Few scientific studies of creeping Charlie’s efficacy have been conducted. Animal experiments do not support its use as a cough medicine. A 1986 laboratory experiment showed that ursolic and oleanolic acids from the herb (these constituents are also found in numerous other plants) inhibited the Epstein-Barr virus and protected mouse skin from induced tumor growth. A 1991 study showed that a fatty acid from creeping Charlie stimulated enzyme activity in blood platelets.
http://www.herbalremediesinfo.com/creeping-charlie.html
Ground Ivy or Creeping Charlie is a staple for spring tonics and salads and the high Vitamin C content of this plant are beneficial to the kidney and urinary tracts. Tonics were once common in most households as the winter diet did not contain many fresh foods especially those high in Vitamin C. Additionally this plant improves the appetite which is also important after an illness, injury or childbirth. The first Europeans settlers brought this plant to the United States because it grew easily and quickly, provided food that was easily stored and prevented scurvy.
Alehoof
This plant is called Alehoof in many European countries where it is used in the making of beer and is used to help clarify home brews. Plants high in Vitamin C are often used to treat minor wounds and scratches and Creeping Charlie has been an herb that was used in the form of a decoction.
Decoction
You can boil the leaves, strain the leaves out and use the water to wash scratches, scrapes and abrasions. You can eat the remaining leaves.
Intestinal Benefits
This herb has been used to:
reduce fevers
bloating
flatulence
colic
It also has a solidifying affect on the bowel system allowing it to be a very useful remedy for gastrointestinal flu.
Restorative
Vitamins and other chemicals are quickly lost when a person is vomiting or has diarrhea. Brewing a cup of Alehoof tea with a spoonful of sweetener, a pinch of Lite salt and baking soda helps replace the essential electrolytes that are purged when a person is ill.
Safe for Children
The mild effects of Creeping Charlie allow it to be used for children, including when they have fevers and chest colds. In addition, the high Vitamin C content may help to keep them healthy. Children who eat a healthy diet that can include dried powdered Ground Ivy sprinkled over their food may be able to resist many of the common illnesses to which they are exposed.
Beneficial Weed
This plant is also known as Gil Over the Ground and is considered an invasive weed in lawns and is eradicated by both herbicides and by pulling it up by hand. The ability of this creeping plant allows it to spread quickly and stabilize soil preventing erosion. This plant prevents will remain rooted during minor flooding and heavy rains plus scientific study is proving the insecticidal properties of the leaves are effective against some species of potato bugs that is not a toxic chemical but interferes with the bugs ability to digest carbohydrates.
Regardless of what you call Glechoma hederac, Creeping Charlie, Alehoof, Gil Over the Ground or Ground Ivy, this plant has many benefits including providing a nutritious food, soil stabilization and as an alternative medical treatment for minor injuries and common complaints.
http://www.motherearthliving.com/plant-profile/an-herb-to-know-45.aspxx
For centuries Creeping Charlie has been praised as a nutritious edible plant that's loaded with vitamin C. This powerful wild edible has a multitude of health benefits and tastes great in a salad.
Distinguishing Features: Creeping Charlie is a creeping European perennial evergreen, naturalized in North America. It is a member of the mint family and has very fine hair all over and has a square creeping stem. The main root is thick and matted it sends out runners as long as almost one metre.
Flowers: Flowers appear as early as March and are purplish to blue; they two lipped and grow in axillary whorls of six.
Fields of NutritionFields of Nutrition has medicinal benefits and vitamin/mineral content of Creeping Charlie.
Leaves: The leaves are heart-shaped, are opposite, scalloped, dark green, sometimes they may appear to be tinted purple.
Height: Creeping Charlie is a ground cover.
Habitat: Damp waste ground, hedgerows, shady locations, woodland margins and this wild edible thrives in moist, shady areas of the lawn and garden, and in sunny areas too if the lawn is thin.
Edible parts: Young leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. The leaves have a mild bitter flavour and can be tossed into salads to add a slight aromatic tang. They can also be cooked like spinach, added to soups, stews, or omelet. Tea is made from the fresh or dried leaves. It is often used mixed with verbena leaves or lovage. This wild edible has been added to beer in much the same way as hops in order to clear it and also to improve its flavour and keeping qualities.
Compare to nutritional value of green grass:
Serving Size: 200 ml, Calories: 93.6, Fat: 0g, Carbs: 22g, Protein: 1.2