Red Clover Description

Growing freely in meadows and along roadways, red clover thrives in most areas of the United States today, although it was originally from Europe, reports the Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine. Like other plants in the Trifolium pratense family, red clover features threefold leaflets. Although this herb sells as a supplement and the Food and Drug Administration does not regulate its sale, those who wish to use red clover as a health aid should do so only after consulting a medical doctor.

History

With a history steeped in religious folklore, red clover was once thought to represent the Christian Trinity because of its threefold leaflet, and the devout sometimes wore the herb as a good luck charm, according to Gale. In the 1930s, herbal healers began using red clover to purify the blood and as a general tonic. Today, the herb is common in the alternative treatment of menopausal symptoms.

Features/Constituents

The round, strawberry-colored blooms rise on 2-foot woody stocks, attracting butterflies and bees. Red clover is a perennial herb that returns every year, but it also seeds itself, spreading quickly. If eaten fresh, the blooms have a mild, sweet flavor. The blossoms contain isoflavones, in the form of phytoestrogens, a mild plant form of estrogen. The University of Maryland Medical Center reports that red clover is also a source of vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, niacin, potassium, chromium and thiamine.

Preparation Methods

Once smoked as a treatment for asthma, according to Gale, red clover is also available as an herbal tea; in capsule form; or as a liquid infusion, a tincture or an extract, from health food stores. Herbalists also recommend using the flower heads to make a poultice.

Research

Unlike many herbs, red clover is the subject of limited testing. According to PubMed.gov, a division of the National Institutes of Health, red clover may reduce the unwanted symptoms of menopause in women. A 2005 study conducted by the Foundation of Health and Well-Being in the Climacteric FUCLIM, Guayaquil, Ecuador, indicated that red clover significantly outperformed a placebo in easing women's postmenopausal symptoms.

Medicinal Uses

The herb is sometimes used to strengthen the heart or to treat cancer, reports the University of Maryland Medical Center. Adherents use a liquid skin wash, made from steeping the flower heads, to treat eczema, rashes and psoriasis. However, tests confirming the effectiveness of red clover to treat these conditions is lacking.

Precautions

Since red clover contains isoflavones, mild estrogen substances, there is a possibility that the herb could have the same side effects as synthetic estrogen on the body, which includes a risk of developing breast cancer, reports the University of Maryland Medical Center. Pregnant women and children should only take red clover under a doctor's supervision.