Red clover

Trifolium pratense

This familiar plant is native to Europe, northern Africa, and central Asia, but red clover is also grown for pasturage and as a rotation crop in the Americas and Australia. (Nodules on the roots fix nitrogen, enhancing the soil.) American children traditionally love hunting in a patch of red clover for a rare four-leaf specimen said to cause good luck, but it is the dried flowers that are used in herbal medicine. Red clover blossoms are believed useful as an expectorant and for the treatment of bronchitis and asthma. Red clover has also been used topically to speed wound healing and treat psoriasis. Current interest in red clover focuses on its use to relieve menopausal symptoms. Cattle and sheep grazing too heavily on clover have fertility problems because of their phytoestrogen intake.

Red clover contains approximately 0.17 percent phytoestrogens. These include formononetin, genistein ,daidzein, and biochanin A. A volatile oil in the blossoms contains methyl salicylate, among other constituents. Some coumarin derivatives and cyanogenic glycosides have also been isolated.

The use of red clover extract as a supplement for menopausal women has gained attention through the marketing of an Australian product called Promensil. These pills, introduced in the United States in 1998, contain 40 mg each of isoflavones, in a standardized ratio. Most of the research supporting red clover isoflavones has been conducted in Australia. The same firm markets a red clover supplement called Trinivin, also containing 40 mg standardized isoflavones, for men with healthy but enlarged prostates.
According to the studies conducted by the manufacturer, Novogen, red clover isoflavones are capable of suppressing hot flashes in perimenopausal women without leading to proliferation in uterine (endometrial) tissue. A double-blind controlled trial published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (March 1999) demonstrated that red clover isoflavones help keep large blood vessels pliable.

The characteristic red blossoms of this extensively cultivated forage plant have been subjected to detailed chemical analyses. More than one-third of a page of fine print in a recent reference is required just to list the names of the chemical compounds detected in red clover. Yet none of these various pigments, phenolic compounds, tannins, and the like has any pronounced therapeutic value, particularly in the treatment of venereal disease. The statement that red clover tea sweetened with honey and drunk two or three times a day for a period of four to six weeks will purify the blood (euphemism for cure venereal disease) is simply not factual. It is true that the obvious symptoms of the disease may disappear in that time, but no cure has been obtained.

Four isoflavones found in red clover blossoms, formononetin, biochanin A, daidzein and genistein, do have mild estrogenic activity. This perceived effect has resulted in the introduction of a widely advertised red clover blossom dietary supplement product from Australia as a "natural choice for maintaining estrogen." Clinical studies to support these claims are apparently under way. The isoflavones found in red clover, and more common food sources such as soy beans, may alter hormone production or metabolism, intracellular enzymes, cell differentiation and production, and growth factors. Epidemiological studies suggest potential value of isoflavones in chemoprevention (cancer prevention), in Asian countries where soy products, rich in isoflavones, are widely consumed. A recent in vitro study found that biochanin A from red clover  inhibited carcinogen activation in cell cultures, suggesting the need for further studies.

Other names

• Clover
• Cow Clover
• Meadow Clover
• Purple Clover

Parts used

Flower heads.

Uses

Red clover is used to treat skin conditions, normally in combination with other purifying herbs such as burdock (Arctium lappa) and yellow dock (Rumex crispus). Red clover is also expectorant and may be used for spasmodic coughs. Red clover's estrogenic effect may be of use in treating menopausal complaints.

Habitat & cultivation

Native to Europe and Asia, and naturalized in North America and Australia, red clover is widely cultivated for hay and as a nitrogen-fixing crop. The flower heads are collected when newly opened in summer.

Research

There has been little research into red clover's medicinal actions, but it is known that the red clover has a contraceptive effect in sheep.

Constituents

Red clover contains phenolic glycosides, flavonoids, salicylates, coumarins, cyanogenic glycosides, mineral acids.

How much to take

Usually, red clover is taken as a tea by adding 250 ml (1 cup) of boiling water to 2 - 3 teaspoons of dried flowers and steeping, covered, for ten to fifteen minutes. Three cups can be drunk each day. Red clover can also be used in capsule or tablet form in the amount of 2-4 grams of the dried flowers or 2-4 ml of tincture three times per day. Dried red clover tops are also available in capsules, tablets, and tinctures.

Side effects

No fermented red clover is relatively safe. However, fermented red clover should be avoided altogether.

Applications

FLOWERS:

FRESH - Crush the flowers, and apply to insect bites and stings.

TINCTURE - Take internally for eczema and psoriasis.

COMPRESS - Use for arthritic pains and gout.

OINTMENT - For lymphatic swellings, cover fresh flowers with water and simmer in a slow cooker for 48 hours. Strain, evaporate the residue to semi-dryness, and combine with an equal amount of ointment base.

EYEWASH - Use 5 - 10 drops tincture in 20 ml water (a full eyecup) or a well-strained infusion for conjunctivitis.

DOUCHE  -Use the infusion for vaginal itching.

SYRUP - Take a syrup made from the infusion for stubborn, dry coughs.

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