If you are going through menopause, you may want to look at alternative ways of treating your symptoms, such as hot flashes and bone density loss. Although herbal red clover treatments, available in tablet, capsule, standardized and liquid extracts, tincture and tea forms, contain estrogen-like qualities, their effects on menopausal women have not been verified through clinical trails, states the American Cancer Society, or ACS. Therefore, speak with your doctor about the benefits and risks of using red clover herbal treatments to complement your existing medical treatment plan before you use the herb in any form.
Identification
Red clover (Trifolium pratense), also called wild clover, meadow clover and cow clover, is a perennial herb indigenous to Asia and Europe that now also grows in North America, Australia and northern Africa. Although cattle and other animals graze on wild red clover, alternative medicinal healers use the red clover plant's pink, red or purple flowers in numerous herbal remedies.
Active Constituents
Red clover contains isoflavones, constituents that generate estrogen-like effects in your body, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, or UMMC. These isoflavones may alleviate symptoms associated with menopause, such as osteoporosis and hot flashes. Red clover also contains trace amounts of coumarins, blood-thinning chemicals, and the nutrients vitamin C, calcium, phosphorous, thiamine, potassium, niacin, magnesium and chromium.
Uses
Alternative medicine practitioners use red clover to treat respiratory problems, eczema, psoriasis, whooping cough and breast, lymphatic and ovarian cancer, states the ACS. Red clover proponents also believe that the herb is an expectorant that clears the lungs of mucus, and a diuretic, a chemical that helps the body expel excess fluid.
Considerations
Red clover herbal treatments are generally considered safe; however, you should not take red clover if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. General red clover side effects include nausea, headaches and rash. Red clover treatments may also interfere with tamoxifen, an anti-estrogen drug, and drugs that are broken down by liver enzymes, states the UMMC. Red clover can also elevate estrogen effects when taken with birth control pills, estrogen pills or hormone replacement therapy drugs.
Warning
Do not take red clover if you take anticoagulant drugs, blood thinners such as aspirin, as the interaction between the two may increase your risk of serious bleeding, states the UMMC. Also avoid red clover herbal treatments if you take supplements or herbs with blood-thinning effects such as vitamin E, ginger, ginkgo biloba and garlic.
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