From ancient times, people lived by hunting and gathering, and they collected not only mushrooms and berries, but also herbs, using them to treat various ailments. So the clover, which has flowers of a characteristic pinkish-red color, ended up in the baskets of our ancestors. Leaves were added to spring salads, the inflorescences were used to brew fragrant tea, and the stems themselves were given for animal feed.

Useful properties of clover

The leaves and stems of this plant are rich in essential oils, resins, proteins, tannins, glycosides, flavonoids, fiber, organic acids, ascorbic acid, isoflavones, beta-carotene, B vitamins, macro- and microelements - phosphorus, calcium, etc. Flowers , besides fatty oils, contain fatty acids and esters, glycosides, organic acids, pigments, vitamins C, E and group B. The benefits of red clover for the human body are enormous. It is used as an expectorant, anti-inflammatory, bactericidal, diuretic, diaphoretic, antitumor and antisclerotic agent.

What else is remarkable about clover? The benefit of this plant lies in its excellent biostimulating properties due to the presence of succinic acid in its composition. Regularly consuming it inside as part of decoctions, infusions and teas, you can normalize metabolism, increase immune defense and bone strength. The benefits of meadow clover also lie in the ability to help the body rehabilitate itself after an illness, restore vitality and energy, and increase the tone of the body.

Clover and medicine

Clover in medicine is used both externally and internally. Its ability to fight viruses is used in the treatment of colds, SARS and influenza. With bronchitis and whooping cough, it has a double effect: it fights bacteria and improves sputum discharge. And its sedative effect allows a person to relax and fall asleep. Even our ancestors brewed leaves and flowers, using them to detoxify the liver. Clover in traditional medicine It is used as an excellent hemostatic and blood-purifying agent. The cake of the plant was applied to wounds and rheumatic pains and burns were treated in the same way.

The use of decoctions and infusions accompanied the traditional treatment of coronary heart disease. Some sources provide information about his help to people with anemia and tuberculosis. In this case, 2 tbsp is recommended. l. pour red clover leaves with boiling water, leave for 40 minutes and take throughout the day. Tea from dried inflorescences helps to restore work respiratory system if you drink it within a month. How else can red clover help? The medicinal properties of this plant of the legume family make it possible to use it for fatigue and redness of the eyes. By washing the eyes with a decoction several times a day, you can get rid of the above problems and improve the quality of work at the computer.

Two tablespoons of a decoction or infusion three times a day can relieve headaches and provide the body's daily need for vitamin C. In case of a cold, it is recommended to pour a tablespoon of raw materials with a glass of freshly boiled water, add a spoonful of honey and take four times during the entire waking time after taking food. A decoction of the roots is indispensable for inflammation of the ovaries, compresses from it will soothe pain in the joints. Can also be used in therapy diabetes to lower blood glucose levels. Baths and masks with the addition of decoction fight ulcers on the body, acne.

Harm and contraindications of clover

It is clear that, like any remedy with a therapeutic effect, clover has its own side effects and contraindications. First of all, pregnant and lactating women should refuse to take it orally, because it is not known how it will affect the fetus or child. The harm of clover primarily lies in possible allergic reactions and individual intolerance. In addition, by combining its intake with traditional medicines, you can get the opposite of the expected effect. It is not combined with other estrogens, contraceptives, liver enzymes, and drugs that slow blood clotting.

Contraindications of red clover - stroke, internal bleeding, cancer of the mammary glands and genital organs in women, thrombophlebitis. High arterial pressure should also become an obstacle to treatment with this plant. Meadow clover contraindications also apply to people who have problems in the work of the digestive tract. In any case, before taking it, it is recommended to first consult with your doctor and, together with him, evaluate the possible risks during treatment. Clover contraindications are not as extensive as useful properties, but they are, and you should not brush them aside. And most importantly, it is strictly forbidden to give decoctions and infusions of clover to small children. The consequences can be unpredictable.

How useful is clover?

• relieves inflammation;
• lowers the temperature
• tones the body;
• gets rid of fungus
• stops the blood;
• relieves cough;
• eliminates eye fatigue;
• cleans the lymphatic system;
• works as a pain reliever.

• extract as part of dietary supplements;
• vodka tinctures;
• leaf compress.

The use of clover in folk medicine

Contraindications, side effects and harm of clover

The plant cannot be used:

1. With stomach disorders.

• skin rash,
• muscle pain,
• headache,
• nausea,

Recipes with clover1. To cleanse the liver of toxins

Ingredients:

• 300 ml of water;
• 1 tsp clover inflorescences;

2. To strengthen the body

Ingredients:

• 1 st. flowers;
• 500 ml of vodka.

3. Cleansing of blood vessels

Ingredients:

• 100 clover inflorescences;
• half a liter of water.

4. Headache treatment

Ingredients:

• 250 ml of water.

5. Getting rid of a cold

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. l. dry flowers;
• 2 tbsp. water.

6. From inflammatory processes and tumors

Ingredients:

• 3 art. l. clover roots;
• 1.5 st. water.

Procurement of raw materials

Today we are talking about red meadow clover, its medicinal properties and contraindications for use in traditional medicine.

Previously, red clover was used only as animal feed. The plant is now used to produce dye for fabrics, and the dried flowers are even used as a dressing for hot drinks. liquid meals, its fresh leaves are added as greens to salads, and also set off the taste in baking dough, make tea with it.

Clover flowers are rich in vitamins, substances useful for humans and animals, and ethers. In Russia, there are a little less than a hundred varieties that differ both in inflorescences, in the shape of the leaves, and in the composition rich in vitamins and minerals.

Popular representatives of this type of flowers in our area are white and red shamrocks, as they call clover in Latin.

These types of clover are the most unpretentious, they love a lot of sunlight, and they bloom quite early.

In folk medicine, meadow clover grass is very fond of. Usually used as fresh flowers and leaves, and dried.

The main useful properties of clover

• bactericidal;
• anti-inflammatory;
• expectorants;
• diuretics;
• diaphoretics;
• anti-sclerotic.

The benefits of clover for the body

What is the use of clover?

The healing properties of red clover, which few people know about:

• the plant is able to relieve inflammation, whether it is an abscess on the surface of the skin or a sore throat;
• can quite effectively lower the sharply jumped temperature;
• increases the tone of the body, gives a person strength and energy;
• cleanse the body of the fungus (on the mucous membranes, on the skin);
• has a hemostatic effect;
• softens a strong cough, soothes the mucous throat;
• improves the outflow of bile, is used as a choleretic;
• treats dry and tired eyes;
• "cleanses" the lymphatic system;
• has an analgesic effect.

In Russia, white and red clover is used in the following forms:

• - infusions on water, decoctions;
• - extracts in medicines;
• - tinctures for alcohol;
• - compresses.

Medicinal properties of clover and use in traditional medicine

Traditional healers greatly appreciate red clover for its healthy composition and healing effects on the body.

The beneficial effect of clover preparations is manifested in the following:

• Decoctions and infusions of clover will increase immunity, bring metabolism back to normal.

• Medicines with clover extract will lower the content of harmful cholesterol in the blood, and, therefore, will prevent the occurrence of atherosclerosis.

• Isoflavonoids, which are part of clover, will strengthen capillaries, increase the elasticity of veins and arteries.

• The healing properties of red clover will also help with gynecological diseases.

The consumption of medicinal preparations from clover will eliminate PMS, regulate the menstrual cycle, prevent inflammation of the appendages, as well as some STDs, and ease the well-being during menopause. Tinctures will restore male power.

• Compresses and infusions from clover leaves will disinfect and tighten purulent open wounds, heal burns.

• Infusions of flowers and leaves fight skin diseases such as acne, eczema, relieve allergic itching.

• Baths with brewed trefoil will help restore strength, calm the nerves, establish a good calm mood and peace of mind.

• Tea brewed with the addition of red clover flowers will soothe the throat with a dry cough, is effective for asthma in acute periods, and is indicated for bronchitis. Such tea should be drunk several times a day until the condition improves, it will not bring harm.

• White clover copes well with thrombosis, thrombophlebitis, effectively thins the blood.

Therefore, if a person has thrombocytopenia (the concentration of platelets in the blood is reduced, the blood does not coagulate well), then he needs to be careful when consuming this medicinal plant.

• If the stomach and intestines are upset, a decoction of red meadow clover will come to the rescue, as it has an astringent effect.

• With stomatitis, wounds in the oral cavity, the mouth should be rinsed with water infusion of clover after each meal, healing properties plants provide antiseptic and wound-healing effects on the mucous membranes.

• At varicose veins veins on the legs, clover grass is used externally, simply wrapping the affected areas with fresh rumpled plants.

• In case of inflammation of the eyes, steamed dry clover grass in gauze is applied to them.

• Red clover is used for low hemoglobin.

• Red clover contains valuable biological compounds that can prevent the occurrence of certain cancers.

But here, too, you should be careful, if a person has a predisposition to hormone-dependent forms of oncology, then these properties of clover during treatment may have the opposite effect.

Infusion of red clover flowers

Leave a tablespoon of raw materials in a glass of boiling water for an hour, drink a quarter cup 3-4 times a day half an hour before meals. Apply in hot weather colds.

In the treatment of menopausal disorders, for the treatment of PMS, the infusion is made a little stronger - 3 tablespoons per glass. Drink half a glass twice a day.

red clover tincture

half liter jar fill with clover flowers, top up with vodka, insist a couple of weeks in the dark, filter, drink a tablespoon twice a day for signs of atherosclerosis, headaches and dizziness, tinnitus.

Red clover decoction

3 tablespoons per glass of boiling water, hold on a quiet fire for 10 minutes, let it brew, then use a tablespoon 3-4 times a day before meals for half an hour.

Clover contraindications, possible harm during treatment

For most people, clover is more useful than harmful, both for external and internal consumption.

But, like any other medicinal plant, red clover has its own contraindications:

• The plant is contraindicated for pregnant women, as well as women during lactation, because the action of clover compounds can provoke hormonal failure. This should be taken into account both when taken orally and when applied externally.

• If there are blood diseases, then treatment with a medicinal plant can provoke bleeding, because clover thins the blood very well. That is why it is forbidden to use it a few weeks before and after surgery.

• With constant disorders of the stomach and intestines, clover is also contraindicated.

• Those who have heart problems, who have experienced a stroke, should also forget about the use of this drug.

• In hormone-dependent forms of oncological tumors (such as, for example, cancer of the uterus, ovaries, breasts), the use of drugs with clover extract can worsen the patient's well-being and condition.

The list of contraindications is, of course, impressive. In addition, the use of drugs containing clover can cause and side effects such as skin rashes, hives, joint pain, muscle discomfort, headache, heaviness, nausea, bleeding in women.

Clover has a powerful effect on the body, so you definitely need to know its interaction with other drugs:

• hormonal drugs (pills containing estrogens), contraceptives;

• drugs that increase the formation of digestive enzymes;

• medicines that slow down blood clotting;

• strong drugs that are used in oncology - red clover will reduce their effect and effectiveness.

Thus, summing up the contraindications of red clover, it should be noted that the action of the chemicals included in clover is similar to the action of human hormones, therefore, if taken for a long time, the plant will not be beneficial, but, on the contrary, will cause harm.

Red clover treatment without professional supervision should not last more than a month.

• Thanks to nice shape clover leaves, their contour is taken as the basis for the design of jewelry.

• In ancient times, amulets were made from clover leaves that protected from bad moments in business.

• In Europe, the image of shamrock leaves is often used on coats of arms.

• Psychics speak with confidence about the good magical power of clover, about its warm aura and energy. The plant is the patron of all four elements.

• Often modern people wear jewelry, stuffed tattoos with the image of a four-leaf clover, because it is considered a symbol of luck. And they are right - clover is considered one of the most powerful medicinal plants with an effective effect on the body.

If you know something else about the beneficial healing properties of red clover and its contraindications, then please comment on the post on the site alter-zdrav.ru.

What is red clover

Properties

• removal of inflammation;
• elimination of beriberi;
• lowering the temperature;
• body toning;
• stop bleeding;
• cough relief;
• cleansing of the lymphatic system;
• elimination of mastopathy;
• relief of menopause;
• diuretic effect;
• slowing down baldness;
• elimination of toxins;

Benefits of clover body

• the threat of atherosclerosis;
• menopause;
• decrease in potency in men;
• loss of strength (for cheerfulness);
• pain in the joints;
• urolithiasis disease;
• allergies.

Extract

With tuberculosis

From cholesterol

With menopause

With hypertension

For sore throat

For skin diseases

With atherosclerosis

With oncology

Contraindications

• pregnancy;
• breast-feeding;
• indigestion;
• allergic reactions;
• thrombophlebitis.

• skin rash;
• muscle pain;
• dizziness;
• vomit;
• uterine bleeding.

Red clover (meadow, honey color, trinity, woodpecker, redhead, red porridge, woodpecker, stable) is a herbaceous perennial plant from the legume family. The benefits and harms of the plant have long been studied, so clover is widely used in folk medicine as an antiseptic, antifungal, astringent, wound healing, expectorant and analgesic, has many useful properties and is even eaten.

It is unpretentious to growing conditions and is found almost everywhere throughout Europe, North Africa, Central and Western Asia. In Russia, it is most common in the European part of the country, in Siberia, Kamchatka and Far East. Clover is sensitive to the influence of anthropogenic factors: under adverse conditions, it dies and does not recover well. Grows in upland and moderately moist meadows, clearings, forest edges, in thickets of shrubs, on the outskirts of roads.

It is a valuable honey plant, but only species of bees with long proboscises can get nectar, so the productivity is no more than 6 kg of honey per hectare of crops. Such honey is considered the best in quality and medicinal value, it does not get candied for a long time and retains its properties.

The plant is a fodder value for farm animals, planted for decorative purposes. Used as a soil fertilizer. It is also used for food purposes: young shoots and leaves are eaten as an additive to salad, cabbage soup is prepared from them. In the Caucasus, young inflorescences are fermented for the winter. The essential oil of the plant is used in perfumery and cosmetology.

Morphological description

The root is taproot, has a small length and gives many shoots. Blisters are formed on the root with nitrogen-assimilating bacteria (they absorb nitrogen and accumulate air from the air), so fields are sown with clover for natural soil fertilization.

Branched stems reach a height of 20-60 cm, are ascending or erect. The leaves are trifoliate, have an ovoid or elliptical shape, a long petiole, are painted in bright green color with a light spot in the center. The lower leaves have serrated edges.

Flowering occurs in June-July, and may continue until August. Red clover flowers are zygomorphic, sessile, irregularly shaped, 11-14 mm long, located in capitate inflorescences framed by two leaves. The inflorescence is an elongated ovoid or cylindrical head 1.5-3.5 cm wide and 2-3 cm long. It bears fruit in July-August: beans are membranous, ovate-spherical, with one brown achene.

Chemical composition

Rich chemical composition plants determines numerous medicinal properties:

• flavonoids (kaempferol, quercetin, pratoletin);
• phytosterols;
• fatty oil (especially a lot in seeds);
• essential oil containing methyl coumarin and furfural - the strongest antimicrobial substance;
• organic acids (salicylic, p-coumaric, ketoglutaric);
• amino acids;
• glycosides (trifolin and isotrifolin);
• alkaloids;
• tannins;
• cellulose;
• resins;
• proteins and fats;
• vitamins E, C, A, P, K, B1 and B2;
• salts of calcium and phosphorus.

After mowing the grass, nitrogen accumulates in the roots of the plant (up to 150 kg/ha).

Useful properties of red clover

How useful is clover? Plant preparations have the following therapeutic effects:

• astringent;
• anti-inflammatory;
• painkiller;
• wound healing;
• secretory;
• diuretic;
• choleretic;
• restorative;
• diaphoretic;
• expectorant;
• antiseptic;
• regenerating;
• hemostatic;
• antiatherosclerotic;
• vascular strengthening;
• antitumor.

Collection and preparation

Red clover heads are of medicinal value, which are harvested during the flowering period, while they are fresh and juicy. Withered and drying inflorescences are not suitable for harvesting. It is best to cut inflorescences with upper leaves, which are also rich in useful substances.

Dry raw materials in natural conditions - under sheds or in attics. It is important not to overdry the herb, because in this case, the red clover loses its medicinal properties. Ready dry heads should not fall apart and crumble. They are neatly folded into cloth bags and stored in a dry place for 12 months. The raw material has no smell, but is bitter in taste.

Indications for use

Despite the well-studied medicinal properties and contraindications of red clover, plant preparations are mainly used in folk medicine for internal and external treatment. What red clover helps with:

• CCC: atherosclerosis and its prevention, hypertension (lowers blood pressure, and also reduces concomitant symptoms - headaches and dizziness);
• Hematopoietic system: anemia;
• Musculoskeletal system: myositis, rheumatism, polyarthritis;
• Respiratory system: bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, bronchial asthma, influenza, SARS, ENT pathologies;
• Pathologies of the urinary system: urolithiasis, cystitis;
• Reproductive system: inflammatory diseases of the female genital area, especially the ovaries, painful menstruation. Good for menopause. Men recommended for sexual impotence;
• Oncological diseases. In case of damage to the internal organ, it is taken orally, and in case of skin cancer - externally, in the form of lotions and ointments;
• Skin diseases: skin lesions with bleeding, fungal infections, burns, ulcers, psoriasis, vasculitis, vitiligo;
• Inflammatory processes with the formation of purulent discharge: boils, panaritium, purulent wounds, abscesses, ulcers and bedsores.

Plant preparations are recommended as a biogenic stimulant and general tonic for the prevention of viral diseases, chronic fatigue, beriberi, sudden weight loss or weight gain, alcohol intoxication.

Application of red clover

Traditional medicine recipes:

Decoction and infusion

These are universal dosage forms indicated for all the above diseases. In addition to internal use, they are indicated for external treatment in the form of compresses, lotions, poultices and additives in therapeutic baths. A steep decoction helps well with purulent abscesses and accelerates the healing of tissues.

Decoction: 1 tbsp. l. pour dry inflorescences with boiling water (1 cup) and boil over low heat for 1 minute, then leave for another hour. Strain and drink half a glass 3 times a day, before meals.

Cool decoction for external use: according to the above principle, just take 3 tbsp. raw materials.

Infusion: 2 tbsp. l. pour dry inflorescences with boiling water (1 cup) and stand for 60 minutes, insist, strain. Take half a glass 3 times a day or ¼ cup 4 times a day, before meals. Especially indicated as an astringent and expectorant.

A decoction of the roots of the plant

It is indicated for the treatment of bronchopulmonary pathologies and oncological diseases.

Grind 20 gr. dried roots, pour them with 1 cup of boiling water, put the product on water bath simmer over low heat for about half an hour. Cool the resulting broth, strain and add boiled water to the original volume. Take 1 tbsp. l. decoction up to 6 times a day, before meals.

red clover tincture

It is indicated for headaches, tinnitus and high cholesterol in atherosclerosis. They are taken for the prevention of influenza and SARS, with anemia, overwork, oncological diseases. Externally used for the treatment of the throat and oral cavity (half diluted with water). Do not use to treat burns, open wounds and dry skin. Take with caution at high blood pressure.

Take 4 tbsp. dry raw materials and pour 500 ml of vodka or alcohol diluted to 40%. Insist 10 days in warmth. Take 1 tsp. before meals 3 times a day and 1 more time at night.

Seed tincture

Take 1 tbsp. l. clover seeds and pour 1 glass of red wine, steam the product in a water bath for half an hour. Take for a long time, at least 1 month, 1 tbsp. l. 3 times a day.

Tea

Taken as a means of strengthening the immune system during the season of colds and SARS, to improve appetite in children.

1 tsp dry raw materials pour 200 ml of boiling water, leave for 5 minutes and take during the day in small sips.

Juice

Fresh juice has the same effect as infusion and decoction, but is considered more effective. It strengthens the immune system very well. It is especially recommended after a long illness, for recuperation after operations. Juice is also used externally, with suppuration of the finger and nail bed, skin tuberculosis.

Take fresh leaves, inflorescences and stems, pass through a meat grinder and squeeze the juice through cheesecloth. Take 1/3 cup 3 times a day.

Oil extract

It is used to treat the skin with ulcers and wounds, used for the speedy healing of burns and softening of the skin.

Take 1 part of dry inflorescences and pour 2 parts olive oil, insist 2 weeks. Apply only externally, for skin treatment and compresses at night.

fresh crushed leaves

They are used externally to heal wounds, stop minor bleeding, abscesses, burns and rheumatic pains.

Take fresh leaves, rinse with water and grind them in a mortar or grinder, put the gruel in a sterile bandage and apply to the skin for 15-20 minutes.

Fresh inflorescences

Freshly picked inflorescences are used as an additive to salads, soups and are recommended for patients with beriberi.

Pharmacological preparations

In a pharmacy, you can buy the following preparations of red clover: drops, capsules, extract and dry raw materials.

• Drops, 50 ml. Recommended for strengthening and cleansing blood vessels, lowering blood cholesterol levels, preventing atherosclerosis and hypertension. Price - 110 rubles.
• Capsules, 60 pcs. They are used for respiratory diseases, anemia, polyarthritis, hormonal disorders in women, with complex treatment atherosclerosis, as well as for the treatment of skin diseases: eczema, psoriasis, furunculosis, burns and trophic ulcers. Price - 900 rubles.
• Red clover extract in tablets of 500 mg, 50 pcs. Recommended as a dietary supplement to maintain women's health, strengthening the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal system during menopause. Price - 2200 rubles.
• Extract on wax, 100 gr. Indicated for external use for burns, abscesses, eczema, allergic rashes, swelling and inflammation of the lymph nodes. Price - 500 rubles.
• Dry raw materials (grass and flowers), 50 gr. Recommended for colds bronchial asthma, whooping cough, cough, chest pain, pulmonary tuberculosis, anemia. It is used for headaches and dizziness, insomnia, angina pectoris, hypertension, edema of various origins, inflammatory diseases rectum and vagina. Externally used for wounds, abscesses, burns, scrofula, festering ulcers, inflammation of the eyes. Price - 20-80 rubles.

Features of use in women, men, children

• For women. The decoction is used externally for douching in inflammatory processes of the vagina, and inside - for painful menstruation. During the experiments, it was proved that the decoction of the plant helps to eliminate the phenomena of menopause due to the content of phytoestrogens - substances that are included in hormone replacement therapy during menopause. In women who took a decoction of the plant during menopause, mood stabilization was observed, the frequency of hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause decreased.
• For men. Clover has long been attributed to natural aphrodisiacs that increase male sexual activity (use a tincture of seeds).
• For kids. Tea from the plant is used to improve appetite and activate digestion, helps with colic and abdominal cramps. It works very well with exudative diathesis: you can bathe babies in water with the addition of a decoction or rinse the body with clover infusion after bathing. Alcohol tinctures of clover are contraindicated for children.

Contraindications and precautions

Among the contraindications to the use of red clover:

• thrombophlebitis;
• Phlebeurysm;
• Acute forms of chronic pathologies of the kidneys and liver;
• Pregnancy;
• Estrogen-dependent oncological diseases;
• Chronic diarrhea and constipation of various etiologies;
• Children's age up to 18 years (for alcohol dosage forms).

In case of severe heart disease, after a stroke, you should consult a doctor about the possibility of treatment with red clover - in these cases, the plant can be harmful to health.

The plant belongs to the legume family. Previously, it was used only as animal feed. Now, with the help of red clover, fabrics are dyed, dried heads are used as a dressing for soups, young stems and leaves are used as an additive for salads, crushed leaves are put in bread or brew tea with them.

This is an excellent honey plant, so read also about the benefits of clover honey.

Inflorescences are a storehouse of vitamins. They contain ascorbic acid, B vitamins, and other useful substances: isoflavones, coumarins, essential oils. 245 species of clover grow on earth, in our climatic zone there are a little more than 70 species, which are distinguished by a high content of protein, starch, folic acid, vitamins C, P and carotene.

One of the common species is creeping white shamrock or white porridge. It is the most unpretentious, light-loving, early flowering. The other is red meadow shamrock, or red clover. In the common people it is called "scrofulous grass", "God's bread".

In medicine, fresh and dried flowers, leaves and stems of the plant are used.

plant benefits

In folk medicine, it is used to treat many diseases:

• relieves inflammation;
• lowers the temperature
• tones the body;
• gets rid of fungus
• stops the blood;
• relieves cough;
• eliminates eye fatigue;
• has choleretic properties;
• cleans the lymphatic system;
• works as a pain reliever.

Clover red and white can be used as:

• decoction and infusion on a water basis;
• extract as part of dietary supplements;
• vodka tinctures;
• leaf compress.

Application in traditional medicine

1. Tinctures increase immunity and bring back to normal metabolic processes in organism.
2. Clover preparations lower the level of bad cholesterol, which is additionally a good prevention of atherosclerosis.
3. For women - an indispensable assistant in gynecology: irregular periods, inflammation of the appendages, premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Used to treat sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). During menopause, it eliminates hot flashes, sensitivity and pain in the chest.
4. Red clover due to isoflavonoids strengthens the walls of blood vessels and capillaries, increases the elasticity of large arteries. Helps with angina.
5. Herbal tinctures restore potency in men.
6. Leaf poultices, infusions and infusions (based on vegetable oils) help in the treatment of purulent wounds and chronic skin diseases such as eczema and psoriasis, treat burns.
7. To improve the overall well-being of the body and restore strength, it is recommended to take a bath with a shamrock.
8. To stop coughing, the herb is added to tea and drunk several times a day. Healing for asthma, bronchitis and whooping cough. Read more about the benefits of clover tea.
9. White porridge is used to thin the blood and treat thrombosis.
10. Meadow red clover is used as an astringent for stomach and intestinal problems.
11. Fresh juice is suitable for treating allergies.
12. For the prevention of diseases of the oral cavity, throat, lungs, tinctures are used.
13. Red clover can be used to prevent certain cancers, as it contains many biologically active compounds: biochanin-A, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, coumarin, formononetin, genistein, isohamnetin. But if you have a predisposition to estrogen-dependent cancers, treatment may backfire.
14. The plant owes its analgesic properties to the anti-inflammatory compounds in its composition, such as eugenol, myricetin and salicylic acid.

Contraindications and side effects

For most people, red and white clover are not dangerous either when taken orally or when applied to the skin.

The plant cannot be used:

1. Pregnant and lactating women. Clover acts like estrogen, so it can disrupt the hormonal balance in the body. This prohibition also applies to external use.
2. In people suffering from blood disorders, the use of this medicinal plant may cause bleeding. Since clover thins the blood, it is forbidden to take it 2 weeks before and after surgery.
3. With stomach disorders.
4. For heart patients and stroke survivors.
5. With estrogen-dependent forms of cancer (myoma and uterine cancer, endometriosis, ovarian and breast cancer), the patient's condition may worsen.
6. If you suffer from thrombophlebitis, clover will only harm you. This plant increases the risk of blood clots in people with protein S deficiency.

As you can see, the list of contraindications turned out to be quite extensive. Now let's talk about possible side effects:

• skin rash,
• muscle pain,
• headache,
• nausea,
• vaginal bleeding in some women.

But the harm of red and white clover is not limited to this. If you decide to use the plant for medicinal purposes, you should know which medicines have a negative interaction:

• Estrogen tablets (they may contain estradiol, ethinyl estradiol or conjugated equine estrogens - premarin).
• Contraceptives containing ethinylestradiol and levonorgestrel - triphalis, ethinylestradiol and norethindrone - orthonovum.
• Liver enzymes and other drugs for the treatment of the liver. Clover can increase the side effects of drugs and prevent them from being broken down.
• Anti-clotting drugs: aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), diclofenac, ibuprofen, naproxen, heparin, warfarin, and others.
• Tamoxifen is used in the treatment and prevention of cancer. Red clover preparations reduce its effectiveness.

A few more words about the dangers of clover. A diet high in these compounds caused disorders reproductive functions and liver damage in captive cheetahs. And farmers have noticed that the predominance of red clover in the diet of livestock leads to the so-called "clover disease". Sheep showed infertility, dystonia, lactation disorders and uterine prolapse.

RecipesCleansing the liver of toxins

Ingredients:

• 300 ml of water;
• 1 tsp clover inflorescences;

The water is heated, then vegetable raw materials are poured in, boiled for 6 minutes. Allow the broth to cool, filter and drink 4 times a day, one tablespoon. The course of treatment is 30 days, if necessary, it can be extended.

Strengthening the body

Ingredients:

• 1 st. flowers;
• 500 ml of vodka.

The components are mixed, insisted in a dark place for more than 10 days. Drink 3 times a day before meals. Course 30 days, break - 10. Then repeat twice.

Vessel cleansing

Ingredients:

• 100 clover inflorescences;
• half a liter of water.

The components are mixed, brought to a boil, boiled for 6 minutes. Insist 3 hours, filter. For taste, add a spoonful of sugar or honey. The drink is drunk during the day.

Headache treatment

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. l. dry inflorescences of red clover;
• 250 ml of water.

Bring the mixture to a boil. Let it brew for 40 minutes, filter. Take 3 times a day for half a cup.

Getting rid of a cold

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. l. dry flowers;
• 2 tbsp. water.

Mix the ingredients, let it brew for 5 hours. Well filtered and drunk during the day. Portions should be the same. It is better to lie down warm after eating.

From inflammatory processes and tumors

Ingredients:

• 3 art. l. clover roots;
• 1.5 st. water.

Combine vegetable raw materials with water, boil in a water bath for 30 minutes. Strain the broth, add water to the original volume. Consume up to 5 times a day before meals. The maximum course is 3 weeks. Repeat is allowed only after a month break.

Procurement of raw materials

You will need to cut the stems, cut off the leaves and inflorescences from the plant. All this is finely chopped and left in a dark, well-ventilated area until dry. After the dried grass is placed in a bag made of natural fabric.

It is extremely important not to get carried away with self-medication, even if you believe in the power of traditional medicine and have already tried several effective recipes. Red and white clover contain hormone-like chemicals called isoflavones, which can do you a disservice over the long term.

The period of self-treatment without the supervision of a specialist should not last more than 3-6 months.

Red clover grass is considered useful - the medicinal properties and contraindications of the plant are used in traditional medicine. Its other name is meadow. The plant is biologically rich active substances, used to treat inflammation, skin diseases, helps to cope with menopause due to the content of phytoestrogens. How to use grass for good and not for harm?

What is red clover

Meadow or red clover Trifolium (botanical name Trifolium pretense) is a member of the legume family. The medicinal plant reaches a height of 20-90 cm, has complex trifoliate leaves of an elliptical shape with wide triangular shamrocks. They have whitish spots, jagged edges with a network of veins. The flowers are papilionaceous, small, have the form of spherical lilac-red heads.

The stable blooms in June-July, bears fruit at the end of summer. Its stems are erect, ascending. The fruit is an egg-shaped bean, one-seeded, membranous. Meadow clover grows in meadows, edges, in the steppes, thickets of shrubs, in glades. Found throughout Russia. For medicinal purposes, the ground part of the herb is used, the stems are rich in protein, and can be eaten as an additive to salads. Flowers are considered excellent honey plants, 100 kg of honey can be collected from 1 hectare. Red clover is harvested during the flowering period, dried in the air without direct exposure to the sun.

The chemical composition of the leaves and flowers of red clover is varied and rich. It contains the following substances:

• essential oils - aromatic substances that relieve inflammation and pain, eliminate nervous strain, have an antimicrobial effect;
• flavonoids, phytosteroids, isoflavones - components that have antibacterial, anti-radiation, antispasmodic and antitumor effects;
• glycosides (trifolin, isotrifolin) - complex compounds for the functioning of the cardiovascular system;
• fatty oils (linoleic, palmitic, stearic acids) - are responsible for the absorption of vitamins;
• organic acids (coumaronic, salicylic, succinic) - substances needed to relieve inflammation, regulate metabolism, remove toxins;
• resins, ash - viscous compounds with powerful bactericidal properties;
• therapeutic tannins - with astringent, hemostatic, regenerating and anti-inflammatory properties;
• alkaloids - toxic compounds that positively affect the nervous and respiratory systems;
• amino acids (asparagine, tyrosine) - proteins involved in all metabolic processes;
• cellulose - vegetable fibers needed for positive bowel function;
• vitamins A, carotene, group B, ascorbic acid, E;
• trace elements - magnesium, potassium, selenium, chromium, iron, calcium, phosphorus;
• phylloquinone - a substance that supports the function of hematopoiesis;
• tannins, xanthines, furfural carotenoids, bioquinones, coenzymes, coumarins, proteins.

Properties

Due to such a rich composition, the medicinal properties of red clover are also wide, including the following indications:

• removal of inflammation;
• elimination of beriberi;
• lowering the temperature;
• body toning;
• stop bleeding;
• cough relief;
• relieving eye fatigue, help with cataracts;
• choleretic, immunostimulating, tonic properties;
• cleansing of the lymphatic system;
• analgesic, hypotensive, antifungal, antitumor effect;
• elimination of mastopathy;
• relief of menopause;
• antiseptic, antiviral, sedative action;
• restoration of damaged tissues;
• expectorant, thinning sputum;
• diuretic effect;
• slowing down baldness;
• stimulation of collagen production;
• elimination of toxins;
• analgesic, anti-sclerotic, antiallergic, astringent, diaphoretic, antidepressant, emollient.

Benefits of clover body

Useful properties of red clover are used in folk and official medicine. It is used for the following diseases and ailments:

• decreased immunity, exhaustion;
• the threat of atherosclerosis;
• menopause;
• sexually transmitted diseases;
• menopause, hot flashes, tenderness and pain in the chest (there are contraindications);
• fragility of the walls of blood vessels, angina pectoris;
• decrease in potency in men;
• purulent wounds, eczema, psoriasis, burns;
• loss of strength (for cheerfulness);
• pain in the joints;
• urolithiasis disease;
• cough, asthma, bronchitis, whooping cough, thrombosis;
• allergies.

For oral administration for inflammation, liver problems, the need to remove toxins, use decoction without contraindications. To make it:

• Take 300 ml of water and a teaspoon of red clover inflorescences.
• Heat water, add raw materials and boil for six minutes.
• Cool the broth, filter, drink four times / day in a tablespoon.
• The course of treatment lasts a month, then it can be extended.

To prepare baths skin rashes, ingestion for headaches, colds, coughs, use an infusion of red clover. To make it:

• Take two tablespoons of dried flowers and a glass of water.
• Mix ingredients and boil.
• Let it brew for 40 minutes, strain.
• Take orally three times a day for half a glass or pour a warm infusion into the bath.

For the treatment of purulent wounds, burns, psoriasis or cancerous tumors apply a healing ointment made on the basis of red clover inflorescences. They insist on pure olive or sunflower oil in a ratio of 1:2. Leave the mixture for two weeks in a dark, warm place, constantly stirring. At the end of the exposure period, filter and lubricate the affected areas with a cotton swab with a wound healing agent.

Extract

For general strengthening of the body, immunity and fatigue relief, a medicinal extract of red clover on vodka is used:

• Take a glass of dried flowers and 0.5 liters of alcohol or vodka.
• Mix the ingredients, insist in the dark for at least 10 days, more if possible.
• Drink the prepared extract drop by drop three times a day before meals.
• The course of therapy is a month, then a break is made for 10 days and the treatment is repeated for two more cycles.

Red clover in folk medicine

Red clover is widely used in folk medicine due to its medicinal properties. It successfully treats tuberculosis and prevents its recurrence, serves as a preventive measure for malignant tumors and after their removal. For women during menopause, it helps to cope with hot flashes and normalizes hormonal balance. It can be given to children as an anti-cold disease without contraindications.

With tuberculosis

Fresh juice of the plant and a decoction of meadow clover inflorescences with medicinal properties can be used to treat the inactive stage of pulmonary tuberculosis, its prevention, anemia:

1. Pour 20 g of dried inflorescences with a glass of boiling water, cool. Drink 2-3 tablespoons three times/day.
2. Twist fresh flowers through a meat grinder, squeeze the juice through gauze, dilute the resulting juice with water in a ratio of 2: 1. Drink a third of a glass three times / day before meals.

From cholesterol

The plant is rich in tannins, essential oils and glycosides, which helps to show its medicinal properties with an increased concentration of harmful cholesterol. Red clover breaks down fatty deposits on the walls of blood vessels, removes excess naturally, while restoring and strengthening blood vessels. For treatment, alcohol tincture and tea are used without contraindications:

1. Take two-liter jar and fill half with fresh inflorescences (or a quarter dry), pour 500 ml of vodka, close the lid. Keep in a dark cool place for 15 days, filter. Take three months with a break of 10 days after each. In the first month, the dosage will be 15 ml 1r / day before lunch, in the second - 20-22 ml, the third - 15 ml.
2. Pour dry herbs of clover and meadowsweet in equal amounts hot water, drink tea once a day for half a glass.
3. Brew 10 flower heads with a glass of boiling water, hold for 2 minutes, strain. Three weeks, take half a glass three times / day.

With menopause

Red clover contains phytoestrogens, which are similar in action to female sex hormones. With menopause, the latter are quantitatively reduced, so that the infusion and decoction of flowers will help normalize sleep, enhance sexual function, improve the condition of the skin and hair, and eliminate dry skin without contraindications:

1. Take three tablespoons of crushed roots and flowers, pour a glass of boiling water, cook in a water bath for 20 minutes, leave for an hour. Strain and drink throughout the day in equal portions, diluted with water. Combine herbal medicine with medication.
2. Pour 40 g of young leaves and 30 g of flowers with a glass of boiling water, leave for an hour and filter. Use to douche the vagina, or drink orally 50 ml 4 r / day to eliminate painful periods.

With hypertension

The healing properties of red clover are applicable for hypertension. The decoction dilates blood vessels and normalizes the heartbeat, stabilizes blood pressure, serves as a means to increase potency:

1. Pour three tablespoons of dried flowers with 1.5 cups of boiling water, keep in a water bath for 10 minutes, leave for half an hour. Strain, drink 75 ml three times / day.
2. Brew a tablespoon of raw materials with 250 ml of hot water, boil for five minutes. Drink 5 times / day for a tablespoon for at least a month.

For sore throat

From inflammation of the lungs, for the treatment of bronchitis and whooping cough, an express tincture or a medicinal decoction with a minimum of contraindications will help:

1. Pour two tablespoons of flowers with two glasses of water, leave for five minutes. Drink the resulting amount in equal portions throughout the day. Stay warm after use.
2. Pour a glass of flowers and leaves with 200 ml of boiling water, insist in a thermos for a day, shaking occasionally. Strain, mix with an equal amount of vodka, hold for a couple of hours. Drink a tablespoon 3-4 r / day before eating.
3. Pour two glasses of dry raw materials with a liter hot water, leave for an hour. Drink a tablespoon three times a day to prevent colds.

For skin diseases

To eliminate the manifestation of psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema, scrofula, decoctions, infusions and baths with red clover are used:

1. Take such a quantity of flowers that they can be applied to the affected area in a thick layer. Pour boiling water over, leave for an hour, wring out and wrap in gauze. Make a compress for the night.
2. Brew three tablespoons of inflorescences with a glass of boiling water, cook in a water bath for two minutes. Infuse for two hours, strain, add to the bath. It will also help to cope with the manifestation of the fungus on the skin.

With atherosclerosis

In addition to cleansing the blood, the use of decoctions and clover tea will help normalize blood pressure, calm nervous excitability:

1. 100 pieces of inflorescences pour 500 ml of water, cook for six minutes. Insist three hours, strain. Mix with honey and drink the resulting amount throughout the day.
2. Pour two cups of boiling water to four tablespoons of leaves, leave for seven hours. Drink three times a day for half a glass.

With oncology

For a general strengthening of the body, suppression of the growth of cancerous tumors or the prevention of their occurrence, take a decoction or tincture of red clover with medicinal properties:

1. Pour 300 ml of water into three tablespoons of plant roots, boil in a water bath for half an hour. Strain, supplement the volume of evaporated water with clean liquid. Drink five times / day before meals for a course of three weeks. Repeat after a month break.
2. Pour a glass of inflorescences with 500 ml of vodka, leave for 14 days in a dark, dry place. Shake the jar every five days. Drink a teaspoon on an empty stomach 15 minutes before meals for a month. Take a break for 10 days, repeat twice more. Read the contraindications before taking.

Contraindications

You can buy red clover in a pharmacy or prepare raw materials yourself. Contraindications to the use of phytopreparations based on it are:

• pregnancy;
• breast-feeding;
• hormonal imbalance;
• blood disorders (may cause bleeding);
• indigestion;
• allergic reactions;
• heart disease, stroke;
• the period two weeks before surgery and the same time after them;
• estrogen-dependent forms of cancer (fibroids, ovarian inflammation, breast cancer, endometriosis);
• thrombophlebitis.

In addition to contraindications, you should also learn about the side effects that may occur while taking red clover:

• skin rash;
• muscle pain;
• dizziness;
• vomit;
• uterine bleeding.

In addition to the contraindications and side effects of the herb itself, it is worth being wary of preparations based on it and interactions with certain drugs: estrogens in tablets, contraceptives with ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel, liver enzymes, aspirin, heparin, warfarin, tamoxifen. It is important to get competent advice before treatment (this is the rule for both men and women).

Clover belongs to the legume family. There are more than 200 species of this plant, about 70 can be found in our country. The leaves of all species are most often trifoliate, the flowers are red or white. The plant is considered an excellent honey plant, it is pollinated only by bees and bumblebees. For a long time, clover has been used as animal feed. Currently, the scope of the plant has expanded. Clover tea is brewed, leaves and young stems are used as an additive for salads, dried flower heads are put in soups, bread is baked with chopped leaves.

clover composition

There are a lot of clover inflorescences beneficial vitamins and beneficial substances. These are B vitamins, ascorbic acid, essential oils, coumarins, isoflavones. All types of plants have a high content of starch, protein, carotene, folic acid. Most often for medical purposes, meadow or red clover, as well as creeping shamrock (white porridge) are used. Useful properties have stems, leaves, flowers, dried and fresh.

clover harvesting

Harvesting of inflorescences should begin in the period of full flowering. This occurs in late May - early June. A sunny day is chosen for harvesting so that the plant is dry and clean. You can not collect clover growing along the roads and in the city.

The tops are cut off along with the top leaves. Then they are laid out in the shade and kept until completely dry. The main thing is not to overdry the raw material so that it does not crumble. Used for storage paper bags or canvas bags.

Useful properties of clover

Clover is useful for many diseases, it is used in the form of extracts, alcohol tinctures, compresses, infusions and decoctions. They have the following effects on the body:

• help with coughing;
• get rid of the fungus;
• lower the temperature;
• relieve inflammation;
• eliminate eye fatigue;
• tone the body;
• have an analgesic effect;
• cleanse the lymphatic system;
• have a hemostatic effect;
• have choleretic properties.

The use of clover in medicine

Clover is used for indoor and outdoor use. Its rich composition allows you to fight viruses with influenza, SARS and colds. With whooping cough and bronchitis, a double effect occurs: sputum discharge improves, bacteria fight. The sedative property of the plant allows a person to sleep well, get rid of stress, and relax.

In ancient times, herbalists recommended clover tea to cleanse the liver. In folk medicine, clover is used to stop bleeding, purify the blood. An extract from the plant, pomace is applied to wounds, they treat burns and rheumatic pains.

Medicinal properties of red clover

Red clover tea is beneficial for the treatment of coronary heart disease. There are positive results in the treatment of tuberculosis and anemia. Brewed dried inflorescences help to restore the functioning of the respiratory system, for this you need to drink the decoction regularly for a month.

You can wash your eyes with a decoction of red clover up to several times a day. This will help relieve inflammation, fatigue after prolonged work at the computer. Just two tablespoons of decoction provides a daily dosage of vitamin C, they will help get rid of a headache.

In the treatment of inflammation of the ovaries, it is worth using a decoction of the roots of the plant. And compresses from it will soothe joint pain. In the treatment of diabetes, a decoction is used to lower glucose levels. Masks with the addition of decoction, baths help fight acne and ulcers on the body.

Clover contraindications

Clover red and white practically does not cause complications in healthy people when taken orally and when used externally. But some people need to be careful.

• Those who suffer from blood disorders should beware of taking drugs with clover, they can cause bleeding. Before and after surgery, it is forbidden to take clover, as it thins the blood.
• Clover can be harmful for thrombophlebitis, and people with protein S deficiency have an increased risk of blood clots.
• There may be deterioration in estrogen-dependent forms of cancer.
• Clover is contraindicated in diseases of the stomach, people after a stroke.
• It is better for pregnant and lactating women not to take tea and other clover-based drinks. External use is also contraindicated.

Possible side effects

With an overdose of decoctions with clover, side effects may occur: rash, headache, vaginal bleeding, muscle pain, nausea.

Interaction with medicines

You can not use drugs with clover simultaneously with the following drugs:

• birth control pills;
• estrogen tablets;
• liver enzymes;
• tamoxifen;
• drugs that slow down blood clotting.

Clover Based Recipes

For general strengthening of the body

It is necessary to make an alcohol tincture. 500 ml of vodka is taken per glass of fresh clover flowers. The mixture is stirred and infused in the dark for ten days. Take 15 ml of tincture, dissolving in boiled water. The course of treatment is one month, after which you need to take a ten-day break, then repeat the course.

For liver cleansing

For 1 tsp. inflorescences take 300 ml of water. Boil for about six minutes, after the broth has cooled, it is filtered and drunk 1 tbsp. l. four r. /day. The course is a month.

To cleanse blood vessels

Prepare a decoction according to the above recipe, only 500 ml of water is taken for 100 g of inflorescences. The resulting drink is drunk during the day.

To eliminate inflammation

The infusion is prepared from 3 tbsp. l. clover roots and 1.5 tbsp. water. The mixture is kept in a water bath for 30 minutes. After filtration, water is added to the infusion to the original volume. You need to drink it before meals five times a day. The course lasts 3 weeks. A second course is possible only after a monthly break.

For a headache

2 tbsp. l. red clover inflorescences pour 250 ml of water. After the mixture reaches a boil, it is infused for 40 minutes, then the broth is filtered. For headaches, take 100 ml three times a day.

Classic clover tea

Tea can be brewed from clover with the addition of other medicinal herbs. For classic drink you will need 4 parts of dried clover inflorescences, 2 parts of dried St. John's wort, 2 parts. Brew like regular tea.

Clover tea with mint

Clover inflorescence leaves - 5 parts

Mint leaves - 1 part

St. John's wort - 1 part

The collection is brewed in the usual way. You can add honey to taste. Mint gives the drink freshness, the tea drink is fragrant, tasty, it soothes and relaxes.

Clover tea with oregano

Clover inflorescences - 4 parts

St. John's wort - 2 parts

Mint leaves - 2 parts

Currant leaves - 2 parts

Oregano - 1 part

Phytocollection is brewed in the usual way. After insisting, a very pleasant-tasting drink with a unique aroma is obtained. Sweet lovers can use honey.

Meadow (red) clover is a very popular plant due to its medicinal properties, despite the presence of contraindications and side effects. It belongs to the legume family and is actively used for various kinds of therapy. Let's see how this plant can help the human.

What is useful clover

Clover is widely known as a trefoil, has many useful properties, therefore, not only flowers, but also leaves and roots of the plant (the whole grass) are used for medicinal purposes.

With it, you can:

• reduce sugar levels and;
• eliminate the fungus
• treat diseases genitourinary system ;
• normalize activities;
• cleanse lymph and blood;
• treat gout;
• withdraw from ;
• treat and prevent coronary artery disease.

It is a natural antiseptic, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, lymphogenous, urinary, sweat and choleretic agent.

Kinds

Each variety of clover is unique in its description, even if it has some external resemblance to another:

1. There are two variations of this bright representative: a biennial bush and a perennial. Sheets - complex, triple. Flowers - small moth type, red or purple. Sometimes the leaves may be covered with white spots. The bush grows up to 60 cm in height. The plant blooms in May-June.
   
2. Bush - perennial, no more than 25 cm high. It has creeping shoots and complex trifoliate leaves. Small moth-type flowers are combined into spherical white heads. The flowering period is from May to August.
   
3. - perennial shrub no more than 25 cm in height. The inflorescence looks like a head of pink flowers. The plant has a tubular cup.
   
4. This species looks almost like a meadow clover. It has a powerful root system and grows up to 0.5 m in height. The leaves are trifoliate. Flowers are collected in 60-120 pieces in inflorescences. Plants bloom in June-July.
   
5. Arable or "seals"- an annual fluffy bush with a straight and thin stem up to 30 cm high. The leaves are of a complex structure, trifoliate. The plant has single pale pink heads. The shape of the head is oblong or resembling a ball. The flowering period falls on June-July.
   
6. - the most common variety. The height of the bush is up to 50 cm. Up to 12 flowers are connected in the inflorescence (head). Color - pale pink.
   
7. - perennial plant with a tap root. The bush grows up to 20 cm in height. The apical inflorescence resembles an umbrella in shape. Color - lilac or red. Flowering occurs in July.
   
8. - view with rod root system. Grows up to 60 cm in height. The leaves are elliptical in shape. Inflorescence in the form of a head.
   
9. Branched shrub, reaches a maximum of 40 cm in height. The shape of the lower stipules is linear-lanceolate with pointed tips. Inflorescence - head. Flowering occurs in May. The plant bears fruit in June with brown beans.
   
10. This is a perennial rose bush with trifoliate leaves. Heads in the form of a ball of white and pink color. Shrub grows up to 80 cm in height. The flowering period is June-July.
    

Application in traditional medicine

Meadow clover is often used in folk medicine to treat problems such as:

• violations;
• noise in ears;
• gastrointestinal disorders;
• skin infections;
• eye diseases;
• rheumatism;
• arthritis;
• scarlet fever;
• whooping cough, cough, bronchitis, tuberculosis, etc.

Also, the use of clover in the form of a tincture can help to cope with painful and symptomatic. In addition, it is used to treat ovarian diseases, genital infections, get rid of vaginal irritation, uterine bleeding and inflammation of the fallopian tubes.

Contraindications, side effects and harm

In addition to medicinal properties, it is worth mentioning the contraindications of meadow clover:

• staying in a state;

• the presence in the anamnesis of such a diagnosis as either;

• in the presence of a tendency to form blood clots, diarrhea and gastrointestinal disorders;

• with increased blood clotting;

• estrogen-dependent forms of cancer;

• disease gastrointestinal tract(ulcer, etc.).

With improper dosing of a folk remedy, the following side effects are observed:

• nausea;
• skin rashes;
• headaches and;
• vaginal bleeding;
• decrease in potency, etc.

Healing recipes

Vodka infusion. Place the leaves and flowers of red clover in equal proportions (for maximum manifestation of the medicinal properties of the plant) in an airtight glass container. Fill with vodka and leave for 14 days in a dark and cool place. It is recommended to use it in the amount of 2 tbsp. l. just before bed.

Important! Do not forget to stir the infusion from time to time.

Remedy for . 1 st. l. fresh or dried plants are poured with a quarter liter of water. We send everything to a water bath and bring to a boil. The remedy is infused for 30 minutes, after which it is filtered. It is recommended to drink a glass of liquid per day: 0.5 - in the morning; 0.25 - at lunchtime; 0.25 - in the evening.
A decoction to lower the level. 1 st. l. flowers and leaves are added to a saucepan with 100 ml of water. In a water bath, the product is boiled for 10 minutes. Then let it brew for 40 minutes and strain. It is recommended to drink 2 tbsp. l. at lunchtime and in the evening.

A decoction for pain in. Take 15 inflorescences and fill them with 200 ml of water. Boil the mixture in a water bath for about 5 minutes. After that, the broth is infused for about 10 minutes and filtered.

Important! Use this remedy only before meals three times a day.

During and general malaise take a remedy prepared from 2 tbsp. l. dry flowers and a glass of boiling water. Before use, the product should be infused for 10 minutes. They drink it instead of tea with the addition of lemon juice and .

Clover is a herb with the widest medicinal properties. With its help, a huge list of ailments is treated. Medicines from this plant can be purchased directly at pharmacies or prepared folk remedies at home.
There are many recipes for tinctures, decoctions and ointments that can be used to treat heart problems, and even cancer. Do not forget that improper use of clover can cause a number of side effects, especially if its use is contraindicated for you.

Trifolium pratense L.

Today we will talk about the healing properties of red clover. I myself have been using the red clover tincture from the Evalar company for a long time, it helps me. When you start taking the tincture, you forget about the pressure - it normalizes.

Red clover, or red clover is widely used in folk medicine. Preparations from red clover are taken orally for atherosclerosis, edema in violations of the heart and kidneys, externally for burns, abscesses, joint pain.

Clover can be found almost everywhere along roads, in dry meadows, fields, forest edges. There are many types of clover in nature, we will consider the most common types: red or meadow clover and creeping clover. They are found as wild and are also grown in fodder crop rotations.

Red clover is grown in almost all countries of Europe, Asia, America and New Zealand. In Russia, it has been cultivated for more than 200 years since the 18th century; it is the most important plant as a valuable fodder crop that improves soil fertility.

The healing properties of clover were already known in antiquity, they are mentioned in the writings of Dioscorides, Galen and Avicenna. Avicenna wrote:

Clover is useful for pain in the stomach, drives urine and menstruation, good for pain in the bladder. Its juice with honey cleanses wounds and removes an eyesore. Its juice, drawn into the nose, cures epilepsy. Seed oil cures pains in the joints, useful for pains in the ovaries, cures dropsy. Seeds in small dose enhance sexual desire.

Clover plant description. Red clover or meadow clover belongs to the genus of the legume family, the dicotyledonous class. This is a perennial plant 15 - 50 cm high, consisting of several shoots, erect or curved. The leaves are trifoliate - consist of 3 elliptical leaflets, pubescent from below.

Flowers - spherical inflorescences, consisting of many (30 - 70) small red flowers. Nectar accumulates deep inside the flowers, so bumblebees pollinate red clover, reaching for nectar with their long proboscis. The number of seeds depends on the number of bumblebees.

Interestingly, when clover was brought into New Zealand, the plants did not produce seeds, it turned out that there were no bumblebees. After they were brought there in 1855, red clover spread throughout New Zealand.

Seeds are ovoid, yellow, brown. The year after flowering natural conditions only part of the seeds germinate, the rest retain their ability to germinate for more than 20 years, so clover may appear on any site quite unexpectedly in a few years. Starting from the second year of life, clover blooms and bears fruit annually from 3 to 10, sometimes up to 25 years, depending on conditions.

The scientific name of the genus Trifolium is formed from two Latin words tria - three, folium - leaf, in translation means shamrock. The scientific species name pratense translates as meadow, grassy green.

The Russian generic name clover comes from the names of this plant in European countries: German klewer, English clover, Danish klover. Folk names: red clover, meadow shamrock, scrofulous grass, fever grass, stable.

red clover medicinal properties

As a medicinal raw material, clover grass and inflorescences are used - heads of red clover, which are plucked or cut off at the very base in dry weather during the flowering of plants. The plant blooms in June - July until September. The flowers are dried in the shade in a ventilated area. Raw materials should not dry out and crumble, should consist of whole clover heads that have retained their red color.

The inflorescences contain carotene, protein, fats, glycosides trifolin, isotrifolin, flavonoids, essential oils, tannins, dyes, resins, organic acids - ascorbic, coumaric and others, B vitamins, minerals.

A decoction of flowers is used for colds, fever, rapid breathing, as an expectorant for bronchial asthma, as a diuretic for kidney disease, as an analgesic for rheumatism, as well as for anemia, loss of strength.

Clover grass poultices are used for burns, abscesses, as an analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent.

Fresh grass juice is used to wash the eyes when they watery or fester, and rashes with scrofula in children are also treated with juice. Fresh crushed leaves are applied to wounds, ulcers, which contributes to faster healing.

Preparations from clover flowers prevent the growth of neoplasms in women, including ovarian cancer.

meadow clover application red clover

In folk medicine, inflorescences and the aerial part - clover grass are used.

For the treatment of hypertension, headache:

Infusion of flowers: pour one tablespoon of dried red clover flowers with 1 cup of boiling water (200 ml), leave for 30 minutes, strain, add 1 tbsp. a spoonful of honey Drink 100 ml glass 3 times a day 20 minutes before meals.

With chronic cough, bronchitis, bronchial asthma:

Decoction: 20 g (2 tablespoons) of dried clover flowers pour 1 cup of boiling water, then boil in a water bath or over low heat for 20 minutes, strain. Drink 0.5 cup 3 times a day as an expectorant and antiseptic.

The decoction also has a diuretic effect, is used for edema of cardiac and renal origin. It is recommended to use with anemia and as a general tonic.

For colds:

Infusion of clover grass: 2 tbsp. spoons of dried chopped herbs pour 1 cup of boiling water, cover, leave for 15 minutes, strain after cooling. Take 1/4 cup 3-4 times a day.

The infusion has anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, expectorant, diaphoretic action.

Externally, infusions and decoctions of red clover are used as an analgesic for burns, abscesses, joint pain, scrofula, dermatitis, ulcers - make washings, lotions.

Red clover tincture for the treatment of atherosclerosis:

Grind 40 g of dried inflorescences, pour 0.5 liters of vodka, leave for 10 days in a dark place, then strain. Must be kept in the dark glassware. Take 20 ml (1 dessert spoon) of tincture 2 times a day before meals with water for 3 months.

The tincture is used as an anti-sclerotic agent, for headaches or tinnitus.

An effective means to improve the state of the cardiovascular system are natural preparations of the company "Evalar". Atheroklefit tincture is a pharmacy alcohol tincture herbs and flowers of red clover - lowers cholesterol, helps to normalize lipid metabolism, normalizes high blood pressure in hypertension; as well as capsules, which include red clover extract, hawthorn flowers, vitamin C, vitamin PP. Capsules have the same effect.

For eye inflammation:

Infusion: 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of dry clover flowers with a glass of boiling water, leave for 20 minutes, strain. You can wash your eyes with infusion, make lotions on the eyes, wetting cotton pads with infusion.

Therapeutic bath with clover infusion for rheumatism:

Pour 50 g of dry grass of meadow or red clover with 1 liter of boiling water, leave for 2 hours, strain. Take a bath at night for 10-15 minutes. The course of treatment is 12-14 baths.

Red clover for women

In folk medicine, infusion and decoction of red clover are used for painful menstruation.

With menopause, take a tincture of red clover, which regulates hormonal background, in a standard dose 3 times a day. Red clover renders healing effect during menopause: regulates hormone production and reduces the frequency of hot flashes.

To get rid of the so-called hot flashes, you can drink a decoction, it is good to add a rose, chamomile or sage.

Red clover is widely used as a fodder plant from the legume family; it is sown in areas of the forest and forest-steppe zone, in the foothills and mountainous regions - entire fields are specially sown. Red clover is a valuable nutritious food for domestic and wild herbivores, for birds. The green mass contains a high content of easily digestible protein - 25%, fats up to 5.6%, a large amount of provitamin A, vitamin C. Clover for animals can be prepared for the winter by pickling.

One hectare of red clover produces up to 250 kg of fragrant reddish-yellow honey, which is slightly candied during storage.

Red clover contraindications:

• Reduced blood clotting, since drugs increase blood fluidity, it is necessary to observe a doctor and monitor the condition of the blood.
• Pregnancy and lactation period.
• It is not recommended to use clover preparations for breast cancer.
• Individual intolerance.

In folk medicine, the beneficial healing properties of creeping clover are also used.

Creeping clover grows everywhere in meadows, along the banks of rivers and streams, along roads. It blooms with white smaller spherical inflorescences, which are well pollinated by bees.

An infusion of creeping clover grass is drunk for colds, shortness of breath, pulmonary tuberculosis, female diseases, poisoning, violation of salt metabolism, with a breakdown after an illness, wounds are washed with infusion.

Creeping clover is an excellent honey plant, up to 100 kg of honey can be collected from a hectare of flowers. Clover honey - light, almost colorless, transparent, with delicate aroma and taste. Honey quickly crystallizes - it becomes white, delicate texture, has good taste qualities. It is useful to take honey for coughs, liver diseases, atherosclerosis, as a blood purifier. Clover honey is used in the treatment of female diseases.

Watch a short video: Red clover medicinal properties, the use of the plant - says phytotherapeutist Efimenko N. Yu.

Red clover

From fresh young leaves and stems of clover, you can make salads, add to green cabbage soup. Young leaves, along with other herbs, are used to make pies and pies.

Clover flowers are used as medicinal tea in combination with other herbs.

Since ancient times, folk medicine has been using the healing properties of red clover for the benefit of people, using this plant to improve the health of more than one generation, the secrets of ancient medicine are used in our time.

These useful healing properties are possessed by ordinary meadow grass - red clover and creeping clover, which blooms and pleases the eye all summer, you just have to go for a walk in nature, wherever we are. Pay attention to it - collect a bunch of pleasing red clover in the meadow - nature has given so many healing powers to this ubiquitous herb, use it and be healthy!

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There are many plants that treat no worse medical preparations and sometimes better, more efficient. Just such herbs include meadow clover. Medicinal properties and contraindications (reviews about the plant note that the herb perfectly lowers cholesterol) should be studied in detail before use in order to avoid side effects.

Meadow clover: description

Clover is a perennial plant. It has a slightly pubescent stem and small spherical flowers of red, lilac or white. Belongs to Under favorable conditions, it grows up to 30-50 cm. root system branched and has small tubers at the ends.

The flowering of the plant occurs in the middle and end of summer. Just at this time it should be collected for storage. The culture fully matures at the end of September. It is at this time that the plant produces beans in which the seeds are located.

There are about 120 species of this plant. Red clover is considered the most useful. Clover is often grown as an herb. Another herb is used in folk medicine and cooking. Inflorescences are considered especially valuable.

The culture grows in Europe, Asia, northern Africa and on the territory of the Russian Federation. Grass can be found in meadows of medium moisture, along field roads or in forest clearings.

The plant is rich in nutrients and, when used correctly, can bring invaluable benefits to human health. Grass can be grown on your own plot or harvested yourself. If this is not possible, then the plant is purchased at a pharmacy. The price of 50 g of dry grass fluctuates around 50-70 rubles.

Chemical composition of grass

Red clover grass grows everywhere. Known to almost everyone. Despite this, only a few use it in traditional medicine, and even fewer people use it in cooking. It is rich in useful substances such as glycosides, steroids, coumarins, saponins. The plant contains vitamins K, B and E. Saturated with ascorbic acid. It contains phenolcarboxylic acids, as well as tannins. Contains quinones and fatty vegetable oils. Clover also contains carotene, flavonoids, salicylic acid and a number of valuable macro- and microelements. It is the rich chemical composition of the plant that refers clover to medicinal herbs and endows it with a lot of useful properties.

Properties of red clover

Red clover is a treasure trove useful elements. It has anti-inflammatory, tonic, wound healing, antitumor, antiseptic, diaphoretic, antisclerotic properties. Able to have an expectorant and diuretic effect. The herb has an astringent and choleretic effect. Helps stop bleeding.

The properties of meadow clover have found their application in medicine, as part of many medicines.

The use of culture in medicine

What does red clover treat? This question is asked by people who are at least a little familiar with the properties of this herb. Let's start with the fact that the plant can be used both topically and orally, in the form of various tinctures and decoctions.

Fresh leaves of the culture are used for complex wounds and ulcers that do not heal enough. long time. They are finely chopped and applied to the sore spot. In the same way, the herb is used for burns, abscesses and other diseases of the skin.

Meadow clover (properties and contraindications are described in detail in the instructions for use, but in the event that the grass was bought at a pharmacy) is contained in choleretic and chest collections. In the presence of rashes in infants, a decoction of this plant is added to the bath.

For the treatment of inflammation in gynecology, the root of the clover officinalis is used. It is also used as an adjunct in the treatment of cancer and tuberculosis.

The stems of the herb are effective in the treatment of scurvy, malaria, and rickets. Reduce cholesterol in atherosclerosis. A decoction of clover is able to relieve headaches, cope with dizziness and increase appetite. Herb tincture is used to treat asthma, anemia, shortness of breath, metrorrhagia. Clover juice will help to cope with coughs, colds, bronchitis, gout, poisoning. Effective in exudative diathesis and frequent fainting.

Clover decoctions have found their application in the treatment of anemia, gastritis, scrofula, asthma, chronic lingering cough, diathesis, urolithiasis and cholecystitis.

The plant is able to save women from discomfort during menopause: eliminate inflammation;

• remove vaginal dryness;
• stop hair loss;
• get rid of insomnia;
• increase libido;
• relieve fatigue;
• soften the tides.

The herb is used for epilepsy, tonsillitis, high blood pressure, boils. The plant is used for abscesses, bites of insects or animals. Indications for use are painful menstruation, gynecological diseases and anorexia.

Contraindications

It has special medicinal properties and contraindications meadow clover (reviews of people say that the plant gives a good result in the treatment of ulcers and gastritis, but you need to drink it for a long time), which must be taken into account before using the herb. Improper use of the plant can cause side effects.

In addition, pregnant women and women who are breastfeeding should refrain from treating clover. Do not use a herbal remedy for thrombophlebitis and varicose veins. Contraindications to the use of culture are diseases of the gastrointestinal apparatus, which are in the acute stage. Do not use clover infusions and decoctions inside if there is a predisposition to diarrhea. People who are prone to allergic manifestations and people with individual intolerance to grass, as well as patients after a stroke and heart attack, should refrain.

Side effects

Clover, if used for other purposes, can cause such negative reactions of the body as:

• nausea;
• vomiting reflex;
• pressure drop;
• allergic reactions on the skin;
• pain in muscle tissue.

Before using the herb, you should consult a doctor, as a number of medicines cannot be combined with clover.

Growing clover at home

If possible, you can grow clover at home, especially since the plant is very unpretentious in care.

Planting requires a sunny or slightly shaded area. Seeds are collected only from two-year-old plants, but to ensure better seedlings, it is better to purchase them in a store.

About 300 seeds are taken per square meter. Pre-planting material is soaked in water for several hours. Immediately before planting, the seeds are mixed with the ground in a large container. In this form, the planting material is evenly distributed over the site and covered with a layer of earth, the thickness of which should not exceed one centimeter. During the first seven days after planting, the soil should be well moistened. Watered with water from a hose equipped with a sprayer.

The first shoots will appear two weeks after sowing the seeds. Since clover is a perennial plant, it does not need to be sown every year. Despite this, experts recommend updating the herbage every three years to improve the quality of the grass.

Clover is sown until the middle of summer, only in this case it will be able to ripen and gain a good foothold on the site.

Collection and preparation of raw materials

Red clover (photo shown above) refers to medicinal plants. Grass should be stored during the flowering period. For harvesting, you need to cut off the inflorescence and the leaves adjacent to it. Dry the culture in the shade. Use of electric dryer is allowed. In the latter case, the temperature should not exceed 60 °C. At a higher temperature, the grass will lose the lion's share of its beneficial properties.

If a rhizome is required for medicinal purposes, then it is harvested after the flowering period. The root is dug up and thoroughly cleaned from the ground, washed. Dry the rhizome, as well as the grass, in a ventilated and dry room or on the street, in a place protected from the sun.

Raw materials are collected in dry weather, when the dew has left the plants. Harvested only in environmentally friendly places. Do not take grass near roads and landfills, they contain harmful substances more than useful.

Grass storage

Storage is carried out in dry, tightly closed containers. It is allowed to keep the grass in a linen bag, paper box. dry plant store up to two years, and the root - up to one year. It is necessary to try to renew the stock every year, since during long-term storage clover may lose its useful qualities and its further use will lose all meaning.

Folk recipes

Might have the most various uses meadow clover. Grass (the properties of this plant were described above) for lotions is used in the form of a decoction. To prepare it, dry flowers, in the amount of three tablespoons, are poured with a glass of boiling water and put in a water bath for a minute. Used for skin diseases, boils and inflammation of the eyes.

With rheumatism and wounds, an ointment will help, which includes 100 g of clover flowers and 50 g of any vegetable oil. The mixture is infused in a dark and warm place for about 14 days, filtered and used for its intended purpose.

Helps with diseases of the internal organs herbal infusion. To prepare it, two tablespoons of raw materials are poured into a glass of boiling water. They insist for about an hour. Filter and drink 100 g three times a day after meals.

Tincture can also be made with vodka. To do this, a glass should be filled with 500 g of vodka. The mixture is infused for ten days. From time to time, the tincture should be shaken. Take a teaspoon, at night, after straining. The course of treatment is one month.

For serious diseases, such as cancer and tuberculosis, they use only red clover as part of complex therapy. Medicinal properties and contraindications (reviews of women note that tea with clover not only makes you feel better during menopause, but also improves skin condition, rejuvenates) should be checked with your doctor before using this remedy.