Your body creates less estrogen during menopause. Lack of estrogen can cause symptoms like night sweats, mood swings, vaginal dryness and sleep disturbances. Red clover is a wild plant used medicinally by herbalists and holistic practitioners to treat many ailments, including cancer, respiratory problems and skin inflammation. Herbalists often use red clover to naturally replace decreasing estrogen levels in women going through menopause. Always consult your physician before using any alternative remedy to treat a health condition, including menopause symptoms.
Red Clover
Red clover is a perennial herb that grows wild in Asia, Europe and North America. The clover is a source of calcium, chromium, magnesium, phosphorus, thiamine and vitamin C, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Traditionally, herbalists and holistic practitioners used red clover flowers to purify the blood by releasing excess fluids from the body. Red clover also purportedly helps clear mucus from the lungs and improves circulation. Many women now use the herb to treat the symptoms of menopause.
Menopause
Physicians define menopause as the cessation of menstruation for at least 12 months. Menopause is a naturally occurring biological process, not an illness. However, the symptoms of menopause may start well before the 12-month mark, and can be greatly disruptive to a woman's life. MayoClinic.com explains that symptoms of menopause can cause irregular periods, vaginal dryness, hot flashes, sleep disturbances, mood swings, thinning hair, loss of breast fullness, increased abdominal fat and decreased fertility.
Red Clover and Menopause
The University of Maryland Medical Center explains that modern scientific studies have found that red clover contains isoflavones. These are plant based chemicals that mimic estrogen in your body. Researchers believe isoflavones have the potential to treat the symptoms associated with menopause. As of 2010, studies are inconclusive, with some studies showing a significant reduction in hot flashes and other studies showing no effect.
Warnings
The National Institutes of Health labels red clover as likely to be safe in the amounts used in food, and possibly safe when used medicinally. Red clover may interfere with blood clotting, increasing the risk of bleeding. If you take birth control pills or estrogen, taking red clover may decrease their effectiveness because of its estrogen-like properties. Red clover may also interfere with hormone-related conditions such as uterine cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer and endometriosis. The herb may also affect medications such as amitriptyline, haloperidol, verapamil, diclofenac and warfarin.
Considerations
Always consult your physician before using red clover or any other herbal supplement. The FDA does not test herbal supplements for safety, efficacy or purity, and some herbs may contain trace elements of toxic metals. Always consult a certified herbalist or holistic practitioner about herbal supplements, or research the commercially sold products with the best reputations and product testing.
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