Herb Sweet clover - beneficial properties and contraindications

What it looks like and where it grows

Sweet clover, or Burkun, is a herbaceous perennial up to 1.5 m tall from the Legume family. It has a branched stem with triple leaves; small stipules are located at the base of the petioles. From May to June it bears long clusters of yellow or white shades, consisting of numerous small flowers. At the end of summer, fruits similar to small beans form in place of the buds.

The inflorescences of the sweet clover are loose, white or yellow buds are located opposite each other

Burkun can be seen most often in the steppes, in sunny meadows, in wastelands and along roads; it often forms thickets. It is highly unpretentious and is found everywhere in the Central region of Russia, in the middle zone and in Siberia. You can find the plant in Europe and Asia.

Important! Although yellow sweet clover is called medicinal, the white variety of the perennial also has medicinal properties.

Chemical composition of sweet clover, white

Yellow and white sweet clover have a rich chemical composition that provides benefits to the plant. The leaves and flowers of the herb contain:

• glycosides and coumarin;
• essential oil;
• flavonoids;
• ascorbic acid;
• vitamins A and E;
• dicoumarin;
• melilotic and coumaric acids;
• cymarin;
• tannins;
• choline and purine derivatives;
• melilotol;
• starch;
• fatty acids and mucus;
• sucrose;
• vegetable protein.

Both white and yellow burkun are poisonous plants and require careful use, although the first variety is considered more dangerous. But when used correctly, the perennial has a very beneficial effect on health.

What are the benefits and benefits of sweet clover grass?

Yellow and white sweet clover is actively used in folk medicine and is found in traditional pharmaceutical preparations. When used correctly, the plant:

• helps with cramps;
• helps get rid of insomnia and hysterical states;
• improves the condition of blood vessels and the cardiac system;
• eliminates headaches;
• acts as an expectorant for coughs;
• acts as a mild laxative;
• fights inflammation and infections;
• relieves fever during colds.

The benefits of sweet clover for the body are used, including in cases of cancer. After radiation therapy, burkun helps to increase the number of lymphocytes and leukocytes, thereby improving the general condition.

Medicinal properties of sweet clover for women

Yellow and white Burkun are used in the treatment of cystitis, painful heavy periods and unpleasant symptoms of menopause. The plant improves well-being in cases of depression and insomnia, helps with a tendency to edema and promotes weight loss, as it removes toxins from the body.

The healing properties of sweet clover are beneficial during lactation. The infusion of the plant is used to treat the mammary glands for symptoms of mastitis and lactostasis, as well as for cracked nipples.

But during pregnancy, it is better not to use medicinal and white burkun. It contains toxic substances that can have a negative effect on the fetus.

Beneficial properties of sweet clover for men

For men, using products based on the medicinal plant sweet clover is useful for prostatitis and inflammation of the genitourinary tract. Infusions and decoctions of yellow and white burkun strengthen the vascular system and protect against heart ailments. Since the plant improves blood circulation, it can be used when libido is weakened to stimulate the proper functioning of the pelvic organs.

Sweet clover helps increase stamina and energy in men

Beneficial properties of sweet clover seeds

Traditional medicine uses not only the leaves and yellow and white flowers of the sweet clover, but also the seeds of the plant. They are used to prepare decoctions, infusions and ointments. In the latter case, the raw materials are mixed with petroleum jelly or animal fat. Healing agents have a strong anti-inflammatory effect and are good for hemorrhoids, skin ailments and damage to the epidermis.

Beneficial properties of sweet clover tea

Tea based on white and yellow sweet clover has a beneficial effect on digestive and nervous disorders. You can use it for stomach pain and stool disorders, insomnia and severe stress. If you add ginger or lemon to the drink, the product will acquire strong anti-cold properties and help cope with the symptoms of ARVI and flu.

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Useful properties of sweet clover in a bath

The healing properties of white and yellow sweet clover are actively used in the bathhouse. First of all, brooms with a pronounced honey-vanilla aroma are made from the plant. They not only provide a wonderful smell in the steam room, but also have a calming effect on the nervous system and also help relax muscles.

Herbal brooms made from white and yellow sweet clover help warm joints with rheumatism and osteochondrosis

Also in the bathhouse, infusions and decoctions of the plant are used; they are splashed onto hot stones to create aromatic steam. White and yellow sweet clover increases sweating, stimulates the immune system to work actively and helps protect against colds.

Useful and medicinal properties of sweet clover. Indications for use

The beneficial properties of sweet clover are used to combat pathologies such as:

• bronchial asthma;
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
• urinary tract diseases;
• disorders of the cardiovascular system;
• inflammatory processes of the bronchopulmonary system;
• gynecological diseases;
• otitis;
• gout:
• rheumatism.

Products prepared on the basis of the bottom herb increase concentration, have an anticonvulsant effect, improve memory, blood circulation in the vessels of the brain, and stimulate myocardial contractility. In addition, the plant is used in the complex treatment of neurological disorders. Sweet clover also has wound-healing, expectorant, analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects.

For men

Bottom grass is used in the complex treatment of prostate adenoma (this disease develops in men after 45 years). Experts in the field of traditional medicine recommend the use of sweet clover for men suffering from chronic prostatitis. Medicines based on wild buckwheat exhibit anti-inflammatory, analgesic and absorbable effects.

the plant has a positive effect on maintaining female beauty and health

For women

For nursing mothers, compresses from decoctions and infusions of wild buckwheat are recommended for cracked nipples and residual effects of mastitis. The drugs have an anti-inflammatory and distracting effect. In addition, the plant is used to normalize the menstrual cycle and in the complex treatment of adnexitis. Sweet clover is useful for women during menopause. The products relieve irritability, normalize sleep, and help cope with sudden mood swings.

Methods of preparation and use

Based on burkun, both aqueous and alcoholic medicines can be prepared. Traditional medicine offers several simple recipes.

Sweet clover tincture

Alcohol tincture of yellow and white sweet clover has a particularly good effect on hormonal imbalances and disorders of the reproductive system. The remedy is done like this:

• 50 g of dry raw material is poured with 250 ml of vodka;
• close the container with a stopper and leave for 15 days;
• strain through folded cheesecloth.

You need to take the product 15 drops twice a day, the total therapy takes ten days.

Advice! You can use sweet clover tincture externally. For example, for migraines, a small amount of the drug is rubbed on the temple area.

Sweet clover tincture is used to treat wounds and cuts for disinfection.

Infusion

Sweet clover treats nervous disorders and insomnia - a simple infusion of water has a good effect. The recipe looks like this:

• 50 g of dry grass of white or yellow sweet clover is poured into 1 liter of boiling water;
• cover the container with a lid and leave for four hours;
• filter the product through cheesecloth.

You need to take 250 ml of the infusion twice a day on an empty stomach.

Sweet clover infusion is useful for vitamin deficiency

Decoction

A strong decoction of white and yellow sweet clover is used to treat inflammation and skin diseases. Traditional medicine offers the following recipe:

• two large spoons of dry leaves and white or yellow flowers are poured into 500 ml of cold liquid;
• simmer in a water bath for half an hour;
• leave until cool and filter.

You need to drink the decoction three times a day, 150 ml, in total the therapy is continued for a week.

Sweet clover decoction can be used for wiping for skin irritations and burns.

Tea

Sweet clover tea has a pleasant taste and rich aroma, helps with colds and has almost no side effects. They do it like this:

• 10 g of dried herbs and yellow or white flowers are brewed with a glass of boiling water;
• leave for 15 minutes under the lid to infuse;
• pass through a fine sieve.

You can drink the tea in its pure form, or you can add a slice of lemon, a piece of ginger root or a spoonful of honey.

You can drink sweet clover tea for nervous disorders

Ointment

You can make homemade ointment from white or yellow sweet clover herb. To prepare it you need:

• grind 25 g of plant flowers into powder;
• mix with two large spoons of softened butter;
• Bring until smooth and put in the refrigerator to harden.

The product can be used for abscesses, boils, cuts and other injuries.

Sweet clover ointment is applied to problem areas of the skin up to three times a day.

Compresses and baths

By external means, medicinal yellow and white sweet clover are used as part of medicinal baths. The healing infusion is made as follows:

• two large spoons of raw material are poured into 500 ml of boiling water;
• keep under the lid for half an hour;
• filter and pour into a container filled with hot water.

You need to take a fragrant bath for 20 minutes. It will have a good effect on infections of the reproductive system and skin irritations.

Sweet clover in medicinal baths helps with rheumatism and arthritis

Also, white and yellow dried flowers of the plant are used in compresses. The buds and grass are pre-steamed, and then applied in linen bags to the sore spots for 20 minutes. In this case, it is recommended to continue treatment for ten days.

Infusion

1. Infuse two teaspoons of sweet clover herb in 2 cups of cold boiled water in a closed container. Take 1/2 cup 2-3 times a day for hypertension, headaches, insomnia, irritability.
2. Infuse two tablespoons of the herb for 10 minutes in 0.5 liters of water in a closed container on a hot stove. Use for baths and compresses.
3. Two tablespoons of raw materials are placed in an enamel bowl, poured with 200 ml of hot boiled water, covered with a lid and heated in a water bath for 15 minutes, cooled at room temperature for 45 minutes, filtered, and squeezed. The volume of the resulting infusion is brought to 200 ml with boiled water. The prepared infusion is stored in a cool place for no more than 2 days. Take 1/3–1/2 cup 2–3 times a day as an expectorant and anti-inflammatory agent.
4. Brew 200 g of herb in a liter of boiling water, leave for 20 minutes, use for poultices, compresses, washes for abscesses, boils, pustules, conjunctivitis.
5. Brew a tablespoon of dry raw material with a glass of boiling water and leave in a thermos for 2 hours. Drink 1/2 glass 2 times a day, morning and evening.
6. A tablespoon of sweet clover herb in 1 cup of boiling water, leave for 1 hour, strain. Use 1/4 cup 3 times a day before meals as an anti-inflammatory.

The use of the herb Melilot officinalis, white in folk medicine

Traditional medicine takes into account the benefits and contraindications of medicinal clover when used in treatment. There are several popular recipes based on the plant.

How to take and drink sweet clover to thin the blood

The medicinal yellow burkun contains dicoumarin, a substance that prevents blood clotting. The plant can be used to combat varicose veins, thrombophlebitis and hemorrhoids.

Instructions for using sweet clover herb look like this:

• Dried yellow burkun and oregano are mixed in equal proportions;
• measure out a large spoon of the mixture;
• Pour 300 ml of boiling water over the healing herbs and leave for an hour.

The strained product is taken three times a day, 100 ml on an empty stomach. The infusion thins the blood well and helps reduce blood pressure. You can continue therapy for a month, after which you should take a break.

When coughing

White and yellow sweet clover flowers are good for colds and bronchitis and cough. Traditional medicine offers a simple recipe:

• pour a large spoonful of crushed buds into 1 liter of boiling water;
• leave covered for half an hour;
• passed through cheesecloth for filtration.

You need to take the infusion several sips throughout the day with a break of 1.5-2 hours. The product fights bacterial processes and accelerates the removal of sputum.

For headaches

For migraines, a decoction of yellow burkun helps well. They do it like this:

• 25 g of flowers and leaves are poured into a glass of hot liquid;
• simmer the mixture in a water bath for 30 minutes;
• cool and filter.

You need to take the decoction on an empty stomach three times a day, a single dosage is only 10 ml.

For flatulence

For heaviness in the abdomen, bloating and flatulence, this decoction helps well:

• 20 g of dried leaves, roots and white or yellow flowers of sweet clover are crushed;
• pour 250 ml of liquid;
• boil for ten minutes over low heat;
• cool and filter.

You need to take the drug three times a day, 50 ml, treatment is continued until the condition improves.

Sweet clover decoction improves food absorption and normalizes intestinal microflora

For rheumatism

Yellow and white sweet clover helps well with joint diseases. For exacerbation of rheumatism, you can use the following remedy:

• 30 g of burkun flowers and grass are mixed with 25 g of marshmallow;
• add 25 g of chamomile;
• pour 500 ml of water and boil for ten minutes over low heat;
• cool the product and pass through gauze.

A clean piece of gauze is moistened in the prepared decoction and applied to the affected area for 40 minutes.

Growing

The plant is not undemanding to climatic and soil conditions, it is light-loving and winter-hardy. Propagated by seeds. It is best to sow in early spring, March or April. Before sowing, the seeds need to be soaked for a couple of hours. Plant at a depth of 1.5-2 cm with row spacing of 50-60 cm.

When planting in spring, seedlings appear within a couple of weeks. With the appearance of several true leaves, the plants are loosened, weeded and thinned, leaving them at a distance of 30 cm from each other. It blooms in the first year of the growing season, but the fruits do not have time to ripen.

Application in cosmetology

Extracts of yellow and white sweet clover can be found in many care products. The herb is used in anti-cellulite scrubs and facial serums, and tonics for removing makeup.

In home cosmetology, white or yellow burkun is used to restore weakened curls and to cleanse oily epidermis that is prone to rashes. The plant helps to quickly get rid of acne and regulate the production of subcutaneous sebum, strengthens hair follicles and promotes their active growth.

Decoction for rinsing hair

For brittle hair prone to loss, you can use the following decoction:

• 50 g of yellow or white sweet clover herb is filled with water to the top;
• bring the mixture to a boil and immediately remove from the stove;
• cool to warm temperature and filter.

Hair is washed with the decoction after normal hygiene procedures no more than once a week. The product not only nourishes the follicles, but also promotes healing of the scalp in the presence of scratches, scratching and other damage.

Advice! You can add two large spoons of apple cider vinegar to the burkun decoction. In this case, a homemade rinse will give your hair extra shine.

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Lotion for oily skin

With increased work of the sebaceous glands and profuse acne, the following remedy will benefit:

• grass and yellow or white flowers are poured with boiling water in a ratio of 1:10;
• leave covered for 20 minutes;
• passed through cheesecloth for filtration.

The resulting lotion is used to wipe the skin with ulcers on a daily basis until the condition improves.

The herb sweet clover not only eliminates skin inflammation, but also helps to tighten pores

Ointment

1. Grind two tablespoons of fresh sweet clover flowers with 2-3 tablespoons of fresh butter. Use as an ointment that accelerates the maturation of abscesses for joint diseases.
2. 50–60 g of fresh sweet clover flowers are thoroughly ground with 3 tablespoons of butter.
3. Sweet clover - 1 part; Highlander - 1 part; Potentilla goose - 1 part; lush cloves - 2 parts; multi-colored carnations - 2 parts. Grind the raw materials in a coffee grinder or mortar to a powder. Grind 20 g of powder with 80 g of melted lard or goose fat, keep the mixture in a water bath for 4 hours, stirring, strain hot (1 part - 1 teaspoon). Use for hemorrhoids.
4. Mix 1 part of clover broth, thickened to half, and 4 parts of butter. Use for furunculosis and joint diseases.
5. The ointment is prepared from 2 tablespoons of freshly dried and powdered flowers, which are mixed and ground well with 50 g of Vaseline or any fat base. Used for thrombophlebitis, furunculosis and joint diseases.

Contraindications and side effects of sweet clover

The health benefits and harms of sweet clover are controversial; the toxic substances in its composition make it a potentially dangerous plant. First of all, when consuming yellow and white medicinal perennials, you must follow the dosages indicated in the recipes. If the permitted volumes are exceeded, burkun can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, as well as weakness, drowsiness and dizziness. In case of drug overdose, you should drink plenty of water, empty your stomach and take activated charcoal.

In some conditions, it is better to completely avoid using white or yellow medicinal herbs. Contraindications are:

• pregnancy;
• chronic and acute kidney diseases;
• hemorrhagic diathesis;
• internal bleeding.

You should not use sweet clover if you have severe liver diseases, as it can have a toxic effect on the organ.

Pharmaceuticals

Wild buckwheat is used to prepare decoctions, infusions, tinctures and ointments. The preparations are intended for internal and external use. The products are prepared based on traditional medicine recipes. If medicinal raw materials are purchased at a pharmacy, then you must follow the instructions for use indicated on the packaging.

Yellow clover is part of the combined drug Cardiofit - a tincture used as a cardiotonic, hypotensive and antiarrhythmic agent. The medicine is prescribed in the complex therapy of diseases of the cardiovascular system.

In addition, wild buckwheat is one of the components of ready-made herbal preparations.

Application of sweet clover grass in agriculture

Farmers use sweet clover as a feed additive for livestock. The grass contains a large amount of fiber and crude protein, as well as phosphorus and calcium, vitamins and vegetable protein. White and yellow varieties of the plant promote fat accumulation and increased milk production in animals.

Useful grass is used in crop rotation. Sweet clover enriches the soil with calcium, sulfur, phosphorus and nitrogen, cleanses the soil of nematodes, wireworms and rot. It can be sown before planting sugar beets, winter wheat and corn. At the same time, the plant does not have any special requirements for its own predecessors.

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Honey-bearing white and yellow sweet clover are used in beekeeping. From 1 hectare of crops, insects collect up to 600 kg of healthy, tasty and aromatic nectar. White or amber honey has a vanilla odor, contains high amounts of fructose and glucose, and is beneficial in folk medicine.

Instructions for using sweet clover

To avoid unpleasant symptoms of food poisoning, you need to use white sweet clover strictly according to the prescription, and do not overestimate the daily dosage of the specified medicine. A decoction of water and an infusion of vodka are intended for oral administration, and the ointment can be used to lubricate foci of pathology, for example, with hemorrhoids. To prepare the medicine, it is allowed to use not only sweet clover seeds, but also dry leaves and flowers of this medicinal plant. Below are reliable recipes that are recommended to be used not only for colds, but also for more serious diagnoses.

Alcohol and water tincture of white sweet clover, when used correctly, is an excellent remedy for inflammatory processes, successfully treats a number of infectious diseases without potential complications, and relieves acute attacks, for example, headaches, sore gums and teeth. Here are several effective recipes, the effect of which has not been confirmed in practice by any clinical picture.

Alcohol tincture of white sweet clover

Method of preparation and instructions for use:

1. Pour vodka over the dried herb.
2. Leave for 8-10 days, stirring the mixture occasionally.
3. Take 20-30 drops orally before meals for malaria and more.

Water infusion of white clover

• dried sweet clover herb - 1 tbsp. l.;
• water – 1 tbsp.

Preparation instructions and method of use:

1. Pour a tablespoon of herb into a glass of water and bring to a boil;
2. Steam and infuse, strain and cool the infusion.
3. Take half a glass three times a day.

For abdominal pain, a medicinal decoction is an excellent remedy, which is recommended to be taken before each meal for 2-3 weeks. This home remedy has an extensive list of medical indications, for example, tabes dorsalis can be successfully treated in this way and reduce the severity of anxiety symptoms. This decoction is also prescribed for dropsy, and here is its recipe.

• dry white sweet clover herb - 1 tbsp. l.;
• boiling water - 1 tbsp.

Method of preparation and instructions for use:

1. Steam the main ingredient and cover with a lid.
2. Leave for 2-3 hours until completely cooled.
3. Strain and take orally before meals.

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For boils, carbuncles and purulent wounds, it is recommended to use white sweet clover externally, thoroughly rubbing the medicinal composition into the areas of pathology until completely absorbed. To prepare a healing ointment, you need to grind 2 tbsp. l. dried flowers, add 50 g of Vaseline to the resulting powder. Place the composition in a glass container and store in the refrigerator.

This alcoholic infusion of white sweet clover is recommended for flux to eliminate pain and inflammation. To prepare it, you don’t need to boil anything, you just need to grind 50 g of dried raw materials in a coffee grinder and pour in 500 ml of alcohol. White sweet clover extract should be infused for 2 weeks, and then taken 20 drops orally, morning and evening. This is an effective prescription for ascites and dropsy.

Collection and preparation

It is recommended to collect white or yellow sweet clover from May to June during the flowering period. The side leaves and tops of the plant are cut off, and then sorted, tied into bundles and dried in the fresh air. Burkun can also be laid out on a baking sheet under a canopy; in both cases, direct sunlight should not fall on the raw material.

You can store sweet clover for up to two years, after which the healing properties will be lost.

The harvested grass is poured into glass containers or paper bags and stored in a dry, dark place.

Important! You can dry white and yellow sweet clover in the oven. But in this case it needs to be heated to a maximum of 40 °C.

Preparation and drying of raw materials

Medicinal raw materials are flower brushes, grass tops with leaves and side shoots (up to 30 cm in length), harvested during flowering. Often medicinal sweet clover grows together with white sweet clover, but they should be harvested separately. They are harvested in dry, clear weather, when the dew has disappeared, otherwise, being wet, it will quickly darken and spoil.

Dry in the shade under awnings, in attics, in a well-ventilated place. Lay out the grass in a thin layer (up to 5 cm) on cloth or paper, turning it over periodically. You can also use a dryer, but the temperature should not exceed 40 degrees. The resulting raw material tastes salty-bitter, with a strong aromatic coumarin odor (the smell of fresh hay).