What Is Red Clover?
Red clover (Trifolium pratense), also known as cow clover, meadow clover, or wild clover, is a legume native to Europe, Western Asia, and northwest Africa. This plant contains isoflavones, which are a type of phytoestrogen—chemicals similar to the hormone estrogen. While this may be particularly beneficial for women, red clover also offers significant advantages for men.
Red Clover Benefits & Uses
Traditionally, red clover has been used to treat various ailments such as asthma, whooping cough, skin sores, indigestion, gout, and even severe illnesses. The flowers and leaves of red clover are edible and can be added to salads or brewed into tea. Ground red clover flowers can be added to bath water to soothe itchy skin or applied topically in a salve. Many people also take red clover in capsule or liquid extract form. Here are some of the most well-documented benefits:
Reduces Symptoms of Menopause
Research suggests that red clover can help women experiencing menopause, which brings physical changes like interrupted sleep, dry skin, vaginal dryness, weight fluctuations, and hot flashes. Similar to vitamin E and sage, red clover may alleviate hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms. Additionally, it may boost mood and libido in women.
Improves Bone Strength
As people age, they often experience a loss of bone density, which is particularly common in post-menopausal women due to hormonal changes. While hormone replacement therapy (HRT) aims to prevent bone loss and osteoporosis, it has been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer and heart disease. In contrast, red clover promotes normal bone mineral content and strength without these adverse health effects.
Promotes Skin Health
Your skin, being the largest organ, is exposed to damaging environmental elements like sun exposure, heating, and air conditioning. Red clover, taken orally or applied topically, can soothe and ease various skin conditions, promoting a healthy complexion. It may improve skin texture and moisture levels and boost scalp health when taken orally.
Encourages Normal Cholesterol Levels
High cholesterol can lead to fatty deposits in your artery walls, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. Red clover helps maintain balanced cholesterol levels, which is beneficial for heart health. A significant study found that red clover promoted normal levels of “bad cholesterol” (LDL) in men, while women’s cholesterol levels did not respond similarly. This suggests that red clover is particularly effective in promoting normal cholesterol levels in men.
Helps Heart Health
Besides normalizing cholesterol levels, red clover supports heart health by promoting normal blood pressure levels. High blood pressure, if left unchecked, can lead to blood clots and stroke. Red clover supplementation may help regulate blood pressure. Additionally, red clover has protective properties that guard against serious cardiovascular diseases by thinning the blood, which can prevent clotting and reduce the risk of stroke.
Promotes a Happy Mood
If you struggle with anxiety and depression, red clover might help. More than 75 percent of women who took red clover extract reported improvements in mood. Studies on herbal remedies for mental wellness, including red clover, kava, and fennel, have shown promising results. Red clover flowers are natural mood enhancers that promote calm and ease.
Supports Prostate Health
Red clover offers significant benefits for men’s health as well. Prostate-specific antigens (PSA) are proteins produced by the prostate gland, and an increase in their number can indicate various prostate issues, including enlargement or inflammation. Taking red clover extract helps maintain normal PSA levels in men, improving prostate function without adverse side effects. Our Prostrex formula now includes organic red clover along with turmeric and saw palmetto for optimal prostate support.
May Help Male Pattern Baldness
Many men experience “pattern baldness,” a genetic condition that typically affects the front and top of the head. In a small but promising study, men applied a cream containing red clover and a “biomimetic peptide” for four months. The red clover-peptide cream increased hair growth more than the placebo cream. Scientists concluded that it stimulated protein creation in the “extracellular matrix” where hair grows and reduced redness and swelling within hair follicles.
How to Make Red Clover Tea
Herbal tea is an easy way to enjoy red clover. You can purchase ready-to-brew red clover tea bags or make your own, which is a simple process.
Ingredients
Red clover flowers, dried
Hot water
Raw local honey
Directions
Add one tablespoon of red clover flowers to a make-your-own teabag or metal mesh tea infuser. Pour boiling water into a teacup with the red clover teabag (or mesh ball) and steep for 15 minutes. Sweeten with honey, if desired. You can also add red clover flowers directly to boiling water and strain before drinking. Enjoy red clover tea up to two or three times per day.
Precautions & Side Effects
Natural remedies can seem harmless, but they can interact with medications, supplements, and certain health conditions. For example, red clover tea can soothe menstrual cramps as it acts as a uterine stimulant, but pregnant women should avoid it due to the risk of miscarriage. Similarly, breastfeeding women should not use red clover. As a phytoestrogen, red clover mimics hormones and should not be taken by anyone with hormone-sensitive conditions such as breast cancer, uterine or ovarian cancer, endometriosis, or uterine fibroids without consulting a healthcare provider.
Points to Remember
Red clover offers many therapeutic qualities and can ease the symptoms of various conditions. From mental wellness to heart health, red clover has numerous applications. In women, it soothes menopause symptoms by improving bone density and reducing hot flashes. In both men and women, it promotes normal blood pressure and a positive mood. For men, red clover positively affects blood cholesterol, male pattern baldness, and prostate health.
