Botanical Names
- Family Leguminosae/Fabaceae
- Trifolium pratense
- Trifolium repens
Common Names
- Red Clover, Purple Clover, Trefoil, Wild Clover, Trébol Morado (Spanish)
Cautions
Red Clover should not be taken with Coumadin or other blood-thinning medication.
When gathering the herb in the wild, it is advisable to check the blossoms carefully to make sure they are not moldy, diseased, or sprayed.
Description
Native to Europe, central Asia, and northern Africa, red clover was long ago naturalized in North America and Australia. The plant is a perennial herb, growing to sixteen inches, producing hairy upright stems and leaves with three or four leaflets with a white crescent marking. The flower heads consist of a mass of egg-shaped pink to purple flowers, and collected when newly opened in summer. It is widely cultivated for hay and as a nitrogen-fixing crop. It can readily be found growing wild in grasslands, roadsides, ditches, and hedge banks and will quickly follow into freshly cultivated territory. It thrives in both dry soil or moist and flowers from May to September.
Key Actions
- alternative
- antispasmodic
- anti-inflammatory
- diuretic
- possible estrogenic activity
Key Components
- phenolic glycosides (including salicylic acid)
- flavonoids
- salicylates
- coumarins
- cyanogenic glycosides
- mineral acids
- volatile oil (including methyl salicylate and benzyl alcohol)
- sitosterols
- starch
- fatty acids
Medicinal Parts
Flower heads
Red clover contains coumarins, substances that reduce blood clotting.
The volatile oils in Red Clover are thought to have mild anti-inflammatory properties useful in treating eczema and other skin inflammations.
It also contains compounds that help calm coughs and reduce airway congestion.
Its isoflavone compounds have estrogenic effects. Researchers have isolated four different isoflavones: genistein, daidzein, biochanin, and formononetin. Some contend that red clover is more effective than soy because it contains two extra isoflavones that soy does not have.
Contemporary Chinese researchers have proven that the herb kills certain viral and fungal infections, has an estrogenlike function, and is an antispasmodic and expectorant.
Remedies
Freshly crushed flowers are applied to insect bites and stings.
Tinctures are taken internally for eczema and psoriasis.
Compresses are used for arthritic pains and gout.
Ointments are used on lymphatic swellings and made by covering fresh flowers with water and simmering in a slow cooker for forty-eight hours. This is strained, and the residue evaporated to semi-dryness then combined with an equal amount of ointment base.
An eyewash from diluted tinctures or a well-strained infusion is used to treat conjunctivitis.
A syrup made from the infusion is used for stubborn, dry coughs.
Traditional Uses
It is used mainly to treat skin conditions, and normally in combination with such purifying herbs as burdock and yellow dock.
An expectorant, it may be used for spasmodic coughs.
Its estrogenic effects may be of value in treating menopausal complaints. Like soybeans and other legumes, red clover is rich in isoflavone compounds which have effects similar to estrogen.
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