Health Benefits of Red Clover

Health Benefits of Red Clover

Red clover (trifolium pratense) is a wild plant belonging to the legume (fabaceae) family native to Europe, Asia and North Africa but has been naturalized to grow in North America. The deep pink-red flowers at the end of the branched stems are usually dried for therapeutic use.

Traditionally, red clover has been used medicinally to treat several conditions including menopause symptoms, arthritis, cancer, whooping cough, respiratory problems and skin inflammation such as eczema and psoriasis.

Red clover contains essential vitamins and minerals including calcium, chromium, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, thiamine, and vitamin C.

Red clover is rich in isoflavones which are chemicals that act like estrogen and are found in many plants which may help reduce menopause symptoms including hot flashes and night sweats. Studies show that red clover has shown improvement in other menopausal symptoms such as vaginal dryness, depression and anxiety.

Red clover may help prevent osteoporosis. A 2015 study of 60 pre-menopausal women who consumed 5 ounces of red clover extract containing 37mg of isoflavones daily for 12 weeks showed that there was less bone mineral density (BMD) loss in the lumbar and spine. More research is needed.

Red clover may also improve skin and hair health. A study of postmenopausal women who consumed 80mg of red clover extract for 90 days had improvements in hair and skin texture and appearance. Another study of men who applied 5% red clover extract to the scalp for 4 months showed that they had a 13% increase in the hair growth cycle and a 29% decrease in the hair loss cycle.

Red clover may also promote heart health in post-menopausal women. Studies have shown that post-menopausal women who consumed red clover had their bad (LDL) cholesterol levels decrease and had their good (HDL) cholesterol levels increase.

Red clover may also promote weight loss and boost your immunity.

Red clover may have some side effects including muscle aches, vaginal bleeding and nausea.

Red clover may interact with certain medications.

As always, consult with your physician.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trifolium_pratense

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23449130/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3206499/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4523657/

https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/red-clover

https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/herb/red-clover

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/red-clover