Red clover, also known as cow clover, meadow clover and wild clover, is part of the legume family, the family of plants that includes beans. Red clover is high in phytoestrogens, which are compounds that resemble estrogen, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Typically, the tops of the plant are used to make tablets and capsules or are made into in teas and elixirs. It has many medicinal uses, several of which directly benefit women.
Menopausal Symptoms
Red clover is high in compounds called isoflavones, which act similarly to the female hormone estrogen. Because estrogen supplementation can help relieve menopausal symptoms, red clover might serve as a natural substitute, although red clover has not been found conclusively to relieve menopausal symptoms, reports Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. A dietary supplement named Promensil, derived from isoflavone extracted from red clover, is promoted as an alternative to hormone replacement therapy to relieve menopausal symptoms.
Blood Pressure
Red clover extract has been found to improve the elasticity of arteries in menopausal women, notes Memorial Sloan-Kettering. This helps decrease blood pressure, which is particularly important during and after menopause, when a loss of elasticity in the arteries seems to occur.
Heart Disease
Although red clover extract is sometimes used to reduce the risk of heart disease, nearly all clinical trials looking at red clover's effect on the heart have shown no effect on triglyceride or blood cholesterol levels, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. However, the herb's proven effects on blood pressure may help slow the onset of heart disease, as elevated blood pressure is a contributing factor.
Breast Cancer Interaction
If you have estrogen receptor-positive--ERP--breast cancer, you should avoid taking red clover extract, advises Memorial Sloan-Kettering. This is because laboratory experiments have shown that the herb helps increase the production of ERP breast cancer cells.
Other Cancers
According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, long-term use of red clover might also increase the risk of cancer of the uterus, due to its high levels of estrogen-like compounds. However, the studies so far have all looked at effects under six months, so it's difficult to definitively determine long-term effects.
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