What does alfalfa look like? Wild alfalfa: varieties, plant cultivation, photo. Chemical composition of alfalfa

Alfalfa grass – medicinal plant, a member of the Legume family. Alfalfa has an erect stem and small green leaves located throughout the stem (see photo). Central Asia is considered to be the birthplace of the plant; wild grass is found in Russia and the Balkans.

The plant is recognized as medicine and is used as medicine for many diseases. Alfalfa became famous thanks to sales representative Karl Rehnborg. At that time, Rehnborg worked in China, traveled a lot and studied the food traditions of healthy village residents. Most diseases, according to Rehnborg, were caused by poor nutrition of the inhabitants big cities. He paid attention to alfalfa, a very famous plant in Chinese folk medicine, and based on it he created the first dietary supplement in the world.

Growing and germination

You can grow alfalfa on summer cottage. Before sowing grass, it is necessary to carry out preparatory work, namely, clear the area of ​​weeds and loosen the soil. The soil for growing alfalfa must be fertile. Seeds can be sown in separate rows or combined with sowing of other cereals or legumes.

Alfalfa is often grown for hay as animal feed. For medicinal or gastronomic needs, alfalfa can be grown even without soil. In this case, nutritious alfalfa sprouts are sprouted. Sprouts are sprouted from grass seeds; their taste can be compared to green peas . You can sprout alfalfa at home. To do this, one bag of seeds must be soaked in a jar in cold water

Medicinal properties

The healing properties of alfalfa grass have been known to Chinese medicine for a long time. Alfalfa contains chlorophyll, which removes toxins, thereby helping to cleanse the body. Chlorophyll is very useful for humans because it is molecularly similar to hemoglobin. In addition, the herb is known for its diuretic and laxative properties and is used for constipation and excess fluid. Fluid retention in the body can cause cellulite and gout.

The herb is indicated for hormonal disorders; today it is used to ease the menopause. Alfalfa contains natural substances isoflavones, which have hormonal properties.

Plant has a beneficial effect on the circulatory system as a whole, because it contains iron and a large amount of vitamin K. This vitamin affects blood clotting and is very important for human life. With a lack of vitamin K, hemorrhagic disease can develop, in which the blood cannot clot. Vitamin K deficiency puts a person's life at risk during surgery, so some patients may be prescribed vitamin K before surgery.

Alfalfa is used as a means to lower uric acid in the body. Uric acid is deposited in the body in the form of salts. The accumulation of salts occurs in the joints and causes inflammation and pain in areas where there is excess arat (salt). Thus, ethnoscience recommends using alfalfa grass for joint diseases.

Thanks to the active substances in its composition, alfalfa has an anti-inflammatory effect. It lowers blood sugar levels, which makes it possible to use it for diabetes mellitus. Alfalfa is a good prevention of the development of atherosclerosis. The fact is that the plant contains saponins, which prevent artery blockage.

Alfalfa is also used in cosmetology; a face mask is made from it. To do this, you need to add alfalfa decoction to bee honey and apply the mixture to the face, after 15 minutes the mask can be washed off. Few people know that a mixture of lettuce juice and alfalfa juice promotes hair growth when consumed regularly.

Use in cooking

In cooking, alfalfa has found use as a decoration for holiday dishes. In England, alfalfa flowers are used to decorate salads and snacks because they are beautiful, bright flowers the plants create a glowing effect (hence the name).

The Arabs gave alfalfa to horses as feed, believing that in this way the horses would become even more resilient. The Arabs called alfalfa the ancestor of all food. Although long years The plant was considered a purely fodder crop; it began to be used for gastronomic purposes.

The calorie content of alfalfa is 29 kilocalories per 100 grams. Very helpful and delicious dish is a fresh salad with the addition of alfalfa sprouts. Sprouts are often added to soups and cocktails. Alfalfa can be used in the same dishes that traditionally use green peas.

Benefits of alfalfa grass and treatment

The benefits of alfalfa grass are truly enormous. The famous biologist Frank Beauvoir in his writings calls alfalfa “the great healer.” During his research, the biologist discovered 8 amino acids in alfalfa. The plant contains protein, vitamins, microelements, and other biological active substances. Juice from fresh alfalfa is considered a good prevention of heart disease, tones the body, and stimulates the immune system.

The herb is widely used in Ayurveda for ulcers. Official medicine, after many studies, also began to use the herb for these diseases. Anti-ulcer vitamin U was found in the plant, which helps regenerate the gastric mucosa. These diseases are also used to treat these diseases. food products, rich in this vitamin, such as spinach, beets, there is a lot of vitamin U in sauerkraut juice.

Alfalfa neutralizes stomach acid well due to the effects of alkaloids. Alfalfa as an additive to the basic diet will be useful for older people, as it contains many vitamins and increases the flow of strength. Alfalfa juice mixed with carrot juice effectively prevents disorders of the cardiovascular system.

An infusion is prepared based on alfalfa, which is used for the treatment of pancreatic dysfunction and diabetes mellitus. To make this infusion, you need to grind a little herb, pour boiling water over it and let the decoction steep. Use the infusion several times a day before meals. The infusion is not stored for a long time; it must be prepared every day. To increase shelf life, alfalfa can be used as an alcohol tincture. Every day you should take 10 drops of tincture for the diseases described above. You can also drink alfalfa juice after diluting it with water.

Harm of alfalfa grass and contraindications

Alfalfa grass can cause harm to the body due to individual intolerance. It is contraindicated to use alfalfa if you have lupus erythematosus. Alfalfa seed oil is not recommended for pregnant women, nursing mothers, or children under 12 years of age. Contraindications to taking the oil are also pancreatitis and cholelithiasis.

In the summer, when traveling outside the city, you can see fields sown with bright yellow and purple flowers. They say it's alfalfa, extremely useful plant. How is it useful, what is alfalfa, why is it planted everywhere in such quantities?

Botanical description

Alfalfa (burkuku, medunka, vizil) - collective name for annual or perennial herbs and shrubs from the legume family belonging to polycarpic plants. This means that after the fruit ripens, part of the shoots dies, and the buds serve as an organ of renewal.

In the spring, they take the accumulated substances and new branches are formed in their axils, thus without interrupting the life cycle.

There are more than 100 species in nature, the main biological characteristics include:

• Powerful root system, sinking deep into the soil;
• Branched stem forming a bush up to 150 cm tall;
• Trifoliate leaves, with an elongated elliptical middle leaf protruding upward with jagged ends;
• Racemose inflorescence with moth-shaped flowers different shades: blue, yellow, white and others;
• The fruit is in the form of a multi-seeded bean, brown in color.

Representatives of the genus are found in the Middle and Central Asia, Europe, Siberia, Transcaucasia, North America and Australia.

In Russia, 4 million hectares of territory are planted with alfalfa, the main part in the non-chernozem zone.

In this video, biologist Oleg Moshkin will show how and why to sow alfalfa:

The health benefits and harms of alfalfa

The stems, leaves and roots contain large amounts of amino acids, vitamins and minerals.

Plant refers to medicinal and recommended for:

1. Normalization of digestion. Helps fight ulcers, heartburn and flatulence;
2. Treatment of endometriosis;
3. Improved hair condition;
4. Treatment of colds;
5. Restoration of liver cells;
6. Elimination of inflammatory processes in cystitis and kidney diseases.

There are also contraindications. First of all, this is the wrong collection of grass. You cannot take for treatment the grass that grows in the fields along the road. It is treated with pest poisons and chemical fertilizers.

A plant grown in greenhouses along with other plants is suitable for treatment. herbs.

It is also undesirable to take drugs based on it:

• During an exacerbation of gastrointestinal diseases;
• In the presence of autoimmune pathologies;
• If an allergic reaction occurs.

Alfalfa as green manure

Green manures or green fertilizers are plants that are specially planted in the soil to enrich it and also to control weeds. This creates a protective layer on the surface that prevents winds from blowing and rain from eroding the soil.

The roots provide a breeding ground for worms and microbes, which help enrich the soil with nitrogen. The dense foliage of green manure (choose suitable ones) does not allow weeds to develop.

Alfalfa is widely used as such a fertilizer; it is suitable for both amateur gardeners and agricultural enterprises.

What are its advantages?

• Saturates the soil with nitrogen. During the first two years, you can collect about 300 kg of nitrogen from 1 hectare of land;
• Grass humus becomes an excellent fertilizer for subsequent crops. In terms of effectiveness, only manure can compare with it;
• Its ability to grow densely leaves no room for weeds and repels nematodes;
• Suitable for sowing before: potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, berry crops, cereals.

Its unpretentiousness and frost resistance are difficult to replace with other green manures that require special care and growing conditions.

Alfalfa is great for restoring the most neglected areas.

How to sow alfalfa?

It is better to put the seeds in the ground in early spring. But first soak them in water for several hours. You can add fertilizer there.

• Scatter by hand, mixing with sand or sawdust;
• Water;
• Trample the soil with your feet, stepping on a small piece of plywood;

To combat lodging, carry out hilling and trim the root system in the fall. This enhances the regrowth of young roots. When there are signs of disease, crops are watered Bordeaux mixture(1%).

The plant gets enough rainfall; if the soil is wet, do not water it additionally, otherwise the bushes will rarely grow.

To improve flowering, use mineral fertilizers, add them to the soil before sowing. At proper care the alfalfa will grow thickly and cover the area with bright flowers

Choose varieties suitable for our climate:

• Yellow;
• Hop-like;
• Sowing;
• Bride of the North;
• Marusinskaya 425.

These species can cope better with frost, withstand dry summers and can for a long time do without care.

Features and disadvantages of the plant

There are some things to consider characteristics of alfalfa when using it as fertilizer:

• Long period of growth and development. For green manure this is a disadvantage, since you have to wait a long time for the main crop for which the soil was prepared to be planted;
• Seeds are not cheap. But the price is justified, you get both excellent green fertilizer and excellent material for hay for livestock. But given the popularity, the price rises every year;
• Hard first month. Alfalfa is unpretentious, but during the first month after sowing it requires certain conditions: moist loose soil, sufficient amount of light. It happens that if these rules are not followed, it sprouts in places or does not grow at all.

But if everything worked out, then you you will save a lot. There will be no need to transport manure or mineral fertilizers to the site, the soil will be enriched with nitrogen, and many weeds and pests will disappear.

So, you have learned what alfalfa is, how to use it for gardening in the country or in the treatment of certain diseases. Experienced gardeners they say it is difficult to replace it with anything. A traditional healers don't know the best remedy from wrinkles and hair loss.

Video about alfalfa and its use in medicine

In this video, therapist Elena Miroshnikova will talk about medicinal use alfalfa, about its healing properties:

Alfalfa – herbaceous plant with lacy shoots. It belongs to the legume family. Many species are found throughout to the globe, but the main centers are Central Asia, the Mediterranean and North America. The plant is very popular in agriculture, as it is an excellent green manure, honey plant, medicine and fodder crop. Such remarkable qualities of alfalfa were known 6-7 thousand years ago. Except useful characteristics, alfalfa has decorative properties and can be used to decorate a garden in a natural style.

Description of the plant

The genus of alfalfa is represented by annual and perennial plants. Branched herbaceous stems branch from the base or closer to the ends, so they often form a subshrub 0.5-1.5 m high. The powerful taproot rhizome penetrates deep (up to 10 m) into the soil and is covered with lateral branches. This allows alfalfa to accumulate nutrients and beneficial substances that are not available to many other plants. Some varieties tend to have horizontal basal shoots. Like most legumes, nodules with nitrogen-fixing bacteria form on the roots of alfalfa. This helps recycle nitrogen from the air and enrich the soil with nutrients.

Petiolate leaves grow along the entire length of the shoots. They are grouped in groups of 3 and have a round or oblong shape. Each lobe grows on a small separate petiole. At the central segment it is elongated. There are jagged edges along the edge of the leaf plate, and short pile is often visible on the reverse side.

Racemose or capitate inflorescences bloom from the axils of the leaves and at the top of the stem cylindrical. Their length is 1.5-8 cm. Each has 12-26 buds. Swallowtail or moth-shaped corollas consist of 5 petals. The lower pair grows together and contains the stamens and pistil. Flowers sit on individual shortened pedicels. The lower buds bloom first. The color of the petals is dominated by shades of blue, purple or yellow color. There are varieties with variegated flowers. The flowering period begins 1.5-2 months after sowing and can last up to 3-4 weeks. Each brush blooms for up to 10 days. Every day 3-5 new buds bloom in it.

Pollination occurs only with the help of insects. After it, fruits are set in the form of beans with brown or brown skin. They are crescent or spiral in shape. Inside there are small seeds, similar to tiny beans. Their dense, poorly permeable shell is yellow or brownish-brown.

Alfalfa variety

Alfalfa is represented by more than 100 plant species. About half of them can be found in Russia.

A plant with a developed rhizome and basal shoots looks like a large subshrub 40-80 cm high. The shoots are bare or covered with sparse hair. They grow trifoliate petiolate leaves, oval-lanceolate or lanceolate in shape. The leaf length is 0.5-2.2 cm and the width is 2-6 mm. Dense capitate clusters decorate alfalfa in June-July. They contain up to 7-40 buds on short stalks. The length of the boat is 1-1.2 cm. After pollination, twisted crescent or moon beans, covered with glandular hair, ripen. Their length is only 8-12 mm.

An annual or biennial grass with less developed tap root grows many thin, outstretched stems 10-50 cm high. Small petiolate leaves of a rhombic shape grow in length by 7-15 mm, and in width by 3-10 mm. They have a wedge-shaped base and a small notch at the top. On the reverse side there is a ferruginous pile. Small (up to 2 mm) yellow flowers are collected in dense ovoid heads of inflorescences. The fruits are in the form of a single-seeded bean up to 2 mm in length and resemble tiny buds. They are also covered in lint, which falls off over time.

Alfalfa (blue). Flexible herbaceous shoots branch more in the upper part. They grow up to 80 cm in height. The plant has a strong, thickened rhizome. Oval or obovate leaves grow 1-2 cm in length and 3-10 mm in width. The axillary peduncles contain capitate dense racemes 2-3 cm long. The flowers in them are painted in shades of blue or purple. Their length is 5-6 mm. Rolled up like snails, the beans reach a width of 6 mm.

Alfalfa is variable (hybrid). Perennial in the form of subshrubs it grows 70-120 cm in height. The highly branched shoots are covered with small leaves on elongated petioles. They are oval or ovoid in shape with sparse hair on the underside. Cylindrical capitate inflorescences in the leaf axils are located on longer peduncles. The height of the loose raceme is 3-5 cm. The petals are often variegated and colored blue, purple or yellow. Larger beans are twisted into a spiral. They are covered with light yellow or olive-brown skin.

Growing

Alfalfa is grown from seeds. Sow it immediately in open ground early spring, during the first days of sowing. You should first dig up the area, remove weeds and add lime. Dry soil is additionally moistened. Before sowing planting material scarified and treated with biological products. The latter will create protection against bacterial and fungal infections. Seeds are sown in rows to a depth of 5-15 mm. It is recommended to first mix them with sand or sawdust so that the scattering is more uniform.

Some gardeners practice sowing a mixture of alfalfa with other cereal crops, however, in this case the plant may suffer from lack of lighting. Growth will slow down and the number of seeds will be reduced. Maximum efficiency growth is achieved when sowing in sparse rows with a distance of up to 45 cm. In this case, the work of pollinators will be as efficient as possible.

For sowing large fields, special beet seeders are used. On a small personal plot You can scatter the seeds by hand, but why trample the surface with plywood. It is important to monitor soil moisture and prevent it from drying out.

Alfalfa care

Alfalfa loves open, well-lit places. In the shade it develops more slowly and forms lower growth. The soil for planting is preferably fertile and well-drained, with a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction. Loams are the most suitable. On saline, rocky or clay soils with close location groundwater Alfalfa grows very poorly. Such conditions are unfavorable for the development of nodule bacteria.

Although alfalfa can tolerate short-term drought, it thrives when the soil is regularly irrigated. The top layer of soil is allowed to dry out. Develops quickly when exposed to excessive humidity powdery mildew. The greatest sensitivity to watering occurs in the first year of the plant’s life.

Alfalfa belongs to heat-loving crops. It grows best at temperatures of +22...+30°C, but can easily tolerate heat up to +37...+42°C. Some varieties winter successfully in frosts down to -25...-30°C.

Young plants need protection from weeds, so they are regularly weeded and hilled.

To collect feed raw materials, alfalfa is regularly mowed. This is done for the first time at the budding stage, and again during flowering. She tolerates the procedures quite easily and is ready to delight with flowers again after 1-1.5 months. To prevent growth and lodging, horizontal cutting of roots is practiced using special cultivators and flat cutters.

Benefits for the soil

As a green manure, alfalfa is used in small private plots, as well as field work in agriculture. It is considered an effective green fertilizer, because in just a year the plants produce 8-10 cuttings and increase a total of up to 120 t/ha of vegetation. At the same time, the soil is well enriched with nitrogen compounds. At high humidity biomass quickly decomposes, improving not only the composition, but also the structure of the soil. This reduces acidity.

Forage plant

Alfalfa contains a lot of protein, as well as amino acids, phosphorus and potassium. This makes it a valuable feed crop for livestock (pigs, rabbits, poultry). Moreover, it is necessary to distinguish between the concept of nutritional value and content useful substances. If the greatest nutritional value is achieved at the budding stage, then maximum amount useful substances are contained in flowering alfalfa.

Vegetation is mowed down to a height of 8-10 cm for food. Then the restoration of green cover will be faster. Usually up to three mowings are done per year. The resulting raw materials are used in fresh How green fertilizer, and also dried for hay, feed briquettes, granules or grass (hay) flour are prepared.

Medicinal properties

Alfalfa has many beneficial properties. It is especially widely used in Chinese medicine. The plant contains many minerals and vitamins, as well as proteins, amino acids, isoflavonoids and phytohormones. IN medicinal purposes They use the above-ground part of the plant, which is collected during the period of budding and flowering. The preparations are dried and stored in fabric bags. Decoctions and infusions are prepared from them. Fresh alfalfa juice and sprouted seeds are popular as bioactive additives.

Consumption of these products helps reduce cholesterol levels, normalize the gastrointestinal tract, and remove excess fluid from the body. Alfalfa is taken to combat diseases such as:

• diabetes;
• rheumatism;
• gout;
• hepatitis;
• haemorrhoids;
• erosion;
• periodontal disease;
• colpitis;
• diseases of the endocrine system.

Alfalfa is considered by many to be a real healer, capable of improving health and defeating even terrible illnesses. It is actively recommended to women to normalize hormonal levels, increase lactation, and also for uterine fibroids.

However, in any treatment it is important to know when to stop and be careful. Even this plant has contraindications. First of all, caution should be exercised by people prone to allergies. Under no circumstances should alfalfa be consumed by people suffering from lupus erythematosus and poor blood clotting. Alfalfa is not contraindicated for pregnant and lactating women, but you should consult your doctor before taking it.

Seed alfalfa from the legume family. Alfalfa is a medicinal plant that grows wild in Asia Minor and the Balkans. As an alien plant and in cultivation, it is distributed throughout the world. Alfalfa can be found on forest edges, dry meadows, grassy pastures and slopes, pebbles, steppes, river valleys, scree, and bushes. In and around crops, alfalfa grows like a weed.

Description.

Alfalfa is a herbaceous perennial plant. Alfalfa has many tetrahedral, erect, pubescent or glabrous, densely leafy stems. The stems grow from 30 to 90 centimeters in height. In the crown part the stems are branched. The plant has a powerful, thick, deep-lying rhizome. The leaves are located on petioles, alternate, entire, trifoliate, compound. The leaves are elliptical, oblong-wedge-shaped, oblong-obovate in shape.

The flowers are moth-type, blue-violet, small, concentrated in 20-30 flowers in capitate racemes. The flower stalks of alfalfa are axillary, slightly longer than the leaves. The calyx is hairy, tubular-funnel-shaped, reaches 0.5-0.6 cm in length. The raceme is dense, capitate, multi-flowered, 2-3 cm in length. Alfalfa blooms in June-July.

The fruits are spiral-twisted beans, reaching 0.6 cm in diameter. The fruits ripen in August-September.

Spreading.

Although the alfalfa plant can grow in any soil in sun or partial shade, it prefers light and dry soils. Alfalfa is propagated before winter or in spring by seeds. Seeds must be soaked in water for 12 hours before sowing.

Alfalfa, like many other legumes, is a good soil-improving crop.

The root tubers of alfalfa contain bacteria that, remaining in the roots, accumulate atmospheric nitrogen, and this, in turn, passes into the soil during plowing. Thus, the place where alfalfa grows receives fertilizer and the soil can not be changed for 50 years, while the quality and quantity of raw materials will not deteriorate.

Preparation.

The above-ground parts of the plant are used for medicinal purposes. The grass is collected during flowering, then it is dried in the air under canopies; for this it should be spread out in a thin 3-5 centimeter layer.

Chemical composition.

Alfalfa contains ketones, essential oil, carbohydrates, steroids, triterpinoids, organic acids, alkaloids, pantothenic acid, glycides, vitamins K, C, D, E, B2, B12, B1, higher fatty acid, flavonoids, anthocyanins, carotene.

The aerial part of the plant contains vitamin C, anthocyanins, tocopherols, carotene, carbohydrates, phenolcarboxylic acids, and catechins.

Pharmacological properties.

Medicinal preparations from alfalfa (herb) have antidiabetic, diuretic, wound healing, diuretic, bactericidal, restorative and anti-inflammatory effects. The drugs have a beneficial effect on the intestines, thyroid gland, and stomach. Also, drugs can improve metabolism, enhance lactation, lower cholesterol levels, normalize the state of the circulatory system, and increase hemoglobin levels.

Alfalfa contains a large number of microelements, almost full complex vitamins, which allows you to improve general state body.

Application.

Alfalfa grass is prescribed to weakened people to relieve pain from heart pain, arthritis, gout, atherosclerosis, etc. To reduce pain due to muscle cramps, rheumatism, liver intoxication. And also to lower cholesterol levels and remove toxins. Used to treat nephritis, cystitis, bladder diseases, constipation, acne, anemia, allergies. Alfalfa can normalize water balance, prevent caries and remove uric acid. This medicinal plant can also improve appetite.

Alfalfa leaves, ground into powder, are used externally for cuts as a hemostatic and wound-healing agent, and are also used for malignant neoplasms. The leaves also have diuretic properties.

Infusion.

3 tbsp. l. crushed alfalfa grass, pour 500 ml of boiling water and leave for 4 hours, then filter. The infusion is consumed 1/3 glass three times a day.

In case of dysfunction of the thyroid and pancreas, or diabetes mellitus, it is recommended to take this infusion: pour 2 teaspoons of finely chopped alfalfa into a glass of boiling water and leave for 30 minutes. Drink during the day after it has cooled completely.

For diabetes.

To reduce blood sugar levels, you need to dilute alfalfa juice with water (1:1). Take 1/3 cup of diluted juice 30 minutes before meals.

Decoction.

Fill with water (1 glass) 1 tbsp. l alfalfa, put on water and boil for ten minutes. Then we set it aside and wait until it cools down; we use the cooled broth for douching for trichomonas colpitis.

For external use.

For malignant tumors, it is recommended to use leaf powder as a powder.

Tincture.

Fill one tablespoon of alfalfa (you need to take dry grass) with 40% alcohol (100 ml), leave in a warm place for 14 days. Take ten drops half an hour before meals.

If a nursing mother does not have milk.

50 grams of fresh crushed oat grass, pour 100 ml of 40 percent alcohol, leave for 14 days dark place, filter. Take 10 drops together with alfalfa tincture (in equal doses).

Contraindications.

During the hot summer months, in all corners of Russia you can see yellow and blue-violet fields of the modest forage grass alfalfa. “What a beauty!” - city connoisseurs will exclaim wildlife. “Here comes the food for our little cow…” the farmers will rejoice. “This is not an ordinary herb, but a symbol of wealth and prosperity,” the naive ancient Celts would say. And the healers of Ancient China would have gone without a word to pick alfalfa for their medicinal preparations... What kind of plant is this unique and how is alfalfa useful for people and animals?

Meet alfalfa

Burkuku, lechukha and honeydew - all this is alfalfa, a plant that conquered humanity with its medicinal and nutritional properties 6-7 thousand years ago. The name “alfalfa” is heard by almost every resident of our country, but not everyone will be able to answer the question without prompting: what does alfalfa look like? The photos show an ordinary field grass with triple heart-shaped leaves and delicate boat inflorescences of yellow or blue color.

Animals were the first to appreciate such beauty - Ancient China They fed livestock with honeydew; the Arabs gave alfalfa to their horses to keep them healthy and fast. Soon, Chinese doctors began to use it to treat pneumonia and stomach problems, Indians - for peptic ulcers, and subsequently alfalfa became a cure for a wide variety of ailments.

Today, for the production of hay, medicinal preparations and even pharmaceutical preparations, mostly 2 types of alfalfa are used: sickle and seed.

What does sickle alfalfa look like? These are low (20-100 cm) flowers of a pleasant yellow color with large roots and an amazing smell of fresh hay, which occurs when harvesting grass for the winter. Another impression is made by seeded alfalfa - the photos show thick and tall, up to one and a half meters, thickets of grass with beautiful blue flowers, an excellent honey planter and healer.

A treasure trove of vitamins for your health

The inconspicuous fodder grass is fraught with many surprises, and the main one is its unique chemical composition.

• B vitamins (especially choline) improve health nervous system, calm down, put all metabolic processes in the body in order, and are responsible for the full functioning of the brain.
• Potassium and calcium protect our heart and strengthen bones, preventing the development of arthritis and gout.
• Chlorophyll perfectly cleanses blood and blood vessels, heals wounds and reduces the risk of bacterial infections.
• Vitamin E provides us with elastic and fresh skin, strengthens hair, prolongs our youth and beauty.
• Saponins protect us from such a delicate problem as dysbiosis, and most importantly, they bind and remove it from the body along with other dirty tricks.
• act comprehensively: relieve inflammation, relieve pain, have an antibacterial effect and are powerful.

And alone, the alfalfa herb is extremely useful - medicinal properties It is especially actively used in the treatment of peptic ulcers, indigestion, and restoration of appetite after long illnesses. Medunka helps with, improves blood composition, fights atherosclerosis and heart ailments.

Alfalfa is also an excellent natural antipyretic and diuretic. Decoctions and infusions are used in the treatment of colds, prevention and treatment of diseases of the joints and genitourinary organs (cystitis and prostatitis).

Lechuha preparations, homemade infusions and decoctions - effective remedy to support the immune system. Alfalfa stimulates, removes various harmful compounds from the body, heals and supports moral and physical strength at any age.

For all its incredible usefulness, alfalfa grass is also extremely safe - beneficial features and its contraindications are simply incommensurable. Alfalfa medications are prohibited only for lupus, other serious autoimmune diseases, and also during pregnancy.

Alfalfa juice - for vigor and beauty

Yellow-blue meduna is used not only in the form of decoctions and infusions from the herb; alfalfa juice is also famous for its beneficial properties.

Preparing this product couldn’t be easier: young alfalfa leaves during the flowering period need to be ground in a meat grinder, squeezed out the green juice and strain. This fresh alfalfa is a very concentrated product, so herbalists advise mixing it with juice in a ratio of 1:3. You can also add one part of salad juice to create a unique summer vitamin cocktail.

Fresh alfalfa is not just a healthy and tasty drink. It helps strengthen the immune system, improves tone and saves from a variety of ailments:

• reduces the risk of heart attacks;
• cleanses the liver and intestines;
• fights genitourinary infections;
• eliminates cardiac and renal edema;
• treats weak gums and removes bad breath;
• reduces pain during migraines;
• relieves exacerbations of gastritis and colitis.

Alfalfa juice has long been recognized as a powerful cosmetic product. If you drink this fresh juice at least 2-3 times a week, your hair will certainly improve its condition: it will fall out less, begin to grow more actively, and a natural shine will appear.

And for beautiful young skin there is such a mask: mix a teaspoon of alfalfa juice with a spoonful of liquid honey, spread evenly on the face and neck and rinse after 20 minutes. A course of 10 alfalfa masks (every other day) will give an amazing effect: the skin will noticeably freshen, tighten, and fine wrinkles will smooth out.

Alfalfa in cooking

Young garden alfalfa is not only a medicine and a basis for delicious drink, but also a universal culinary product. Alfalfa shoots and leaves are added to salads and soups, and the seeds are even ground into flour and baked into amazing healthy bread. What can I say - among the recipes with this plant there are also such exotic things as alfalfa inflorescences in dough!

For summer green soups, crescent alfalfa is best: if you add it to the end of the dish, it tastes almost the same as fresh chicken broth.

And for lovers of dietary salads, you can offer a recipe for a salad of cucumbers with alfalfa: you will need 2 cucumbers, a glass of alfalfa herb and, lemon juice and salt for dressing. Finely chop the greens and vegetables, season with lemon - and your vitamin snack is ready!

In order for alfalfa to maximize its beneficial properties, it is necessary to grow it correctly. For dining table Ordinary forage grass from wild fields will not work - it is better to grow a small batch of lechuha in a greenhouse, along with salads and herbs. And before cooking, soak it in a liter boiled water with a spoon for 15-20 minutes - this will kill all random microbes and remove the characteristic alfalfa bitterness.

How to use alfalfa?

To prevent diseases and improve the overall tone of the body perfect option– salads with young shoots of honeydew and fresh green-orange juice. If you include dishes with alfalfa shoots in your menu, this will help you forget about heartburn, flatulence, improve digestion and reduce the risk of exacerbations of gastrointestinal ailments.

Fresh alfalfa – excellent remedy against chronic fatigue, overwork and nervousness, especially in children. For frequent nosebleeds and severe stages of hemorrhoids, you can take pure juice - 25 grams per day. Single nosebleeds can be stopped with a cotton swab dipped in alfalfa decoction (a teaspoon per glass of boiling water).

To grow and strengthen your hair, you don’t have to take it internally - you can rinse your hair with the infusion and rub it a little into the scalp.

In China they always said: “What is good for animals is good for you.” But in the case of alfalfa, one can even argue - it is not known who was more fortunate with this miracle herb - people or animals. It is no coincidence that today is the most famous manufacturers herbal medicines are offered various means based on it - tablets, powders and extracts. Don’t be afraid to save money, grow alfalfa in your country house and in the countryside - and you will get a unique family doctor and delicious greens for your table!