What is dangerous clover. Red clover use for atherosclerosis

This is a member of the legume family. Among the many folk names-analogues of the plant: redhead, red porridge, honey color, meadow shamrock, trinity, scrofulous grass, fever grass, trojan. Latin generic name for clover Trifolium translates as " shamrock».

Types of clover

Botanists know 244 species of clover, including:

1 Red clover (red)- grows almost everywhere in Europe, in the Far East, Kamchatka, in Siberian region, in northern Africa, in the Central Asian countries. Widely used in traditional medicine recipes, in homeopathy, in the culinary tradition, the species has justified itself as a popular food culture. Forage pasture plant and productive honey plant.
2 mountain clover- perennial, representative of the mountain flora of Europe, the Asian part of Russia, some Asian countries. For the preparation of medicines, grass and inflorescences of this species are used. Mountain clover extract has found active use in the creation of cosmetics.
3 Clover white (creeping)- the area of growth of this perennial is unusually wide: Europe, the Caucasus region, Siberia, northern Africa, Asian countries, american continent, Australia and New Zealand. Popular fodder crop. White clover is used in medicine and is an excellent honey plant.
4 plowed clover- an annual plant, common in the European region, on the territory of Western Siberia. Has medicinal value.
5 Alpine clover- grows on ledges and in rock crevices, occurs on rubble and in river valleys. Distributed in the Alps, the mountainous Crimea, the Caucasus and Altai. , .

Clover red (meadow) – herbaceous plant height from 15 to 40 (sometimes 60) cm, with a woody rhizome, ascending stems and trifoliate leaves characteristic of all clover. Flowers dark pink, dirty purple, ash pink, red-purple or white color collected in rounded heads. Fruit type - bean. The flowering period of clover is from May-June to September. You can meet the plant on forest edges, along the road, on slopes, glades, meadows with soils of medium moisture and among shrubs.

Conditions for growing clover

Clover is a typical representative of temperate crops. The plant prefers moist soils, drought affects clover negatively. During the growing season, clover is best suited for cooler temperatures. Germination of seed material occurs at a positive temperature of 2 degrees. The emerging plant is able to adapt to light frosts. Clover also tolerates wintering with severe frosts well, provided there is a dense snow cover. The preferred time for sowing clover is early spring. Before sowing, the soil is treated to eliminate possible pests and fed with micronutrient fertilizers.

The collection of clover inflorescences should be started in dry and sunny weather. When harvesting, the inflorescences-heads are cut off along with the apical leaves. Clover is preliminarily dried in the sun, then dried in a room with good ventilation. When drying, the inflorescences should not be vigorously shaken to prevent mass scattering of raw materials into small flowers. It is necessary to store clover in a dry place, because at a certain level of humidity in the inflorescences, enzymatic processes are launched that spoil medicinal properties plants and even contributing to the formation of toxic and harmful substances. The shelf life of clover is up to 2 years. At home, small armfuls or bunches of clover are wrapped in thick paper and kept hanging.

If fresh clover inflorescences are used, it must be remembered that between the flowers of each plant there may be a significant number of insects attracted by the aroma and nectar of clover. To clean clover from insects, you need to soak the inflorescences in salted water for about a quarter of an hour. Salt water at the rate of: a teaspoon of salt per liter of liquid. Then the inflorescences should be washed under running water.

Power circuit

Clover is important protein food source for animals. Numerous species of clover are grown as fodder pasture crops intended for cattle and small cattle. The fodder value of clover is very high: the plant is used for fortification of feed for farm animals, for grazing, for the preparation of hay flour, silage and hay.

Useful and healing properties of clover

Chemical composition and presence of nutrients

100 g of young clover sprouts contains:
Main substances:	G	Minerals:	mg	Vitamins:
Squirrels	3,53	Sodium	6	Vitamin C	7,1
Fats	0,59	Calcium	4	Vitamin A	0,04
Carbohydrates	3,53	Iron	0,85
calories	29 kcal

What exactly is used and in what form

In the medicinal industry and in the system of traditional medicine, clover inflorescences are most often used as raw materials ( mountain clover, meadow clover) and plant grass ( creeping clover) .

In the treatment of various diseases, infusions and decoctions from clover inflorescences are used. Outwardly, poultices with clover decoction are practiced (for burns, joint problems). Crushed clover leaves are applied to ulcerative skin lesions and festering wounds. Fresh clover juice is treated allergic manifestations in the eye area. Clover flowers are brewed and drunk as tea. Prepared on the basis of clover alcohol tincture , .

Medicinal properties of clover

Inflorescences of red clover (meadow) contain trifolin and isotrifolin glycosides, tannins, essential and fixed oils, organic acids, including salicylic, carotene, vitamins B1, B2, C, E, K. The antimicrobial component trifolirizin is formed in clover roots. Ascorbic acid and tocopherol are formed in the leaves during the flowering period.

Red clover has an expectorant, diaphoretic, diuretic, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effect on the body. This remedy is used as an expectorant in inflammatory processes in the upper respiratory tract. Red clover is prescribed for anemia, cystitis, bronchial asthma, painful menstruation and rheumatism "with experience".

Tincture of clover inflorescences is recommended for atherosclerosis (subject to normal and stable blood pressure). With edema of cardiac and renal etymology, the carminative effect of clover is used. A strong decoction of mountain clover is taken on an empty stomach with a hernia. Sitting baths with mountain clover are prescribed for hemorrhoids. Infusion of plowed clover herb is useful for pulmonary tuberculosis, gastritis with high acidity, kidney disease and Bladder for migraines and nervous disorders.

The use of clover in official medicine

The pharmacy assortment offers the drug " Cleverol"- a tool created on the basis of an extract from red clover. " Cleverol» appoint in complex treatment vegetovascular and emotional and mental disorders that occur against the background of the development of a premenopausal or menopausal state. The tool has positive effect with insomnia, irritability, hot flashes characteristic of menopause. How does clover work in menopause? This effect of the drug is explained by the content of phytoestrogens in Cleverol, active substances that compensate for the reduced level of estrogen in a woman's body during menopause, or after removal of the ovaries.
Clover is also present in the system of developed dietary supplements. biologically active additive Red clover"useful and used to strengthen the immune system, with a general depletion of the body caused by the transferred frequent infectious diseases, as an addition to a balanced menu.
Also available is an alcoholic tincture of red clover " Red clover».
Flowers and grass of red clover are offered on the drug market in the form of filter bags for brewing.

The use of clover in traditional medicine

For coughs and complicated colds, a decoction of clover is useful: pour a tablespoon of inflorescences into 200 ml of boiling water, let it boil, leave for at least two hours in a warm place. Strain and take a third cup three times a day half an hour before meals.
For anemia, an infusion of clover is recommended: 3 teaspoons of inflorescences are steamed with 200 ml of boiling water. Let it brew for 60 minutes, strain. Take a quarter cup 4 times a day 20 minutes before meals.
For headache attacks, pour a tablespoon of inflorescences with boiling water, leave for half an hour and squeeze. Take 100 ml three times a day for 14 days.
With dysmenorrhea, steam two tablespoons of clover in 200 ml of boiling water, let it brew in a thermos for half a day. Strain, drink 50 ml 4 times a day half an hour before meals.
For cystitis: pour a tablespoon of inflorescences into 0.5 liters of water. Bring to a boil. Drink 2 tablespoons with an interval of two hours.
With atherosclerosis, accompanied by headache and tinnitus (under normal blood pressure), clover tincture is useful: 40 g of dry raw materials are infused in 0.5 liters of alcohol with a strength of 40 degrees for 10 days. Strained tincture drink 20 ml before lunch and in the evening, before going to bed. The duration of treatment is 90 days, with a break of 10 days.
To improve digestion, prepare a mixture of red clover inflorescences, peppermint leaves and centaury grass (all herbs in a tablespoon). Raw materials pour 300 ml of boiling water, let it brew and take 100 ml three times a day for half an hour before meals.

Externally:

To prepare lotions and poultices, use a decoction of clover inflorescences (20 g of flowers per cup of boiling water).
In case of rheumatism, three tablespoons of plowed clover grass are wrapped in gauze and dipped in boiling water, then squeezed out, and, not scalding hot, are applied to the affected area of the body.

The use of clover in oriental medicine

Tibetan healers use lupine clover in the treatment of diseases of the liver and biliary tract, with jaundice.

Avicenna prescribed fresh clover grass juice in the treatment of bronchial asthma. A decoction of clover was recommended for healing wounds and ulcers in scrofula, and used it as a diuretic in kidney pathologies.

In Central Asian countries, clover decoction is used to treat colds, malarial fever, and is used for weakened and reduced digestive functions as an astringent.

Clover in scientific research

P.B. Clifton-Bly, R. Beiber, J. Fulker, M. Neri, T. Moreton investigated the effect of isoflavones contained in red clover on lipid metabolism and metabolic processes in bone tissue.

Nestel P. J., Poumroy T., Kay S. note the effect of isoflavones isolated from red clover associated with changes (improvement) in the walls of blood vessels in menopausal women.

The pharmacokinetic aspect of red clover is highlighted in the work of Howes J., Waring M., Huang L., who analyze the rate of absorption of isoflavones in the body.

The use of red clover as a remedy for postmenopausal women was studied by S. Exanpour, M. S. Salehi, B. Solfagari.

Wong I., V. Man Guo, S. Chen also determined the role of substances contained in red clover in the appointment of estrogen replacement therapy.

Novikova O., Pisareva D., Zhuravel M.

Clover in cooking

All parts of the plant are suitable for culinary experiments: clover sprouts eaten fresh, or lightly boiled in salted water, flowers used raw, dried, for the preparation of various desserts and drinks. And seeds and flowers can be ground into flour.

Ingredients you will need to make fragrant and healthy drink: one cup of clover flowers, two tablespoons of dried or fresh mint, four cups of water, honey or sugar to taste. Rinse the clover flowers thoroughly under running water. Steam mint and clover in boiling water. Insist 10 minutes. Then strain and add honey or sugar.

Clover Cookie

To make these cookies you will need: 2 cups wheat flour, 1/2 cup almond flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1/3 cup room temperature butter, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup plain yogurt, knife edge vanilla, 1 cup chopped dry or fresh flowers. clover. Combine flour, baking powder and butter and mix until smooth. Separately beat eggs with yogurt and vanilla. Add clover flowers to the egg mixture and gradually introduce the resulting mass into the dough base of flour, butter and baking powder. Roll out the kneaded dough on a floured surface. Cut out cookies with cookie cutters. Bake until golden brown. Serve the finished cookies with jam or hot chocolate.

Mousse with white clover

To create this delicious dessert you will need: 2 cups of white clover inflorescences sorted into flowers, one tablespoon of gelatin (or one sheet of gelatin), a cup of water, half a cup of freshly squeezed orange juice, 4 tablespoons of honey, a cup of whipped cream, a pinch of salt.

Dissolve gelatin in a quarter cup of water. In a saucepan over low heat, gradually bring the mixture of clover flowers, water, orange juice, honey and salt to a boil. Remove from heat, add gelatin, stirring until completely dissolved and allow to cool. Leave in the refrigerator until it starts to harden. Beat a cup of cream and gently mix with a slightly seized jelly mass. Transfer to a glass bowl and refrigerate until the mousse is completely set.

Use in cosmetology

Does clover help with wrinkles? Care cosmetics based on clover extract covers products intended for mature, aged skin with pronounced signs of aging. The active components released from clover are characterized not only by a rejuvenating effect. They effectively heal acne-affected skin and soothe sensitive and irritated skin. Clover is also useful for hair: clover extract is part of the means that prevent hair loss.

Other uses

Clover is a highly productive honey plant. Fresh clover honey is transparent, with a delicate smell; during crystallization, the honey clover mass turns white and hardens.

Clover is used by farmers as a plant that improves soil composition. The plant not only positively affects the structure of the soil, strengthens it, but also leads to an increase in the number of earthworms and various beneficial microorganisms that inhabit the land. The clover root system contains specific bacteria whose function is the accumulation of nitrogen. As a result, the soils on which clover grows are always enriched with this mineral fertilizer. This feature of clover is actively used by agronomists when sowing fields.

An unusual collection of four-leaf clover (they are believed to bring good luck) was collected by Alaskan resident Edward Martin. The idea of collecting came to Mr. Martin back in 1999. this moment the original collection contains over 11,000 quatrefoils.

One of the symbolic meanings of clover has biblical origins. It is believed that when she was expelled from the Garden of Eden, Eve took the famous quatrefoil with her for good luck. Therefore, clover symbolizes a piece of heaven on Earth.

In Christian tradition, the three-leaf clover is associated with God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The fourth leaf of the plant means God's mercy.

Folk omens, associated with clover can help determine whether it will rain or bad weather is coming: before the rain, clover leaves straighten, and on the eve of a storm and bad weather, the clover folds the leaves.

Red clover, which has high medicinal properties, is another prominent representative of the pharmacy garden. In addition to all the healing qualities, this plant is also a valuable honey plant, but honey from it is very expensive, since productivity is no more than 6 kg per 1 ha. This is due to the atypical structure of meadow clover flowers, from which only bees with a very long proboscis can extract honey. You will learn about the usefulness of red clover, and how to prepare medicinal products for treatment and cosmetic purposes on its basis, in this material.

Description and distribution of meadow clover

Description of Red Clover (Trifolium pratense L.): Belongs to the legume (moth) family (Fabaceae).

This is a perennial sprawling herbaceous plant with a thin straight stem up to 40-50 cm high. It has a taproot branched root.

The leaves are triple, long-petiolate, elliptical in shape.

The flowers are pinkish or red, collected in a rounded or oblong inflorescence. The fruit is a single-seeded bean. Blooms in July-August. Fruits in August-September.

Spreading: widely distributed on the territory of Russia, grows in meadows, edges, along roads, cultivated in the fields as a leguminous plant.

Growing: red clover grass is very unpretentious, but prefers moist, loamy, neutral soil and a sunny place. Propagated in the spring by dividing the bush, as well as by sowing seeds, which are pre-soaked for 12 hours.

Healing properties of flowers and roots of red clover

Pharmacy name: red clover flowers.

Parts of the plant used: inflorescences (clover heads together with apical leaves) and roots.

The high healing properties of red clover are explained by the presence of active substances in the plant. AT various parts contains: benzaldehyde (benzoic aldehyde) - color; biochanin A - krn., rast., stb., leaf, color; vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) - plant; vitamin C (ascorbic acid) - rast. 120 mg%; vitamin K complex - plant; hesperidin (citrine, vitamin P); 6a-hydroxymaaki-ain - leaf; gamma-linolenic acid - in oil 19.07-23.4%; maakiain - leaf; medicagol - sheet, stb.; medicarpine - sheet; methyl salicylate - ef. color oil; pisatin - sheet; provitamin A (carotene) - fresh rast. 10 mg%; salicylic acid - color; stigmasterin (stigmasterol) - color; folic acid(vitamin B9, vitamin Bc, pteroylglutamic acid) - leaf; formo-nonetin (biochanin B) - krn., rast., stb., leaf.

Collection time: flowers - June-August, roots - after vegetation.

Collection: inflorescences are harvested from early summer to autumn at the beginning of bud opening. Dried in the shade or in dryers at a temperature not exceeding 40°C. Seeds are harvested from August to September. Shelf life - 1 year. Red clover roots are dug up in autumn, washed and dried in ventilated dryers at 40°C. Shelf life - 2 years.

Due to its high healing properties, the roots and grass of red clover are used in folk medicine for asthenia, vitamin deficiency, anemia and atherosclerosis.

Clover has an expectorant, astringent, diuretic and antiseptic action. It is used for acute respiratory infections, diarrhea, kidney diseases, as well as for malaria, scrofula.

As an anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory agent, the medicinal herb of red clover is added to fees for the treatment of bronchial asthma.

The roots are part of some antitumor preparations.

Economic purpose: young clover leaves are added to salads, green ones to cabbage soup and botvinia. In the past, the leaves were dried, ground into a powder, and added to rye dough in bread baking, as well as in sauces and cheese making.

Unblown inflorescences can be fermented like cabbage and added to salads.

A valuable honey plant, but nectar is available only to bees with a long proboscis, so honey productivity is only 6 kg of honey per hectare of crops.

To increase the attendance of clover by bees, Professor A.F. Gubin developed a method for training bees to visit clover. Produced as follows: dilute 500 g of sugar in 0.5 liters of boiling water, allow to cool and lay clover flowers in syrup, insist from 3 to 5 hours. Or you can make syrup with honey: 1 part flower honey to 2 parts water, boil for 30 minutes, let cool and lay flowers. The prepared syrup is enough for 10 bee colonies. Early in the morning, while the bees have not yet begun to fly, a saucer with 100 g of syrup is placed on the frame for each family. The procedure is carried out daily, while clover blooms en masse. In the future, syrups are prepared with flowers of other plants that have bloomed. When training bees for red clover, honey yield increases by an average of 12%, by pink clover- by 25%, for white clover - by 51%, rapeseed - 20%, colza - 41%, alfalfa - 16.5%, white sweet clover - 44%, mustard - 32%, raspberries - 57.5%, heather - 23.5%, field turnip - 41%, fava beans - 86%, onions - 80%. At the same time, the number of
The seed food that can be harvested from these plants.

In beekeeping, all types of clover are valued.

Honey belongs to the best varieties, does not sugar for a long time, amber saturated color and very fragrant, slightly viscous, gently melts in the mouth. Useful for colds.

Recipes of folk remedies from clover for the treatment of diseases

Recipes of folk remedies based on clover for the treatment of various diseases:

Infusion: 2-3 tablespoons of herbs in 2 cups of boiling water, leave for 30 minutes (daily dose). Drink in 3 doses 20-40 minutes before meals.
Tincture: 4 tablespoons of clover flowers per 0.5 liter of vodka, insist in a dark place for 10 days, filter. Application of red clover tincture: 1 tablespoon 2-3 times a day. Course - 3 months.
Infusion for anemia, jaundice: 3 teaspoons of clover flower heads per 1 cup of boiling water, leave for 1 hour in a closed vessel, filter. The use of red clover infusion according to this traditional medicine recipe: 1/4 cup 4 times a day 20-30 minutes before meals.
Decoction for anemia, whooping cough, bronchial asthma, bronchitis, skin diseases, painful menstruation, headache: 10 g of grass per 100 ml of water, boil for 5 minutes. Take 1/2 cup 3-4 times daily with or without food.
Infusion for painful and irregular menstruation: 2 tablespoons of clover for 1 cup of boiling water, leave for 8-12 hours. Take an infusion of red clover according to this traditional medicine recipe for 1/4 cup 20-30 minutes before meals.
Infusion for inflammation of the ovaries: 1 tablespoon of clover roots in 1 cup of boiling water, boil in a water bath for 30 minutes, let cool, filter. Take a clover infusion over this folk recipe 1 tablespoon 4-5 times a day before meals.
roots with inflammation of the appendages: boiled clover roots are used in clinical nutrition for inflammation of the appendages. It is necessary to eat an additional 1 tablespoon of roots per day with meals, adding to soups and cereals.
Oil infusion for dropsy and pain in the joints: Fully fill the glass jar with fresh red clover flowers, pour vegetable oil, insist in a dark place for 40 days (make sure that mold does not form on top - the flowers should not protrude from the oil). keep it folk remedy based on clover in the refrigerator without filtering. For dropsy, take 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day before meals. For pain in the joints, rub daily.
Infusion for malignant tumors of the external: Pour 2-3 handfuls of clover with boiling water, hold for 10 minutes, drain the water. How to take clover infusion correctly: In the form of warm steamed grass, make lotions on sore spots for 1-2 hours. In the summer, with the same goals, apply gruel from fresh leaves.
Ointment: pour fresh flowers with water in a ratio of 1:4, in a water bath, in a covered bowl, evaporate to a viscous consistency, filter and mix with an equal amount of ointment base (vaseline, fats, lanolin).
Tea for diabetes: daily drink tea from clover (instead of regular tea), brewing 2-3 dried clover heads in a glass of boiling water, leave for 10-15 minutes.
Infusion at allergic diseases skin, vitiligo, vasculitis: 3 teaspoons of dry tops with bracts per 1 cup of boiling water, leave for 1 hour. Take an infusion of red clover according to this recipe 1/4 cup 4 times a day. At the same time, make lotions or poultices: brew 2 teaspoons of flowers in a glass of boiling water, and leave for 5-6 hours, best in a thermos. The time of lotions is not limited.
Infusion at multiple sclerosis: 3 teaspoons of flowers or seeds of clover in 1 cup of boiling water, leave for 1 hour. How to take clover infusion: 1/4 cup 3-4 times a day 20 minutes before meals, or: take seeds 3 times a day, 1 teaspoon 3 times a day between meals with water.
Juice with gray hair: if at the very beginning of graying every year from time to time rub the juice squeezed from clover into the roots of the hair, then the graying will noticeably slow down for a long time.

Despite the high beneficial features meadow clover, there are contraindications to its use:

Do not use drugs for hormone-dependent forms of cancer (pathology reproductive system affecting the uterus, ovaries, mammary glands in women, prostate and testicles in men).
It is necessary to stop taking clover preparations with pain in the stomach and diarrhea.
Therapeutic contraindication to the use of meadow clover is a tendency to heart disease, stroke.
Do not take with thrombophlebitis, varicose veins veins, increased blood clotting.
Contraindicated in pregnancy.
Sometimes there is an individual intolerance to plant preparations.
Red clover contains isoflavones from the group of isoflavones (biochanin-A and formononetin) and coumestanes (coumestrol). In advertising slang, this is "phytoestrogens." Red clover, like soy, is widely used to prevent unpleasant symptoms. menopause. However, there is no data on its effect on the human body with long-term and regular use. Experimental evidence to justify the use of red clover extract instead of real estrogens in hormone replacement therapy is also still insufficient.
Also, a contraindication to the use of red clover preparations is a reduced permeability of blood vessels.
Contraindicated joint reception of funds from clover and hormonal drugs type AGTK (adrenocorticotropic hormone), cortisone, prednisone, prednisolone, etc.
Do not take clover preparations for hypertension, and especially for people who, against the background of a general increase in pressure, have a significant jump immediately after sleep and in the morning.

The use of meadow clover in home cosmetology

Clover dry extract is a nourishing, anti-inflammatory, softening, moisturizing, anti-aging, normalizing secretion, antifungal and hair growth stimulant for oily, dry, aging, problematic and dehydrated skin, as well as for oily hair. Introduced into cosmetics up to 1 to 5%.

Supercritical CO2 clover extract is a supercritical fluid extraction with natural carbon dioxide from the flowers and grass of the plant. Oily mass Green colour. In cosmetic products, it is used as an anti-inflammatory and antiseptic. Introduced into cosmetics from 0.01 to 0.1%.

Recipes for the use of meadow clover in home cosmetology:

moisturizing mask: grind 4 flowers and 9 clover leaves in a mortar, add 1 dessert spoon of honey, mix thoroughly. Apply the mass on the skin, the duration of the procedure is 15-20 minutes. Wash off with cool water.
moisturizing and toning mask for all skin types: grind clover flowers and leaves, and mix 1 tablespoon of puree with 1 yolk for dry skin or 1 protein for oily skin, 1 teaspoon of honey and 1 tablespoon of 1% kefir. Apply the paste on cleansed face and neck. The duration of the procedure is 15-20 minutes. Wash off with cool water.
dandruff infusion: 2 tablespoons of herbs per 1 cup of boiling water, insist in a thermos for at least 2 hours, filter. Rub a warm infusion daily into the scalp at night with light massaging movements.
tonic decoction for baths: 50 g of grass per 3 liters of water, boil for 10 minutes, leave for 20-30 minutes, filter into the bath. The water temperature is 37-38°C, the duration of the procedure is 15-20 minutes.
infusion for the eyes (relieves puffiness): 1 teaspoon of crushed raw materials per 100 ml of boiling water, leave for 30 minutes, let cool, filter. Wet cotton pads and put on the eyes, the duration of the procedure is 25 minutes.

Contraindications: not systematized.

Red clover (or red) is a plant with a long history. It began to be cultivated as early as the fourteenth century in Northern Italy. Then the culture appeared in Holland and Germany. In 1633, the plant came to England. From the middle of the eighteenth century, clover appeared in Russia.

Dried leaves of the plant in the old days were combined with flour and baked bread. In addition, the plant was used in the manufacture of sauces and cheeses. Since ancient times, clover has been an integral part of healing teas and aromatic healing baths. Today, this plant is in demand in medicine, dermatology and the economy. Moreover, clover is an excellent honey plant and fodder plant.

Botanical characteristic

Clover is a herbaceous perennial of the legume family, reaching a height of up to 50, sometimes even more, centimeters. The plant is equipped with an erect or ascending stem, taproot branching rhizome, bright green, petiolate trifoliate leaves with stipules, papilionaceous dark or pale red flowers, surrounded from below by apical leaves.

Clover blooms at the end of the spring period, and the fruits ripen by the end of the summer period. The fruits are single-seeded ovoid beans with the presence of small ovoid flattened yellowish or brownish seeds.

Europe, North Africa, Central and Western Asia, Russia - the habitat of clover. Dry meadows, clearings, edges, thickets of shrubs, the outskirts of fields are the places where the plant grows.

How are raw materials prepared?

Medicinal raw materials - flowers with apical leaves. They must be collected during the flowering period. Pluck or cut off the whole floret along with the wrapper, then place in a basket. It is necessary to dry the inflorescences in the shade. You can also use a dryer for this purpose. Watch the temperature, it should not exceed sixty degrees. If the raw material dries out, it will lose a significant part of its healing properties. Flowers should be stored in a tightly closed container. Shelf life - two years, no more.

Often for making medicines plant roots are used. They need to be harvested after the flowering of the plant. The roots are dug up, cleaned of earth and other impurities, washed and dried.

You can dry raw materials both on the street under a canopy and in the attic. To speed up the process, you can use a dryer or oven. After drying, pour the raw materials into boxes and place in a room with good ventilation. You can store rhizomes for a year, no more.

The composition and healing properties of red clover

This plant is not in vain used in cooking and folk medicine. After all, it contains a huge number of useful, and importantly necessary for the normal functioning human body substances:

glycosides;
saponins;
steroids;
vitamins of groups B, E, K;
ascorbic acid;
coumarins;
phenolcarboxylic acids;
saponins;
fatty oils;
quinones;
tannins;
essential oils;
carotene;
micro and macro elements;
salicylic acid;
flavonoids.

The rich composition endows this plant with truly healing properties. Red clover has a diuretic, expectorant, diaphoretic, choleretic, anti-sclerotic, anti-inflammatory, antitoxic, wound healing, hemostatic, antitumor and analgesic effect.

Medicines based on this miracle plant contribute to the treatment rheumatism, colds, anemia, malaria, burns, cystitis, tuberculosis, bronchitis, atherosclerosis, asthenia, rickets.

The use of red clover preparations in informal medicine

➡ Preparation of vitamin infusion. Clover is an excellent remedy for the prevention of beriberi. It is recommended to be taken by people suffering from a breakdown and anemia. Steam a couple of tablespoons with two liters of boiled water. It is advisable to infuse the product in a closed thermos. Add a little lemon juice, about 30 ml and a couple of tablespoons of honey. Place the container in a ventilated area for seven hours. Take ¼ cup twice a day: in the morning and before going to bed.

➡ Preparation of a tonic drink. Take twenty grams of dried clover inflorescences and combine with crushed rose hips. Mix the ingredients and brew the raw materials with five hundred milliliters of boiled water. Put the container in heat for seven hours. Take 100 ml of the drink twice a day.

➡ Angina pectoris: tincture therapy. Grind fresh inflorescences of the plant and fill with medical alcohol - 500 ml. Close the container well and take it to a darkened cool room for fourteen days. Shake contents periodically. Filter and consume ten milliliters of the drug, previously diluted in half a glass of boiled, cooled water.

➡ Atherosclerosis, migraines: use of tincture. Pour one hundred grams of dried finely chopped plant with vodka - 700 ml. Set aside the composition in the cold for fifteen days. Take two tablespoons of the drug before going to bed. The therapeutic course should be two weeks. Then a week break and a repetition of the course.

➡ Preparation of an infusion that contributes to the normalization of menstruation, as well as the elimination of pain. Brew ten grams of dry crushed red clover inflorescences in two hundred milliliters of boiling water. Clean in a dry, dark place for five hours. Use 70 ml twice a day. It is recommended to take the medicine a few days before menstruation.

➡ Urticaria, irritation skin: bath application. Pour fifty grams of the dried plant with 500 ml of water. Put on the stove, boil. Let it stand a little. Strain the decoction and add to a bath filled with hot water. Take a healing bath for about fifteen minutes.

➡ Preparation of a sedative. Pour about 150 grams of the plant with a liter of water. Put the saucepan on the stove, boil the remedy. Wait ten minutes. Cool, filter and take 100 ml of the drink several times a day instead of water. You can add some honey to improve the taste.

➡ Vulvitis, whites: the use of healing baths. Steam a spoonful of dried crushed flowers with three hundred milliliters boiled water. Infuse the remedy in a thermos for six hours. After the time has passed, filter the infusion, dilute and use for baths.

➡ Clover in the treatment of stomatitis. Pour raw materials - a couple of tablespoons of dry clover inflorescences with three hundred milliliters of boiled water and put the container in a dry, warm place for several hours. Use infusion for rinsing your mouth.

➡ Scrofula, burns, tumors: use of infusion. Steam twenty grams of dry clover with four hundred milliliters of boiled water. Insist in a dry, darkened room for two days. Take 50 milliliters of medicine twice a day. The therapeutic course is twenty days.

➡ Tincture will get rid of the noise in the head. Pour ten grams of dried crushed plant with two hundred milliliters cold water. Place the container on the stove, bring the raw materials to a boil. Filter, take a couple of spoons four times a day, before meals.

➡ A drink that enhances lactation. Combine fifteen grams of dry clover heads with the same amount of St. John's wort, twenty grams of currants, mix. Steam raw materials with three hundred milliliters of boiled water. Drink instead of tea, 100 ml three times a day. You can add some honey for taste.

➡ Inflammation of the ovaries: decoction therapy. Take 20 gr. dried and finely chopped rhizomes of the plant, pour water. Place on the stove, boil, then soak in a water bath for thirty minutes. Cool, filter and drink 50 ml of medicine five times a day.

Contraindications!

Before taking clover preparations, be sure to consult your doctor. It is not recommended to take funds from the plant with individual intolerance, pregnancy, indigestion and ailments of the cardiovascular system. Do not abuse drugs from the plant and exceed the recommended dosages.

Today, many perceive clover as the most common grass, and sometimes even as a weed. Meanwhile, this plant, unlike weeds, not only does not steal useful components from the soil, but also saturates it. On the roots of clover there are nodule bacteria that absorb nitrogen from the air and enrich the earth with it. He is also a wonderful honey plant, very fragrant and hidden in his flowers. But not only this is the value of this plant - since ancient times, people have actively used it for cooking and treating many diseases.

Clover has a considerable number of useful properties, so it is quite often found in various recipes folk medicine. In most cases, the leaves and heads of the plant are used for treatment. They contain a number of valuable components - essential oils, tyrosine, fatty oils, asparagine, trifoside, salicylic and coumaric acid, trifolin, carotene, flavonoids, phytoestrogens (substances similar to female hormones) etc. Due to its rich composition, clover can have the following effect on the body:

Means prepared on the basis of clover are used for coughing, shortness of breath, uterine bleeding, edema, kidney disease, headache, menopause, anemia, anemia, lung diseases, colds, tonsillitis, atherosclerosis, asthenia, hemorrhoids and oxygen starvation. The plant will help reduce cholesterol levels, improve lactation, lower high pressure relieves dizziness and tinnitus. Clover can be used not only internally, but also externally to prevent hair loss, treat inflammation oral cavity, gingivitis, tonsillitis, eye diseases, dandruff, skin diseases and burns.

Based on this plant, medicines, syrups, dietary supplements are produced, it is part of some medicines and many fees. Traditional medicine recommends using clover both independently and in conjunction with others. medicinal herbs. As a rule, infusions, teas, tinctures and decoctions are prepared from it, you can also make juice and ointments from this plant.

clover juice. To prepare it, grind fresh flowering heads to a mushy state, then squeeze the juice out of them by pressing; to facilitate the task, you can use a juicer. Juice is best used immediately after preparation. To increase the shelf life of such a product, it can be sterilized at a temperature of 85 degrees (but not more) and poured into prepared jars. This juice can be stored for up to three days. It is especially good to use it externally - for instillation of the ears, washing the eyes, making lotions and compresses for the treatment of wounds, burns, skin diseases, boils, rheumatic pains. Inside the juice is recommended to be taken by mixing with honey. His daily allowance should not exceed a third of a glass (this entire volume must be divided into several doses).

Clover juice will help in the treatment of pneumonia, bronchitis, tracheitis, colds, neurosis, it will alleviate the condition with menopause, anemia, uterine bleeding, edema and will help eliminate problems with the heart and blood vessels.

Infusion of clover. Dried clover in the amount of a tablespoon, steam with a glass of boiling water, strain after half an hour. Divide the resulting remedy into three parts and drink it per day, one part in the morning, afternoon and evening. Take it twenty to thirty minutes before meals. This tool is universal, so it can be used for almost all problems that clover can solve, it helps especially well with painful menstruation, kidney disease, colds, headaches, atherosclerosis, anemia.

Clover for neuralgia and migraine

Clover in folk medicine received a very wide application. It will help with neuralgia and frequent migraines. In this case
it is recommended to use an infusion from it. Such a remedy will not only help in solving these problems, but will also help to remove cholesterol, cleanse blood vessels, and strengthen the heart.

To prepare it, place 20 dried clover heads in a jar, boil a liter of water and pour it over the plant. After a quarter of an hour, the remedy will be ready for use, take it in a glass three times a day. The course is one month.

Treatment with clover prepared according to this recipe will also be effective for hypertension, atherosclerosis, bronchitis and even baldness.

Clover, the beneficial properties and contraindications of which are due to the presence of flavonoids and phytoestrogens in its composition, is recommended as an active food supplement for some hormonal disorders associated with menopause. If stored improperly, medicinal raw materials can cause irreparable harm to health. Flowers of red and white clover are used in folk medicine for the treatment of bronchi and diseases of the internal female genital organs located in the pelvic area. The meadow clover is used by pharmaceutical factories to prepare various forms and is recommended by official medicine for hormonal disorders.

Why the plant is useful

Meadow clover is used more frequently than white creeping clover, which has the same beneficial ingredients but in smaller amounts. Fresh Juice white clover is used externally in folk medicine for the treatment of skin diseases, wounds, burns. It helps in the treatment of rheumatic symptoms and will help stop bleeding.

At the red clover the largest number the active components are found in the stems and roots, but for home treatment, if you turn to folk practice, they collect flowers with upper leaves. The aerial part of the plant and the root contain:

essential oil;
isoflavones;
carotene;
coumarins;
trace elements;
various vitamins;
saponins;
steroids;
carbohydrates;
flavonoids;
phenolcarboxylic acids;
quinones.

The benefits of red clover for female body due to the presence in it of four hormone-like substances that slow down the aging process. In case of individual intolerance, taking the extract can be harmful due to a large number phytohormones.

Preparations made on the basis of this herb can also be used by men. The benefit of the extract is that it suppresses the production of testosterone in adolescents suffering from oily seborrhea and juvenile acne. Taking clover preparations is useful for young men who have an overabundance male hormone leads to persistent acne and early baldness.

Any kind of clover (both red and white) folk healers recommend using to improve the body. Infusion of flowers and upper leaves helps:

cleanse the body after intoxication with chemicals;
improve protective functions;
make up for the lack of nutrients in a poor diet;
relieve an acute allergic reaction;
improve the condition of the skin with dermatitis, psoriasis and seborrhea;
remove excess water from cells and relieve puffiness;
reduce the number of relapses in asthma;
improve health in menopause.

Although mainstream medicine considers both red clover and white clover to have minimal health benefits and potential harm, women use the herb to reduce menopausal symptoms and experience significant relief from herbal medicine.

When should the plant be used?

white clover in official medicine not recommended for use and no studies have been conducted with it. Observations on experimental groups made it possible to find out when you can get a definite benefit from taking red clover extract. The medicinal plant is recommended for:

Parkinson's disease;
osteoporosis;
the risk of cardiovascular complications;
liming vessels;
problems with visual-spatial function;
menopause;
bronchial disease.

Extracts prepared at home can be taken up to six months. So long-term treatment it is recommended if such pathological conditions of the body as precancerous diseases of the breast are observed, excessive sweating and nervousness accompanying menopause.

Despite the presence of a large amount of hormone-like substances in the plant, clover extract will be useless when female infertility. Active ingredients cannot stimulate the production of follicle-stimulating and luteinizing hormones.

Can weed be harmful to health?

Clover extract can harm pregnant women by causing a threatened miscarriage. Nursing mothers, using an infusion of herbs rich in phytoestrogens, can harm the baby, causing long-term disturbances in the functioning of the internal secretion organs.

Official medicine warns that the uncontrolled use of clover preparations long time in large volumes may cause profuse bleeding.

The active component in the composition of the plant - coumarin - has the ability to greatly thin the blood, preventing the formation of platelets. This impact active substance can be dangerous when weak vessels and increased blood pressure which clover is unable to regulate.

The ability to greatly thin the blood has only dry crushed raw materials, which were prepared with violations of technology. If, during drying, the flowers and leaves of the plant were affected by microscopic mold fungi, then the resulting raw material will contain poisonous toxins, which, in combination with coumarin, greatly thin the blood. In order not to cause such harm to the body, it is recommended to use only fresh flowers and leaves for the preparation of various forms.

To get the expected benefit from the extract of red or white clover, you need to collect 100 inflorescences and pour 0.5 liters of boiling water over them. This amount is enough to get a daily dose of phytoestrogens. Treatment with an extract from fresh flowers can be continued as long as this plant blooms in the meadow.

For those who do not have the opportunity to constantly collect raw materials for daily consumption, we can recommend making an alcohol tincture by filling a glass vessel with flowers and filling them with vodka. To obtain safe dry raw materials, you need to pick clover flowers in dry weather and dry them in an oven at a temperature of 60 ° C. Store medicinal raw materials in glass jars for one year.