Dorothy FarrarSteinklee
Sweet clover is a traditional medicinal plant. It can be used to treat various ailments and diseases.
General overview
Sweet clover (Melilotus) is also known as honey clover. It forms a genus of plants within the legume family (Fabiaceae). There are around 20 species in total. One of the best known is the real sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis), also known as yellow sweet clover. Sweet clover has proven itself in the treatment of circulatory disorders and lymphedema.
Occurrence and cultivation
Sweet clover is native to Europe and Asia, where it is widespread. Sweet clover is a biennial plant. As a rule, it grows to a height of one meter. Under favorable circumstances, however, it can also reach two meters. Sweet clover likes to thrive along roadsides, in quarries and on rubble heaps. The plant prefers stony soils that are dry. Sweet clover leaves resemble clover and are slightly serrated along their edges.
They also have small butterfly flowers that turn yellow. The flowers are arranged in long racemes and have a characteristic sweet scent. This comes from the nectar that is in sweet clover. However, the distinctive scent of the honey clover only occurs after the harvest during the drying process. The coumarin of sweet clover, an aromatic plant substance, is released in the process. The flowering period of the plants takes place from May to September. The sweet clover or honey clover also owes its scientific name Melilotus to the sweet scent. The Greek term Meli means “ honey ” in German.
application and effect
The most important ingredients of sweet clover are the coumarin derivatives, which are found in sweet clover herb. They have a share of 0.3 percent and are contained in the form of glycosides such as melilotin or melilotoside. Also present in sweet clover are volatile coumarin, saponins , and flavonoids . The aerial parts of sweet clover, which are dried and cut, are used therapeutically. The coumarins have the positive property of counteracting inflammatory stasis edema. In this way, the accumulation of fluid within the tissues is broken up.
At the same time, the coumarins are able to increase the flow rate in the lymphatic and venous systems. In addition , the ingredients in sweet clover have wound – healing and anti – inflammatory effects . Sweet clover is regarded as an effective traditional herbal medicinal product . The dried herb is used medicinally for sweet clover. This can be given in the form of tea or oil.
A liquid or dry extract is used to make capsules or tablets. A mother tincture of sweet clover can also be used. But ointments or suppositories can also be administered. However, it is important not to exceed a daily dose of 3 to 30 milligrams of coumarin. Since there are no sweet clover tea preparations on the market, it is necessary to prepare the tea yourself. For this purpose, the patient pours boiling water over 1 to 2 teaspoons of finely chopped sweet clover. A steeping time of 5 to 10 minutes is recommended. A dose of 2 to 3 cups of sweet clover tea is considered advisable for the treatment of vein diseases.
But external therapy to treat ulcers or hemorrhoids is also possible. The sweet clover herb is moistened with hot water and placed in a gauze bag, which can be applied to the areas to be treated. However, the production of sweet clover tea is no longer recommended today due to various side effects. It is also important to protect sweet clover herbs from light and store them in a dry place.
What does sweet clover help against?
- lymphedema
Importance to health
Sweet clover was already used in ancient times by physicians to treat tumors and purulent wounds. Modern science has managed to confirm the benefits of treating wounds. In addition, she demonstrated positive effects on circulatory disorders and lymphedema. Sweet clover is therefore very important for human health.
So it is suitable for the treatment of various complaints and diseases. This primarily includes chronic venous insufficiency. This is a circulatory disorder within the leg veins, which causes the affected person to suffer from swelling, calf cramps at night, pain and feelings of heaviness in the legs and itching. Other indications are inflammation of the superficial veins in the legs, which is accompanied by pain and redness, lymphatic congestion, hemorrhoids, superficial bruises, compressions, bruises and backflow congestion in the venous system caused by an occlusion of the vein.
Sweet clover is also traditionally used to treat inflammation and wounds. In some cases, sweet clover can cause unwanted side effects. These include occasional headaches and stomach upset. In addition, the simultaneous use of sweet clover and medicines that inhibit blood clotting is not recommended.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.