Red clover quick review

• Botanical description: a plant belonging to the Fabaceae (pea family). The plant is an herbaceous perennial with a number of leafy stems rising from a crown.

• Active constituents: flavenoids, phenolic acids (including salicylic acid), minerals, thiamine, vitamin C, volatile oils such as methyl salicylate and benzyl alcohol, sitosterol, fatty acids, tannin and starch.

• Health benefits: relieves symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), helps prevent certain types of cancer, including breast and prostate cancer.

• Dosage: common recommendation for menopausal symptoms is 40 mg to 160 mg per day.

• Side effects: breast tenderness, weight gain, hormonal problems.

Red Clover Blossom

Red Clover is a popular herbal for women's health because of its natural potency of phytoestrogens. Red Clover has been used for centuries to help relieve hot flashes while Sage is regarded as a natural way to ease night sweats. Click here for more information.

Red clover

Red clover (Trifolium pratense) is a plant belonging to the Fabaceae (pea family). The plant is an herbaceous perennial with a number of leafy stems rising from a crown. Red clover grows up to 16 inches, with a hairy upright stem. Leaves and stems are pubescent. Leaves are trifoliate with leaflets near round to oblong and a half ineb or more across. The leaves are made up of three oval leaflets with a prominent white "V" mark in the center, called a chevron. Leaves are usually hairy on both surfaces or sometimes without hairs above and hairy beneath. Stems reach 2 to 3 feet under favorable conditions and bear at the terminals the rose to magentia flower heads comprised of 100 or more individual flowers. Flowers occur in round to oval heads usually on flower stalks (peduncles) less than 5 mm long. The flowers are purple to pink and are egg-shaped. The edible blossoms are sweet-tasting with a honey-like fragrance. The flowers are considered to be the source of its medicinal properties and are usually dried for therapeutic use.

Active constituents of red clover

Red clover contains flavenoids, phenolic acids (including salicylic acid), volatile oils such as methyl salicylate and benzyl alcohol, sitosterol, fatty acids, tannin and starch. Red clover is a source of many valuable nutrients including calcium, chromium, magnesium, niacin, tryptophan, phosphorus, potassium, thiamine, and vitamin C. Red clover is also rich in isoflavones. Salicylic acid has pain-relieving and fever-lowering properties.

Medicinal uses and health benefits of red clover

Red clover is used to relieve symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Red clover contains chemicals called isoflavones, which belong to a larger class of plant chemicals known as phyto Cestrogens. Red cover contains isoflavone compounds that theoretically could help prevent certain types of cancer, including breast and prostate cancer. Genistein found in red clover has been found to contribute to the shrinking of cancerous tumors in vitro by preventing growth of the new blood vessels that feed the tumors. Red clover is used as a nutrition supplement for all forms of degenerative disease and as an antibiotic helping fight bacterium, the most significant of which is the pathogen that causes tuberculosis. Red clover has also been used effectively as a blood purifier, a relaxant, and an appetite suppressant. Red clover has often been used to treat such skin inflammations as psoriasis and eczema. Red clover may stimulate the liver and gall bladder and has been used for constipation and sluggish appetite.

Dosage and administration of red clover

Red clover is available in teas, tinctures, tablets, capsules, liquid extract, and extracts standardized to specific isoflavone contents. It can also be prepared as an ointment for topical application. A common recommendation for menopausal symptoms is 40 mg to 160 mg per day. A tea may be made by soaking one to 2 teaspoons of dried red clover flowers in 1 cup of boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes.

Side effects, precautions, interactions

Red clover supplements are generally considered safe. Possible side effects may include breast tenderness, weight gain, hormonal problems. The use of red clover is not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women because of its estrogenlike properties.