Red Clover

Red Clover

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Red Clover flower

Botanical name: Trifolium pratense

Also known as Cow Grass, Pea Vine Clover and Purple Clover.

 

Red clover refers to the dried flowering tops of Trifolium pratense, a major forage plant. Red clover is a perennial or biennial plant with red or purple flowers. The plant is native to northern Europe, but naturalized in North America. The flowering tops are used in botanical medicine.  1, 2

 

Traditionally The fluid extract of Trifolium has been used as an alterative and antispasmodic. Native Americans  employed red clover to relieve whooping cough, treat fevers, purify the blood, relieve symptoms of menopause, and as an anticancer agent. 3  Today the primary interest in red clover concerns its value in relieving uncomfortable symptoms of menopause. 

 

Active constituents

Red clover is rich in isoflavones, notably formononetin, genistein, daidzein and pratensein. Red clover contains a high concentration of formononetin – a phytoestrogen and cancer-preventive agent, isorhamnetin which is antiinflammatory, antispasmodic and cancer-preventive, and antioxidant quercetin glycosides. Much of red clover’s estrogenic activity is attributed to genistein and daidzein. Genistein further demonstrates potent anti cancer activity, and anti-angiogenic activity, cutting off blood supply to tumors. The volatile oil of red clover contains numerous compounds including methyl salicylate and eugenol, which possess analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. 1, 4

Modern research of red clover extract has focused on its value for treating symptoms associated with menopause and improving cardiovascular health in menopausal women.

Reduced estrogen levels during menopause bring about uncomfortable physical symptoms. With age and declining estrogen levels, plant or “phyto” estrogens become increasingly valuable, complementing the body's own estrogen production. In a double-blind study, administration of a red clover extract standardized to 80 mg of isoflavones per day reduced the frequency of hot flashes in postmenopausal women. Another double-blind trial demonstrated that red clover improved cardiovascular function in menopausal women. Numerous compounds in red clover possess significant anti cancer activity. There is some evidence that red clover extract may help to prevent prostate cancer. Further investigation of the anti cancer effects of red clover may lead to adjunct therapeutic use of red clover extract in cancer therapy. In traditional North American herbology, red clover has been a common component of anticancer formulas. 5,6,7,8

 

 

1. Leung, A.Y. and S. Foster. 1996. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs and Cosmetics, 2^nd ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

 

2. Bown, Deni. The Herb Society Of America Encyclopedia of Herbs & Their Uses. (1^st ed., (New York: Dorling Kindersley,1995).

 

3. Moerman, D., Native American Ethnobotany. 1^st ed., (Portland, Oregon Timber Press 1998)

 

4. Dr. Duke’s Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical databases http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/duke/farmacy2.pl February 5, 2006.

 

5. van de Weijer PH, Barentsen R.  Isoflavones from red clover (Promensil) significantly reduce menopausal hot flush symptoms compared with placebo. Maturitas. 2002 Jul 25;42(3):187-93.

 

6. Nestel PJ, Pomeroy S, Kay S, et al. Isoflavones from red clover improve systemic arterial compliance but not plasma lipids in menopausal women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1999;84:895–8.

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7. Yanagihara K, Toge T, Numoto M, et al. Antiproliferative effects of isoflavones on human cancer cell lines established from the gastrointestinal tract. Cancer Res 1993;53:5815–21.

 

8. Stephens FO. Phytoestrogens and prostate cancer. Possible preventive role. Med J Australia 1997;167:138–40.

 

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