Red clover (Trifolium pratense) is this week’s herb of the week!
Infused With Nutrients
This red clover is growing right outside the Field’s Corner T station in Dorchester – plants will grow anywhere there’s a bit of dirt. They teach us lessons about persistence.
Red clover is a favorite herb for many herbalists, and is often one of the first herbs people learn – it’s such a gentle helper! First of all, it’s a nutritional powerhouse: packed with vitamins and minerals (especially minerals – which are harder and harder to come by these days!), red clover is much more cost effective and bioavailable than a multivitamin. Make sure that you steep it overnight, because it takes a while for minerals to release into the water. I just add about an inch of red clover blossoms to a quart size mason jar (they’re fluffy, so maybe two inches) and fill it with boiling water, right before I go to bed. The next morning, I strain it into my water bottle and drink it all day long. That’s a “nourishing infusion”.
Cleaning Crew
Red clover is an important alterative herb – which means, in this case, that it stimulates the lymphatic system and helps improve the quality of the blood. When we think of life today, there’s just a lot of trash to take out: junk food on a day there wasn’t time to eat well, pathogenic debris from the last time you were sick but couldn’t miss an extra day of work to really let it run its course, the birthday cake at the party last night… and it’s not just the suboptimal stuff that goes into your body, but also the reality that most of us have to work at desks and just don’t get enough movement in our day.
All that adds up to a sluggish lymphatic state – which is why you need red clover! It can keep things flowing much more freely so your system doesn’t gum up. Sort of like “drive your engine clean”, except it’s your body.
Caring For Kidneys
Red clover looooooooves your kidneys – and that’s a big part of how it helps improve the quality of your blood! When your kidneys are happy and doing their job well, your circulating fluids are … ya know, my dad likes to fix cars, so I’m realizing that I have a lot of car analogies here. Red clover’s kidney action is like putting the extra fancy premium high-octane fuel in your tank!
It’s complex, too. Because red clover has such nice high mineral content, it’s able to feed the kidneys, and also save them on work: a big part of the job your kidneys do is check the mineral content of your blood and if it’s low, they carefully recycle minerals to keep you going.
Did you know that your kidneys also play an important role in glucose regulation? If there’s too much glucose (sugar) in the blood, the kidneys pull some out – which is why diabetics have sugar in their urine. Your kidneys are the soil that your adrenal glands live in: healthy, happy kidneys mean better functioning adrenals, which means a human better able to manage stress. There’s so much more that the kidneys do for you, so why not do a little something for them?
Learn everything you need to know about supporting your kidneys with Red Clover – and more! Usually when people think Urinary Health, they think about UTIs or BPH – and you’ll definitely learn all about that! But there’s so much more to keeping your kidneys and urinary tract healthy, and it impacts the body in every other aspect of health. Check out our online video course about Urinary Health today!
FAQs
Modern scientific tests have shown that red clover contains isoflavones, plant-based chemicals that produce estrogen-like effects in the body. Isoflavones have shown potential in the treatment of several conditions associated with menopause, such as hot flashes, cardiovascular health, and osteoporosis.
Does red clover affect the kidneys? ›
Its anti-inflammatory properties may help reduce inflammation in the kidneys which can improve overall kidney function. Additionally, red clover tea's high antioxidant content may also help protect the kidneys from oxidative damage caused by free radicals.
How long does it take red clover to work? ›
How long does it take for Red Clover to work? This may depend on what you are taking Red Clover for. Some studies have had effective results in as little as 4 weeks, others went on for 12 weeks.
Who should not take red clover? ›
Red clover might act like estrogen, which could affect hormone balances during pregnancy or breast-feeding. Don't use it. Hormone-sensitive conditions such as breast cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, endometriosis, or uterine fibroids: Red clover might act like estrogen.
Is red clover hard on the liver? ›
Disorders of the Liver
Both photodermatitis and liver disease have been reported. Signs of liver disease may become apparent after 2 weeks of consumption and when the diet consists of at least 20% of clover.
Does red clover cause weight loss? ›
Many proponents of red clover claim it can help with weight loss, cancer, asthma, whooping cough, arthritis, and other conditions. However, limited evidence shows that red clover helps with any of these illnesses. Red clover may help decrease menopausal hot flashes, though more research is needed.
Which is better, black cohosh or red clover? ›
Herbal remedies such as red clover contain plant hormones that can act in a similar way to oestrogen, while black cohosh is believed to balance oestrogen and progestogen levels. These may help with some menopause symptoms but this is not supported by scientific evidence.
Is red clover safe to take long term? ›
Safety considerations: Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and children. Caution use with blood thinners, hormones, and methotrexate. Red clover appears safe for long-term use (up to three years).
Is red clover high in estrogen? ›
Red clover is a rich source of phytoestrogens.
Does red clover cause hair growth? ›
Red clover extract does appear to support hair growth based on a few preliminary studies. We know that red clover extract contains an important class of molecules called isoflavones (Chen et al., 2021).
Red clover is generally considered safe for many individuals, and studies suggest that it can have favorable effects on libido, mood, sleep, and skin and bone health within a few months of use.
Does red clover help with anxiety? ›
Red clover showed varying effects ranging from significant to non-significant on depression and anxiety. Moreover, kava was found to have a significant beneficial effect on depression and anxiety at dose of 200 mg/days.
Does red clover raise blood pressure? ›
Conclusion: Isoflavone supplementation from red clover may favourably influence blood pressure and endothelial function in postmenopausal type 2 diabetic women.
What is the toxicity of red clover? ›
Clover toxicity is caused by ingestion of alsike clover (Trifolium hybridum) or red clover (Trifolium pratense), resulting in signs of photosensitivity and liver failure.
Is red clover an anti-inflammatory? ›
This indicates that the anti-inflammatory effects of anthocyanins of red clover may be mediated by regulating the NF-κB signaling pathway.
What is the role of red clover in the body? ›
Red clover is suitable as a break crop to improve soil structure and fertility and as a supplier of organic matter. It can also be used as a green manure crop. It is particularly valuable for building soil fertility once organic conversion has begun. Red clover is relatively drought tolerant due to its deep tap root.
Does red clover increase testosterone? ›
Consumption of red clover by menopausal women could increase the level of luteinizing hormone, decrease the level of sex-hormone-binding globulin, increase the level of testosterone and also increase the level of blood estradiol; although it has no effect on the thickness of endometrium, it could decrease the severity ...
Does red clover help hair growth? ›
Red Clover as a DHT Blocker
And because DHT prevents nutrients from being absorbed by hair follicles, which causes them to shrink, it may shift how fast hair grows. Because red clover is a rich source of isoflavones, it can act as a natural DHT blocker to help mitigate issues, including hair thinning and hair loss.
