An alfalfa-like plant with white flowers. Alfalfa: period and methods of planting, care

13.05.2019

Many biochemists agree that a plant like alfalfa is a strong foundation for health. They are convinced that the components that make up it are the brightest representatives of the Universe.

Did you know that the world's first biological supplement was created on the basis of alfalfa? This perennial herb is considered an inexhaustible source of vitamins and minerals.

This herb belongs to the legume family. Until recently, it was used only as feed for livestock. After a detailed study of the composition of this sample of flora, it began to be used not only in nutrition, but also for medicinal purposes.

Alfalfa has one very interesting property: it is able to extract useful substances from the deep layers of the soil. These are important vitamins of groups A, B, K, P, E and mineral components. The trace elements included in the composition are presented in an easily digestible form, so the human body is able to absorb them quite quickly and without much difficulty.

The use of alfalfa helps to maintain good health, energy, strength for many years, as well as increase the body's resistance to various diseases.

Alfalfa has the appearance of an ordinary field grass with yellow or lilac flowers. On the territory of our country, it grows in fields, pastures and meadows, and this plant can also be found in the forest.

It happens sowing and wild. For personal use, it is sometimes grown in summer cottages and household plots. If necessary, alfalfa can be bought in pharmacies, where it is sold cleaned and dried, in a word, ready for use.

Medicinal properties

Alfalfa can have a healing effect on almost all organs of the human body. This herb has a huge range of applications in medical practice. Healing decoctions, infusions and syrups are prepared from flowers, seeds, leaves and roots of alfalfa.

Alfalfa is rich in calcium and magnesium. With their help, uric acid is excreted from the body. If it is contained in excess, then this can cause diseases such as gout and arthritis.

Beta-carotene helps restore poor eyesight. Vitamin B6 “protects” the nervous system. Raises the body's defenses - vitamin C, E - keeps the skin in good condition, K - improves the condition of the blood and is good for the liver, P - promotes the healing of stomach and duodenal ulcers.

Areas of medical use of alfalfa:

The anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties of the herb are used in diseases of the urinary tract.
With loss of vision.
In the presence of colds.
Arthritis, gout.
To improve lactation.
With diabetes.
The isoflavonoids found in alfalfa are used to treat many female diseases. During menopause, with their help, the lack of hormones is replenished and thus it is possible to alleviate the symptoms.
For chronic constipation.
With the help of alfalfa decoctions, such conditions as excessive nervousness, mental and physical fatigue, loss of strength and irritability are overcome.
To improve digestive processes. Alfalfa helps break down and digest fats.
From and help the young shoots of the plant.
Future mothers and women who are breastfeeding should include alfalfa in their diet. The grass contains calcareous substances that are necessary for the development and growth of the baby's skeletal system.
Fresh shoots contain a sufficient amount of fluorine, without which teeth become brittle.
With the help of potassium and vitamin D, the process of repairing broken bones is accelerated.
The saponins contained in alfalfa help lower cholesterol levels in the blood.
Coumarin helps to avoid the formation of blood clots, and this is an excellent prevention against atherosclerosis.
Alfalfa decoctions are useful for people suffering, as well as ischemia.
Elderly people should include seeds of the plant in their germinated form in their diet. This is a kind of cataract prevention.
Alfalfa seeds, mixed with water to a paste, help with bruises, bruises and bites of blood-sucking insects.
The plant contains chlorophyll. It has been successfully used to combat bad breath. If you chew a small piece of a young shoot of alfalfa, then you can get rid of worries about this for a while.
Alfalfa is good for hair. Rinse based on this herb will accelerate hair growth.
Prevents the emergence and development of cancer.
With the help of this plant, you can significantly increase the body's resistance to various infections.

Nutritional value and calories

100 grams of young leaves and shoots of the plant contains - 23 kcal.

Proteins - 4.8%.
Fats - 1.08%.
Carbohydrates - 1.64%.
Dietary fiber - 9.5%.
Water - 3.6%.

In 100 grams of seeds - about 330 kcal.

Harm and contraindications

Alfalfa has some contraindications for use. It should be used with extreme caution in people who have an individual intolerance to some of the components that make up the herb.

Also, it should not be used in patients with autoimmune diseases, those who have increased blood clotting, with exacerbations of gastric ulcer, with phenylketonuria.

Contraindication is childhood up to 3 years old.

When diagnosing a disease such as lupus erythematosus, alfalfa in any form should not be used.

Alfalfa contains a large number of fiber. Therefore, in order for the stomach to perceive it more easily, before starting a course of treatment with herbs, you need to drink a course of drugs that contain bifidobacteria.

Methods of application in traditional medicine

Alfalfa has long been successfully used in folk medicine. There are many recipes that include this perennial herb. We will consider the most popular and effective of them.

With diabetes take a decoction, which is prepared as follows: take 2 teaspoons of dried and chopped grass, place it in an enamel bowl and pour one glass of boiling water. Then we put the composition on water bath for 20 - 25 minutes. Then we let it brew for 1 hour, filter and consume during the day in small portions. During therapy, do not forget to control the level of sugar in the blood.
For joint pain. We prepare a medicinal concentrate: pour 5 tablespoons of dry grass with vodka (0.5 liters). We insist 2 - 2.5 weeks. The finished product should be stored in dark glassware in a dark, cool place. How to use: add 10 drops of the product to half a glass of water and drink a few minutes before meals.
Alfalfa is used as wound healing and rejuvenating agent. The decoction is prepared based on half a glass of boiling water 1 tablespoon of dry grass. The prepared brew is added to the bath while bathing. By applying dry grass to the wound, you can stop the bleeding. For the speedy resorption of hematomas, swabs soaked in a decoction of alfalfa are applied to them.
At menopause as a sedative, a drug based on alfalfa is used. We take 200 milliliters of water and put 1 tbsp. a spoonful of crushed dried raw materials. Boil the product for several minutes, then let it brew for at least 3 hours. The medicine is taken 3 times a day for half a glass a few minutes before meals.
To boost immunity use the young leaves of the herb in salads. Thus, the risk of anemia decreases, the general tone of the body increases, food is better absorbed.
Improve lactation You can use freshly squeezed juice from young shoots. Nursing mothers can drink it in 25 - 30 ml daily.
Lucerne used in diet food . A decoction of this herb will help reduce appetite. We take 200 grams of young shoots and fill them with two glasses of boiling water. Let's wait until it cools down, and take one glass 15 minutes before meals.
be cured from hemorrhoids you can use baths prepared from one teaspoon of dry stems and a glass of boiling water. The tool will be ready in 20 minutes. It must be strained before use.

Way proper cooking sprouted seeds:

First, soak the seeds in clean water for 24 hours. After that, we drain the water, and lay the seeds in a thin layer on a clean canvas rag and leave them until full germination.

In order for the seeds not to become covered with mold before germination, they need to be washed 2-3 times every day in running water. As soon as green sprouts appear, the seeds are washed again and placed in a plastic container.

Germinated alfalfa seeds are stored in the refrigerator. They can be added to salads, vitamin cocktails, or eaten as an independent dish.

Medicinal raw materials are sold in pharmacies, but if desired, you can prepare it yourself.

For medicinal purposes, you need to cut only ground part plants during flowering. Drying grass on fresh air, in a place where there is no access to direct sunlight.

The shelf life of dry grass and seeds in cloth bags in a cool and dry room is up to 2 years.

Sprouted seeds - in the refrigerator in a closed container - up to 6 days.

Fresh stems and leaves - in a plastic bag in the refrigerator - no more than 3 days.

If you have no contraindications to the use of alfalfa, include it in your diet and in this way you will improve your well-being and prevent the occurrence of many diseases.

Lucerne - medicinal plant, a bright representative of the legume family. Wild grass has a straight stem, small size leaflets located along the entire length of the stem, as can be seen in the photo. The birthplace of alfalfa is Central Asia, but it can be found in the Balkans and Central Russia.

Plant species differ in flower color and fruit shape.

Yellow alfalfa is a perennial with a strong root system. The stems of the plant are numerous, ascending.

hop alfalfa- an annual and biennial herbaceous plant with a tap root that can penetrate the soil to a depth of 40 centimeters.

An adult plant, as can be seen in the photo, is a bush with many stems extending from the roots.

How to grow alfalfa?

Grow wild plant possible on garden plot. Before starting sowing grass, it is necessary to carry out preparatory work:

Clear the area of weeds.
Loosen the ground.
Apply fertilizer to the soil.
Sow seeds in separate rows or together with legumes or cereals.

The grass is commonly grown as pet food. For medicinal and gastronomic purposes, grass can be grown without soil. To do this, simply germinate sprouts. They taste like green pea.

Germination

To germinate seeds, you need:

Soak a packet of seeds in a bowl cold water all night long.
In the morning, rinse the seeds thoroughly and transfer to another container.
Place the container in a horizontal position.
Wash the seeds at least 3 times a day.

Seedlings will appear in 7 days. Before use, the change must be separated from the sprouts. Wash the sprouts and store in paper towel on the top shelf of the refrigerator. The photo clearly shows how the sprouts should look.

Harvest the ground part of the plant during the flowering period. Leafless lower parts should not fall into the raw material. Dry the grass in a ventilated and warm room. Can be dried on outdoors but definitely in the shade.

Medicinal properties of alfalfa have been known in Chinese medicine for a very long time. The flower contains chlorophyll, which perfectly removes toxins and toxins from the human body, helping to cleanse the body.

The flower has laxative and diuretic properties. Helps with constipation and the removal of excess fluid.

It is indispensable for hormonal disorders, facilitates the plant the course of the menopause. The flower contains natural isoflavones with hormonal properties.

It has a beneficial effect on the circulatory system. Contains vitamin K and iron.

Leaf powder is used in folk medicine for healing open wounds, cuts and as a hemostatic agent.

A decoction of alfalfa herbs helps with trichomonas colpitis. Used for douching.

Contraindications

A plant with individual intolerance can harm the human body. It is forbidden to use alfalfa in case of lupus erythematosus. Pregnant women and children under 10 years of age should not consume oil from the seeds of this plant. A contraindication to the use of alfalfa oil is cholelithiasis and pancreatitis.

The use of alfalfa in cooking

In cooking, the flower is used for decoration. festive dishes. Plant sprouts are added to salads, soups and smoothies. The plant can perfectly replace green peas. The calorie content of the plant per 100 grams is only 29 kilocalories.

Fresh alfalfa- delicious and healthy drink. It raises the tone, strengthens the immune system, protects against ailments:

plant propagation

Alfalfa grows everywhere, but the optimal soil for it is chernozem. The predecessors of alfalfa in the area can be potatoes, corn, melons.

A plentiful crop of a plant can be obtained only with deep plowing of the soil. The harvest increases the application of molybdenum to the ground.

Alfalfa extract is indicated for the following diseases:

flu, sore throat, pharyngitis;
diathesis and allergies;
as a prophylaxis in oncological diseases;
with chemotherapy;
with diseases of the supporting apparatus, open fractures of bones;
with gum disease, stomatitis;
infertility, prostate adenoma;
in diseases of the thyroid gland.

The plant is in demand for the treatment of the heart. Decoctions are used for problems with blood vessels. They make soft dense arteries, normalize arterial hypertension.

It is also applied to warn diabetes . The herb contains manganese, which is good at lowering blood sugar levels. The condition of patients with insulin resistance improves.

You can protect the body with the help of this greenery from the development of all kinds of viruses, incl. and herpes.

Alfalfa in most countries is called the queen among fodder crops. This is true, because the plant, with proper care and irrigation, produces at least 35 tons of hay per hectare during the growing season.

In the hot summer months, in all corners of Russia, you can see yellow and blue-violet fields of the modest alfalfa fodder grass. "What a beauty!" exclaim urban connoisseurs of wildlife. “Here, the food for our cows will sing ...” - the farmers will rejoice. “This is not an ordinary grass, but a symbol of wealth and prosperity,” the naive ancient Celts would say. And the doctors of Ancient China would go without a word to pluck alfalfa for their healing fees…

What kind of plant is so unique and how is alfalfa useful for people and animals?

Burkunchik, lechuha and honeydew - all this is alfalfa, a plant that conquered mankind with its healing and nutritional properties 6-7 thousand years ago. Almost every inhabitant of our country is familiar with the name "alfalfa", but not everyone will be able to answer the question without prompting: what does alfalfa look like?

The photos show ordinary field grass with triple heart leaves and delicate yellow or blue boat inflorescences.

Animals were the first to appreciate such beauty - in Ancient China livestock were fed with medunka, the Arabs gave alfalfa to their horses so that they were healthy and fast. Soon Chinese healers 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 preparation of hay, medicinal preparations and even pharmaceutical preparations, for the most part 2 types of alfalfa are used: crescent and sowing.

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

Treasury of vitamins for your health.

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

B vitamins (especially choline) heal nervous system, soothe, put in order all metabolic processes in the body, are responsible for full time job brain.

Potassium and calcium protect our heart and strengthen bones, prevent the development of arthritis and gout.

Chlorophyll perfectly cleanses the blood and vessels, heals wounds and reduces the risk of bacterial infections.

Vitamin E provides us with supple and fresh skin, strengthens hair, prolongs our youth and beauty.

Saponins protect us from such delicate issue like dysbacteriosis, and most importantly - they associatebad cholesteroland remove it from the body along with other dirty tricks.

Flavonoids act in a complex way: they relieve inflammation, relieve pain, have an antibacterial effect and are powerfulantioxidants.

In medical fees alfalfa is also actively manifesting itself: Wikipedia says that most often lechukha is included in general strengthening preparations, formulations for the treatment of tumors, as well as improving vision.

And alone, alfalfa grass is extremely useful - its medicinal properties are especially actively used in the treatment of peptic ulcers, indigestion, restoring appetite after long illnesses. Medunka helps with low hemoglobin, improves blood composition, fights atherosclerosis and heart disease.

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

Lechukha preparations, homemade infusions and decoctions - effective remedy to support the immune system. Alfalfa stimulates the immune system, removes various harmful compounds from the body, heals and maintains 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 medicines are prohibited only for lupus, other serious autoimmune diseases, as well as during the period of bearing a baby.

Alfalfa juice - for vivacity and beauty.

Not only in the form of decoctions and herbal infusions, yellow-blue honeydew is used - alfalfa juice is also famous for its beneficial properties.

Preparing this product is as easy as shelling pears: young leaves of alfalfa during the flowering period must be ground in a meat grinder, squeezed out green juice and strain. This fresh alfalfa is a very concentrated product, so phytotherapists advise mixing it with carrot juice in a ratio of 1:3. You can also add one part of salad juice - you get a unique summer vitamin cocktail.

Fresh alfalfa is not just a healthy and tasty drink.

It helps to strengthen the immune system, raises the tone and saves from a variety of ailments:

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

Alfalfa juice has long been recognized as a powerful cosmetic tool. If you drink such a 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 wash off after 20 minutes. A course of 10 alfalfa masks (every other day) will give an amazing effect: the skin will noticeably freshen up, tighten, fine wrinkles will be smoothed out.

Alfalfa in cooking.

Young garden alfalfa is not only a medicine and the basis for a delicious drink, but also a versatile culinary product. The shoots and leaves of alfalfa are put into 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, sickle alfalfa is best: if you add it to the dish at the very end, the taste will be almost the same as fresh chicken broth.

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

In order to maximize the beneficial properties of alfalfa, it is necessary to grow it correctly. For dining table the usual fodder grass from the open fields is not suitable - it is better to grow a small batch of letukha in a greenhouse, along with salads and herbs. And before cooking, soak it in a liter of boiled water with a spoon apple cider vinegar for 15-20 minutes - this will kill all random germs and remove the characteristic bitterness of alfalfa.

How to use alfalfa?

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

Fresh alfalfa is an excellent remedy for chronic fatigue, overwork and nervousness, especially in children. With frequent nosebleeds and severe stages of hemorrhoids, you can take pure juice - 25 grams per day. Single bleeding from the nose can be stopped with a cotton swab dipped in a decoction of alfalfa (a teaspoon per cup of boiling water).

For hair growth and strengthening, it is not necessary to use lechuha inside - you can rinse the curls with 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 the most famous manufacturers of herbal medicines offer various means based on it - tablets, powders and extracts. Do not be afraid to save money, grow alfalfa in the country and in the village - and you will get a unique home doctor and delicious greens for your table!

An ancient Chinese proverb says, “What benefits your animals will benefit you.” Once upon a time, the Chinese noticed that their livestock eats alfalfa leaves with great pleasure, they started growing it, and since then this plant has been one of the traditional remedies of Chinese traditional medicine. This fodder herb, due to its unique medicinal properties, took a well-deserved place of honor on the tables of the richest and noblest people of that time.

Alfalfa is distinguished by its nutritional value, high content of protein and calcareous substances. Because of this, it is especially useful for people on a vegetarian diet, women during menopause, as well as pregnant women, as it helps the formation of the bones of the baby and keeps the level of calcium in the mother's body normal.

In America, it is used to get rid of jaundice, and is also considered an effective remedy that increases blood clotting. The Chinese use it for digestive disorders, in India they treat diseases of the joints, the thyroid gland and use it as a diuretic.

It is a herbaceous wild plant with bare erect and highly branched stems, it is considered one of the most ancient crops and belongs to the legume family. It has powerful roots, in the first year of life they reach 2-3 meters and subsequently reach 10. Usually alfalfa reaches a height of 60 to 130-150 centimeters.

How all types of alfalfa look can be seen in the photo, they differ from each other in the color of the flowers, as well as the shape of the fruit. Yellow has rather small flowers of a yellow tint, and alfalfa is characterized by white, white-pink and purple inflorescences.

The flowering period of this plant begins in early summer. In late summer - early autumn, fruits ripen, which are beans twisted in 5-7 turns with a large number of kidney-shaped yellow seeds with a green tint.

Alfalfa belongs to the ground cover crops (green manure), which are considered green manures and are very beneficial for the soil. Before planting a plant, it is necessary to carry out the necessary pre-sowing work and plow the land well. Alfalfa is not particularly whimsical, but loves the light, and also prefers well-drained and fertile soils as a chernozem, in marshy and rotten soils it does not develop well.

It is best to sow alfalfa in the spring, but some of its species can be planted in the fall. By itself, this process is not at all complicated, you can use any method convenient for yourself.

Watering should be plentiful, if the plant receives enough moisture, it will give excellent harvest. But, as in any other action, the main thing here is not to overdo it and stick to the golden mean.

Alfalfa can easily do without fertilizers and top dressing, but, nevertheless, their presence will noticeably improve growth.

Recently, sprouted alfalfa seeds have become increasingly popular. Nutritionists say that its sprouts are very useful, because they give our body their vitality.

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In the hot summer months, in all corners of Russia, you can see yellow and blue-violet fields of the modest alfalfa fodder grass. "What a beauty!" exclaim urban connoisseurs of wildlife. “Here, the food for our cows will sing ...” - the farmers will rejoice. “This is not an ordinary grass, but a symbol of wealth and prosperity,” the naive ancient Celts would say. And the healers of Ancient China would go without a word to pluck alfalfa for their healing fees ... What kind of plant is this unique and how is alfalfa useful for people and animals?

Meet Alfalfa

Animals were the first to appreciate such beauty - in ancient China they fed livestock with honeydew, the Arabs gave alfalfa to their horses so that they were healthy and fast. Soon Chinese healers 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 preparation of hay, medicinal preparations and even pharmaceutical preparations, for the most part 2 types of alfalfa are used: crescent and sowing.

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 produced by sowing alfalfa - the photos show thick and high, up to one and a half meters, thickets of grass with beautiful blue flowers, an excellent honey plant and a healer.

Treasury of vitamins for your health

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

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

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

Lechukha preparations, homemade infusions and decoctions are an effective way to support the immune system. Alfalfa stimulates, removes various harmful compounds from the body, heals and maintains moral and physical strength at any age.

For all its incredible usefulness, alfalfa grass is also extremely safe - its beneficial properties and contraindications are simply incommensurable. Alfalfa medicines are prohibited only for lupus, other serious autoimmune diseases, as well as during the period of bearing a baby.

Alfalfa juice - for vivacity and beauty

Not only in the form of decoctions and herbal infusions, yellow-blue honeydew is used - alfalfa juice is also famous for its beneficial properties.

Preparing this product is as easy as shelling pears: young leaves of alfalfa during the flowering period must be ground in a meat grinder, squeezed green juice and strained. This alfalfa fresh is a very concentrated product, so phytotherapists advise mixing it with juice in a ratio of 1:3. You can also add one part of salad juice - you get a unique summer vitamin cocktail.

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

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

Alfalfa juice has long been recognized as a powerful cosmetic product. If you drink such a 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 wash off after 20 minutes. A course of 10 alfalfa masks (every other day) will give an amazing effect: the skin will noticeably freshen up, tighten, fine wrinkles will be smoothed out.

Alfalfa in cooking

Young garden alfalfa is not only a medicine and the basis for a delicious drink, but also a versatile culinary product. The shoots and leaves of alfalfa are put into 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 is also such an exotic as alfalfa inflorescences in the dough!

For summer green soups, sickle alfalfa is best: if you add it to the dish at the very end, the taste will be almost the same as fresh chicken broth.

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

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

How to use alfalfa?

For the prevention of diseases and raising the general tone of the body, the ideal option is salads with young honeydew shoots and fresh green-orange juice. If you include dishes with alfalfa shoots in the menu, this will help you forget about heartburn, flatulence, improve digestion and reduce the risk of exacerbations of gastrointestinal ailments.

For hair growth and strengthening, it is not necessary to use lechuha inside - you can rinse the curls with 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 the most famous manufacturers of herbal remedies offer various products based on it - tablets, powders and extracts. Do not be afraid to save money, grow alfalfa in the country and in the village - and you will get a unique home doctor and delicious greens for your table!