Red clover (Trifolium pratense), a perennial herb often used to feed grazing animals, may provide several health benefits for humans. The herb commonly grows wild in meadows and fields throughout Europe, Asia and North America. Herbalists dry the red flowers and use them for medicinal purposes. Recently, scientific studies have begun to examine the use of red clover for treating a variety of conditions. Most of the plant's benefits are believed to derive from its isoflavones, or plant hormones that produce estrogen-like effects in the body. Because of these effects, pregnant or nursing women should not consume red clover.
Menopausal Symptoms
The isoflavones found in red clover may help alleviate menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes. One study, published in 2005 in Gynecological Endocrinology, found that red clover isoflavone supplementation significantly decreased menopausal symptoms compared to placebo. Women in the study took 80 mg daily of a commercially available red clover isoflavone supplement for a period of 90 days. A 2007 systematic review published in Phytomedicine also found that red clover isoflavones may marginally reduce the occurrence of hot flashes, although researchers note that the clinical relevance of the treatment remains unclear.
Heart Health
Red clover may also help protect against heart disease, though human trials are lacking. A 2007 study published in Phytotherapy Research, however, found that dietary supplementation of red clover in rabbits significantly reduced triglycerides, total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels. The treatment also reduced fatty streak formation in the aorta and left and right coronary arteries in the same animals. Researchers noted that this evidence suggests that red clover may reduce cardiovascular risk factors in humans, though more research is required. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, red clover also has blood-thinning properties that may improve blood flow.
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis occurs most commonly during menopause, when women typically develop an estrogen deficiency. Red clover extract may slow bone loss and even improve bone mineral density in menopausal women. One study, published in 2007 in Phytotherapy Research, examined the effects of red clover on rats one week after receiving an ovariectomy. After the surgery, researchers gave the rats 20 to 40 mg daily of red clover isoflavones for 14 weeks. The treatment significantly reduced bone loss in the animals.
Other Benefits
Traditionally, healers have used red clovers to treat a variety of ailments from respiratory problems to skin disorders. Some of the herb's more popular, though unproven, benefits include treating whooping cough, eczema, psoriasis and even cancer. Anecdotal evidence suggests that red clover may purify and cleanse the blood, clear the body of excess fluid by acting as a diuretic, improve circulation and help cleanse the liver.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Red Clover
- PubMed.gov: The Effect of Red Clover Isoflavones on Menopausal Symptoms, Lipids and Vaginal Cytology in Menopausal Women: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study
- PubMed.gov: Trifolium Pratense Isoflavones in the Treatment of Menopausal Hot Flushes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- PubMed.gov: Effects of Dietary Red Clover on Blood Factors and Cardiovascular Fatty Streak Formation in Hypercholesterolemic Rabbits
- PubMed.gov: Effects of Phytoestrogenic Isoflavones From Red Clover (Trifolium pratense L.) on Experimental Osteoporosis
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