Editor's note: Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician before using red clover. National Institutes of Health cautions against theuse of red clover by children and pregnant or breastfeeding women.
Red clover (Trifolium pratense) is found in mountain grazing areas about6,000 feet and higher. It has pink/red blossoms that are up to an inch across. A perennial, it grows to a height of up to 32 inches. The leaves are three parted, with many branches. Red clover is native to Europeand is now widely distributed throughout North America. It is most commonly known as a ground cover crop.
In early accounts of European herb lore, the flowers and seeds were boiled together and applied topically to boilsand growths. The juice from the leaves was also used in the 1600s “to clear the eyes of any film beginning to grow over them, or to soothe when bloodshot and hot.”
Red clover was introduced to the Americas from Europe and became widely used by native peoples. The leaves and flowers were used as an infusion (tea) for whooping cough, a general cancer remedy, and more specifically stomach cancer, menopause, and “blood medicine” meaning blood purifying. It has a history of use as an ointment for venomous bites. It also became a food crop; tribes in California and Arizona cooked clover. By the 18th and 19th centuriesit was predominantly used as feed for cattle sheep and horses. I have heard of it being incorporated into bread.I’ve never tasted it, but sounds intriguing.
In the 1800s, American doctors began taking red clover seriously, possessing “valuable detergent properties in diseases of the blood.”The pharmaceutical companyParke-Davis cited it for treatment of pellagra (niacin deficiency), scrofula (tuberculosis of the parotid glands), syphilis, whooping cough, and as an external wash for ulcers. Red clover blossoms are included in the 20-21st editions of the United States Dispensary and the 1916 National Formulary.
Modern use is not much different than historical. It is not likely anyone uses it anymore for pellagra, syphilis or tuberculosis, however. It is still considered useful for eczema in combination with other herbs as well as for coughs. The British Herbal Compendium (1992) and the British Herbal Pharmacopeia cite red clover as a "dermatological agent and mildly antispasmodic and expectorant" for coughs. In 2003 the United States Pharmacopeia and National Formulary came back on board with monographs of red clover. It has some constituents that may cause it to be helpful for easing menopausal symptoms. Red clover seems to have an affinity for chronic bronchial and throat conditions. It is a gentle remedy for spasmodic coughs, easing expectoration.
The tea is good tasting and mineral rich. Because mineral rich herbs tend to be alkalinizing, it can help the body detox from accumulated metabolic wastes, which are mostly acidic. Stressors that put a high physical demand on the body such as infection, chronic disease or physically demanding work can be helped with red clover tea because of its buffering effect.
To make a tea of the dry blossoms, use a teaspoon of dried blossoms per cup of tea. Simmer the blossoms in a cup or two of water for a few minutes. Let it steep another few minutes and strain. Drink 2 to3 cups a day. It is a pleasant tea to help your body rid itself of wastes when sick.
Deborah Brandt is an RN and clinical herbalist at From the Ground Up, 339 N. Alameda Blvd., in Las Cruces. She may be reached at 575-523-2652.
