You may have heard about the benefits of using red clover to treat many types of ailments. Herbalists have used it for medicinal purposes for centuries. Red clover is a perennial herb that grows wild throughout Asia, Europe and North America. Certified herbalists and practitioners use the red flowers for skin inflammations, liver cleansing and improving circulation. Consult your physician before using red clover or any herbal supplement.
Red Clover and Menopause
Red clover purportedly helps with a number of ailments. The flowers contain plant isoflavones, which have an estrogenlike effect on the body, and many women use the herb to help reduce the symptoms associated with menopause. Clinical trials conducted show mixed results. Researchers postulate that red clover may help protect against heart disease and may increase HDL, referred to as the "good" cholesterol, levels in postmenopausal women. No clinical trial evidence exists as of 2010, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC). Red clover may slow bone loss in pre- and peri-menopausal women, but researchers are still conducting clinical trials.
Other Uses
Herbalists also use red clover as an ointment to aid in the treatment of eczema, psoriasis and rashes, and as a cough remedy for children.Traditionally, holistic practitioners use red clover for cancer treatments. UMMC explains that there is some evidence that red clover may prevent some forms of cancer, and stop cancer cells from growing; it has killed cancer cells in a petri dish.
Doses
You can take red clover in a variety of mediums including as a tea, as a capsule, as an extract and as a topical ointment. To make a tea, herbalists use 1 to 2 tsp. of dried flowers steeped in hot water for 30 minutes. Herbal capsules contain 40 to 160 mg of powdered red clover or 28 to 85 mg of red clover isoflavones. As a tincture, people use 60 to 100 drops three times per day. Topical treatments come as an infusion, liquid extract or ointment containing 10 to 15 percent flower heads. You should never apply red clover to an open wound without your physician's supervision.
Warnings
The National Institutes of Health explains that the amount of red clover found in food is most likely safe and the amounts used medicinally are likely safe as well. However, red clover may cause muscle aches, nausea, headache, vaginal bleeding and rashes. Red clover may also increase your chance of bleeding and may worsen hormone-sensitive conditions such as uterine cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer and endometriosis. Pregnant and breast-feeding women may be safe using red clover in foods but should avoid using the herb as a supplement because its estrogenlike effects may disturb important hormones necessary to maintain a pregnancy.
Interactions
Women should use caution when taking red clover and estrogen along with birth control pills; the combination may decrease the pills' effectiveness. You should also use caution when using medications that are changed by the liver such as amitriptyline, haloperidol, omeprazole, carisoprodol and nelfinavir. Red clover can increase the side effects experienced with these drugs.
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