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Red Clover, Trifolium pratense

Proposed Uses: Menopausal Symptoms;  Acne; Cyclic Mastalgia; Eczema; Enhancing Mental Function; High Blood Pressure; High Cholesterol; Osteoporosis; Psoriasis

Red clover has been cultivated since ancient times, primarily to provide a favorite grazing food for animals. But, like many other herbs, red clover was also a valued medicine. Although it has been used for many purposes worldwide, the one condition most consistently associated with red clover is cancer. Chinese physicians and Russian folk healers also used it to treat respiratory problems.
In the nineteenth century, red clover became popular among herbalists as an "alterative" or "blood purifier." This medical term, long since defunct, refers to an ancient belief that toxins in the blood are the root cause of many illnesses. Cancer, eczema, and the eruptions of venereal disease were all seen as manifestations of toxic buildup.

Red clover was considered one of the best herbs to "purify" the blood. For this reason, it is included in many of the famous treatments for cancer, including Jason Winter's cancer-cure tea.

Recently, special red clover extracts high in substances called isoflavones have arrived on the market. These isoflavones produce effects in the body somewhat similar to those of estrogen, and for this reason they are called phytoestrogens (“phyto” indicates a plant source). The major isoflavones in red clover include genistein and daidzen, also found in soy, as well as formononetin and biochanin.

Evidence is inconsistent on whether red clover isoflavones are helpful for menopausal hot flashes with the largest trial failing to find benefits.

A small and poorly reported study provides weak evidence that red clover isoflavones might be helpful for cyclic mastalgia.

Although soy and, possibly, soy isoflavones  have been found to reduce cholesterol levels, two trials enrolling a total of over 100 women failed to find red clover isoflavones helpful for this purpose. 3,9 However, in a double-blind, placebo-controlled comparative study of 80 people (both men and women), a red clover extract modified to be rich in biochanin did reduce LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, while one enriched in formononetin did not.

Dosage
A typical dosage of red clover extract provides 40 to 160 mg of isoflavones daily. In the positive study described above, 80 mg daily were sufficient to reduce menopausal hot flashes.

Safety Issues
Red clover is on the FDA's GRAS (generally recognized as safe) list, and is included in many beverage teas. However, detailed safety studies have not been performed.

Because of its blood-thinning and estrogen-like constituents, red clover should not be used by pregnant or nursing women, or women who have had breast or uterine cancer. Safety in young children or those with severe liver or kidney disease has also not been established.

Based on their constituents, red clover extracts may conceivably interfere with hormone treatments and anticoagulant drugs.

One double-blind study of post-menopausal women found the use of red clover isoflavones at a dose of 80 mg daily for ninety days resulted in increased levels of testosterone. 16The potential significance of this is unclear. The same study found that red clover isoflavones reduced the thickness of the uterine lining, a finding that suggests low possibility for endometrial cancer.

For other potential risks due to the isoflavones in red clover (especially in concentrated isoflavone-rich extracts of red clover), see the full article on isoflavones.

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