History

• Red clover was cultivated mainly as food for grazing animals, but it has been used as a medicine since ancient times. Traditional Chinese healers used it to treat respiratory conditions, and 19th-century herbalists used it as to treat cancer, eczema and venereal disease.
  
  

Function

• Red clover contains calcium, chromium, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, thiamine and vitamin C. Modern research has found the herb to be a rich source of chemicals known as isoflavones, which act like estrogens. These have been the subject of research into treating menopausal symptoms, cardiovascular conditions and bone loss due to osteoporosis. Scientists are also looking at isoflavones as a treatment for some cancers.
  
  

Uses

• Red clover supplements have been shown in studies to increase the healthful HDL cholesterol in women, so researchers are looking at the herb for the possible prevention of the cardiovascular disease that often accompanies menopause. In addition, some studies have shown that an extract of red clover may slow the bone loss associated with osteoporosis.
  
  Traditionally, red clover has been used as a children's cough remedy. Ointments made with red clover have long been used by traditional herbalists for treating psoriasis, eczema and rashes.
  
  

Treatments

• Red clover can be taken as a tea, a tincture and in tablets and capsules. It can also be applied topically. As a tea, 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried flowers are steeped in a cup of boiling water for a half-hour; 2 or 3 cups can be taken daily. The powdered herb comes in capsules of 500 mg; 2 to 6 capsules per day is the standard dosage. Red clover tincture can be added to hot water as a tea; 60 to 100 drops three times a day is recommended.
  
  

Warnings

• No serious side effects are known to result from the ingestion of red clover, but consult your doctor before taking any red clover product. It should be not be taken by women with a history of breast cancer and should not be taken by pregnant or breastfeeding women. People taking blood-thinning medications should also avoid the herb.