Sainfoin - onobrychis viciifolia

Other names: Onobrychis sativa.

Family of Legumes (Fabaceae).

Botanical characteristics. A perennial herbaceous plant with a stem root. Stem height 30 - 70 cm, straight, branched at the top. The leaves are complex, the lower leaves are long petioles, paired, leaves are oblong, lanceolate, rarely linear. At sainfoin beautiful, bright, pink-purple with dark strips of flowers, collected in thick spiked fringes. Fruit - bob is net-wrinkled. Blooms in June - July.

Spread. In natural conditions it grows in meadows, forest edges, among bushes.

The plant is cultivated as fodder.

Chemical composition. In the grass sainfoin seed contains protein, fats, carbohydrates, amino acids, nitrogen-free compounds, flavones, a large amount of ascorbic acid, rutin.

Application in medicine

The plant is used only in folk medicine to increase the body's resistance to infectious diseases, with the lack of function of the sexual glands (impotence, menstrual irregularity). With diabetes.

Water infusion and decoction of the plant, the aboveground and root parts are used in folk medicine as a tonic, as a hypoglycemic agent, with uterine bleeding.

A special therapeutic efficacy is the sap of sainfoin.

Preparation

Infusion of herbs of sainfoin inoculum: 1 tbsp. L. Crushed dry plant pour 300 ml of boiling water and insist in a thermos for 3 - 4 hours, filter. Take 0.5 cup 3 - 4 times a day before meals with diabetes, impotence, loss of strength.

Decoction of herbs and roots of sainfoin: 1 tbsp. L. Dry crushed raw material is poured with 1 glass of boiling water and boiled for 10 minutes. They give to stand, filter and drink 0.5 glasses a night for a month with impotence. After a two-week break, the course is repeated.

Juice from the grass of sainfoin inoculum: Fresh grass of sainfoin is thoroughly washed, water is drained, crushed and passed through a meat grinder or juicer. Juice is taken with diabetes and impotence, menstrual cycle disorders of 1 tbsp. L. 3 - 4 times a day before meals. The course of treatment is 1 - 1.5 months, after a two-week break the course is repeated.

Use of sainfoin in nutrition

Young grass sainfoin inoculum and juice from the plant are used for food, while taking into account the medical indications, it is a question of applying the plant in the target dietary food.

Lettuce salad

Slice small cubes of fresh cucumbers, cut cabbage and onions, mixed with finely chopped sainfoin. Season with sour cream, salt.

• Fresh cucumber - 60 g,
• Onions - 30 grams,
• White cabbage - 50 g,
• Sainfoil - 60 g,
• Sour cream - 20 grams,
• Salt and spices to taste.

Steamed Saints

Young sainfoin grass is blanched and stewed under a lid with onions, carrots and herbs (dill, parsley, garden thyme) in vegetable oil, add citric acid, tomato juice, salt.

• Grass of sainfoin - 100 g,
• Onion - 20 g,
• Carrots - 30 grams,
• Vegetable oil - 15 g,
• Salt and dill greens, parsley to taste.