Kidney Vetch: Applications, Treatments, Health Benefits

Kidney vetch, popularly known as common kidney vetch, bear clover or woundwort, is widely used as a valuable medicinal plant throughout Europe. In traditional folk medicine, kidney vetch has a long tradition.

Occurrence and cultivation of kidney vetch

Between the months of June and September, the yellow calyxes with their typical red tips appear. With prolonged exposure to strong sunlight, the flowers become more and more red. Anthyllis vulneraria, the botanical name of kidney vetch, comes from the legume family of plants and is undemanding in terms of growing conditions and soil nutrient density, but despite this, the medicinal herb is becoming increasingly rare. It is believed that too many fertilizers and modern agriculture are responsible. Kidney vetch likes lime-rich, dry soil and plenty of sun for productive growth. Medicinal herb collectors find kidney vetch mainly on hillsides or along roadsides. Besides Europe, the medicinal plant is also native to the Near East and North Africa. The root system can fix nitrogen in the soil. The soil condition is decisively improved by the growth of kidney vetch. This is because kidney vetch can protect the soil from excessive erosion. In addition, kidney vetch is a forage plant for wildlife and is also highly valued by honeybees when in bloom. Kidney vetch is a perennial plant and can reach heights of up to 40 centimeters. The tender silky pubescence of the plant is striking. The fruiting pods of the medicinal plant are one-seeded, the terminal leaves are large. Between the months of June and September, the yellow calyxes with their typical red tips appear. With prolonged exposure to strong sunlight, the flowers become more and more red.

Effect and use

It is possible to plant and cultivate kidney vetch in the garden for personal use. When growing, sowing is best done when there are still a few weeks of cold weather in early spring. The seeds should be soaked in a little lukewarm water a day before sowing. Germination is slow and can take up to 2 months. The most common mistake when growing in your own garden is choosing too shady places for cultivation. However, in these conditions the medicinal herb does not grow. In nature, unfortunately, the medicinal plant is increasingly rare. Therefore, it is recommended to refrain from collecting, but to do home cultivation, which is also not difficult with the right choice of location with plenty of sun or in a greenhouse. Nevertheless, those who collect kidney vetch in the wild should do so carefully, plucking leaves and flowers carefully so as not to damage the entire plant, because kidney vetch is a perennial flowering plant. After collecting the flowers and leaves, they should be immediately spread out in a shady place to dry. Pharmacists recommend that the flowers and leaves each be stored separately and not mixed until prepared as a tea infusion. However, as a versatile medicinal herb, kidney vetch can be prepared not only tea. Fresh juice, salads or the traditional ointment preparation with lard for wound treatment are also common applications. In tea preparation, one tablespoon of the dried flowers with only a few leaves are brewed over with 250 milliliters of boiling water. To ensure that all the valuable ingredients are transferred to the brew, it is essential to observe a brewing time of 15 minutes. The tea from Kidney Vetch can be used as a cure with 2 cups daily in the morning and in the evening. The cooled tea can also be used successfully as a gargle solution for diseases and mucous membrane defects in the mouth and throat. Externally, the tea preparation can also be applied in the form of compresses on poorly healing wounds or chilblains. For wound healing, it is recommended to supplement with ribwort.

Importance for health, treatment and prevention.

As a traditional medicinal plant, wound clover has always had a high health-promoting and especially wound-healing potential in naturopathy. Healing successes have also been documented for many kinds of intestinal complaints or irritable cough. Preparations made from kidney vetch have also proven helpful in pediatrics. The effect on wound healing has also been confirmed by the so-called theory of signatures. In antiquity, kidney vetch was also called Beschreikraut and was generally supposed to protect against evil influences.Although the healing effect has also been proven beyond doubt by botanical sources, the importance of kidney vetch for healing has declined significantly in recent decades. One reason for this is probably the ever increasing displacement of the medicinal plant by modern agriculture. Hikers in particular can benefit from the healing power of kidney vetch for minor injuries and abrasions while out and about. To do this, simply drizzle the wound with the freshly obtained juice from a few leaves of the medicinal plant. The fresh juice is also suitable for treating cold sores or blisters on the feet. Salad of kidney vetch should be prepared from leaves and flowers, this also serves as a preventive measure to strengthen the gastrointestinal tract and generally stimulate the metabolism. Botanical researches could prove an extensive mixture of different groups of substances, including catechins, flavonoids, tannic acid, saponins and mucilages in kidney vetch. It seems to be the symphony and the totality of all these ingredients that constitute the actual healing effect. The main indications for its use are dry cough and wound healing disorders of all kinds. Even in the case of extensive, purulent wounds or deep ulcers with gangrene, healing successes have been documented. When used internally, kidney vetch also has a diuretic and stomachic effect. Ready-to-use tea preparations containing kidney vetch are also available in specialized stores under the name of blood purification tea. In the case of sore throat, the symptoms quickly subside due to the antibacterial properties of Kidney Vetch.