helps to suppress the central nervous system. The substance eliminates the manifestations of convulsive syndrome and increases the number of leukocytes in people who have undergone a course of radiation therapy. Coumarin increases systolic blood pressure, increases minute blood volume, improves peripheral, cerebral and blood supply to the organs located in the abdominal cavity.
Also, sweet clover is used as an expectorant for inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract, as a laxative, to reduce the severity of symptoms of climacteric syndrome, with insomnia, hysterical conditions, cardiospasms and migraine attacks.
Melilot is used in combination with other medicinal plants for the preparation of emollient preparations for poultices and the preparation of a green patch (in particular, blister and corn).
Even in pre-Slavic times, the properties of sweet clover were actively used by folk healers to reduce nervous excitability, treat melancholy, relieve headaches, with menstrual disorders, bronchitis and dropsy.
The use of sweet clover as an external agent involves the preparation of infusions and decoctions from it, as well as ointments from the flowers of this plant. With the help of these funds, diseases such as furunculosis, mastitis, and ear inflammation are quite effectively treated. In addition, they significantly accelerate the healing process of purulent wounds.
In addition to its use in medicine, sweet clover is widely used in cooking. It is added as a seasoning for fish, vegetable salads and soups, as well as for preservation, making cheeses and compotes.
Contraindications
The main contraindications to the treatment of sweet clover are pregnancy, decreased blood clotting, internal bleeding and renal dysfunction.
In high doses, the plant has a pronounced depressing effect on the nervous system and adversely affects smooth muscles. Long-term use of sweet clover and exceeding the recommended dose can provoke the development of undesirable side effects in the form of vomiting, increased drowsiness, hemorrhages under the skin, into muscle tissue and internal organs, and liver damage. In especially severe cases, even paralysis of the nervous system is possible.
In the article we discuss medicinal sweet clover. You will learn what the plant looks like, what medicinal properties it has. We will tell you how to treat varicose veins, hemorrhoids and hypertension with the help of funds based on it. Consider contraindications for use, and tell you how sweet clover is used in cooking.
Melilotus officinalis is a herbaceous representative of the Legume family (lat.Fabaceae). The Latin name is Melilotus officinalis. The plant is popularly known as yellow burkun, wild buckwheat, burkunets, female sweet clover, meadow burkun, Italian grass.
What does it look like
Appearance of medicinal 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. Shoot height from 1 to 2 meters.
Leaves are lanceolate, toothed, grow in 3 pieces on a long petiole. The leaf surface 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. Melilot blooms from mid-summer to early autumn. Grains with pollen are elliptical. The pollen is yellow.
Fruits are smooth, flattened beans. Consist of one, rarely two seeds. The length of the bean is 3-4 cm. Begins to bear fruit in August.
Where grows
Melilotus officinalis is found in the steppe and forest-steppe zones. It grows in meadows, wastelands, along roads. The plant often forms thickets together with white melilot, which differs only in the color of the flowers and the shape of the beans.
Melilotus officinalis grows practically throughout Russia. Found in Europe, Asia, New Zealand, North America and the British Isles.
For more information about medicinal clover, see the following video:
Flowers, leaves, shoots
The entire upper part of the plant has healing 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
Melilotus officinalis contains:
- organic acids;
- essential oil;
- tannins;
- coumarins;
- vitamin A;
- vitamin C;
- glycosides;
- flavonoids;
- slime.
Healing properties
Melilotus officinalis is well studied, unlike white melilot, therefore it is more often used as a medicinal plant. It has an expectorant, analgesic, anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory effect. Plant-based products are used to treat diseases of the respiratory tract, hearing and gastrointestinal tract.
Melilot grass has a calming effect. Plant-based products lower blood pressure and restore the nervous system. They are used for nervous disorders, migraines and insomnia.
The plant helps women cope with mastitis and menstrual irregularities. Funds based on it normalize hormonal levels.
Melilotus officinalis 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 fabric bags or glass containers in a dark, ventilated place. Shelf life is 2 years.
How to apply
Sweet clover herb can be bought at any pharmacy. On the basis of medicinal melilot, infusions and decoctions are prepared 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 agent has an anticonvulsant effect and improves blood circulation in all organs. Infusion of the plant is used externally for joint inflammation, rheumatism and radiculitis.
Melilot decoction is used to treat respiratory diseases accompanied by coughing: bronchitis, asthma, tracheitis.
Broth for varicose veins
Melilotus officinalis reduces capillary permeability, eliminates heaviness in the legs and relieves puffiness. A decoction of the plant is often used to treat varicose veins and thrombophlebitis. The tool is taken orally and based on it, lotions and foot baths are made.
Ingredients:
- Sweet clover herb - 1 tablespoon.
- Water - 400 ml.
How to cook: Chop the herb, cover with 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, funds based on medicinal sweet clover are contraindicated for use, since the plant is poisonous. Tincture of the herb is used to treat female infertility. The tool normalizes hormonal levels and, with regular use, increases the chances of conception.
Ingredients:
- Medicinal sweet clover - 100 gr.
- Vodka - 500 ml.
How to cook: Pour the dry herb with vodka, cover with a lid, 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)
Melilotus officinalis is used to normalize blood pressure, vasoconstriction and increase the level of leukocytes in the blood. The infusion of the plant increases the minute volume of the heart. The remedy is taken within 3 weeks, a two-week break is required before the repeated course.
Ingredients:
- Medicinal melilot - 5 gr.
- Tavolga - 15 gr.
- Field horsetail - 10 gr.
- Horse chestnut - 10 gr.
- Water - 500 ml.
How to cook: Combine herbs, pour into a thermos, pour boiling water over and leave for 5-6 hours.
How to use: Take ⅓ glass of the infusion three times daily between meals.
Result: Infusion lowers blood pressure and normalizes heart rate. This healthy recipe is effective for coronary artery disease.
Ointment for hemorrhoids
Melilotus officinalis is used to treat hemorrhoids. The decoction of the plant is taken orally, the ointment is applied externally. Comprehensive treatment quickly eliminates the symptoms of the disease.
Ingredients:
- Sweet clover flowers - 20 gr.
- Vaseline - 50 gr.
How to prepare: Powder the flowers with a rolling pin, combine with Vaseline and stir.
How to use: Apply to the anal sphincter after each bowel movement.
Result: The ointment eliminates pain syndrome, relieves inflammation and itching, and resolves hemorrhoids. The remedy 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.
Sweet clover - honey plant
Appearance of sweet clover honey. Honey from the nectar of sweet clover is distinguished by high taste characteristics.
Along with buckwheat, acacia and lime honey, 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 melilot thickets. An artificially grown plant produces up to 600 kg of honey per hectare.
Contraindications
Contraindications to the use of drugs based on medicinal sweet clover:
- period of pregnancy;
- internal bleeding;
- liver and kidney pathology;
- low blood pressure;
- poor blood clotting.
Melilotus officinalis is a poisonous herb, so the dosage of drugs based on it should be strictly observed. Uncontrolled reception of a sweet clover causes side effects:
- nausea and vomiting;
- dizziness and headache;
- drowsiness;
- hemorrhage;
- paralysis.
Classification
Melilotus officinalis is a biennial representative of the genus Donnik (lat.Melilotus), the legume family (lat.Fabaceae). The plant belongs to the order Leguminous (lat.Fabales), class Dicotyledons (lat.Dicotyledones), department Flowering (lat.Magnoliophyta).
Varieties
The genus Donnik unites 22 species of herbaceous plants. The most famous of them:
- sweet clover white;
- indian sweet clover;
- plowed sweet clover;
- sweet clover medicinal;
- toothed clover;
- large-fruited sweet clover.
Donnik officinalis infographics
Photo of medicinal sweet clover, its useful properties and application 
Sweet clover infographics
What to remember
- Melilotus officinalis is used in folk medicine to treat diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular and nervous systems.
- Plants are poisonous, therefore, before using products based on it, you should consult a specialist.
- In the culture of southern peoples, it is customary to use sweet clover in cooking. It is added to soups, main dishes and drinks.
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