Red Clover: Materia Medica
Société Apothecary
SUMMARY Red clover is grown as a nitrogen fixer to heal depleted soil and provide animal fodder. It is a source of many valuable nutrients including calcium, chromium, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, thiamine, and vitamin C. Red clover is also considered to be one of the richest sources of isoflavones (water-soluble chemicals that act like estrogens and are found in many plants). Tea or tincture of red clover is helpful for a number of symptoms such as irregular periods, sore joints, anxiety, energy loss and hot flashes. . MATERIA MEDICA Latin Binomial: Trifolium pratence Common Name(s) : Red Clover, trefoil, purple clover TCM Name : N/A Ayurvedic Name : Family: Papilionaceae Physical Description of the Plant: Habitat: Harvest and Collection: Parts of the Plant Used: Flowerheads- Harvest during flowering Qualities: Slightly sweet & cool Chemical Constituents: Phenolic glycosides Flavonoids Coumarins Cyanogenic glycosides Phytoestrogenic isoflavones (genistein, diadzen, formononetin, biochanin) Volatile oil Vitamins Minerals Salicylates Polysaccharide Taste: Mild, salty, sweet Actions: Alterative Anti-inflammatory Anti-spasmodic Antitumour (traditional use) Depurative Expectorant Indications: Skin disorders – eczema, psoriasis, and ulcers Respiratory conditions – spasmodic cough, bronchitis Whooping cough Contraindications/Cautions: None known Drug Interactions: Dosage: 1.5-6.0 ml of 1:2 liquid extract daily TINCTURE: 2-6 ml three times a day Infusion: pour a cup of boiling water onto 1-3 tsp of dried herb and leave to infuse for 10-15mins. Drink 3 times a day Combinations: For skin problems, it combines well with yellow dock and nettles Energetics: Cooling, sweet Folklore: Flower Essence: Red Clover Flower Essence supports your transition into more expanded states of consciousness by transforming lower frequency emotional states rooted in the emotional subtle body, nervous system and body biochemistry Applications: FRESH FLOWERS: Crush flowers and apply to insect bites and skins TINCTURE: Take internally for eczema and psoriasis COMPRESS: Gout and arthritic pins OINTMENT: For lymphatic swellings, cover in fresh flowers with water and simmer in slow cooker for 48 hours. Strain, evaporate the residue to semi-dryness & combine with equal amount of ointment base EYEWASH: 5-10 drops tincture in 20ml water for conjunctivitis DOUCHE: Use the infusion for vaginal itching SYRUP: Take syrup made from infusion for stubborn, dry coughs RECIPES RED CLOVER WINE RECIPE Around Virginia when spring time comes around it’s pretty easy to find red clovers. They have a sweet tasting flower and has a great base for wine with the nectar. The clover heads aren’t going to change the color of the wine to much though. This is a great wine recipe to impress your friends with. Flower wines are always so easy to make but the biggest thing is that you just need to be on top of the season. 1 Gallon Yield Directions : 1 gallon clover head 3 lbs sugar 8 ounces light raisins 1 teaspoon acid blend 1 package wine yeast 1 teaspoon pectic enzyme 1 teaspoon yeast nutrient 1.5 cups orange juice at room temp Directions Remove the stems and the base from the clover heads Place the petals in a stainless steel pot with 1 gallon of water Bring the mixture to a boil Remove the heat and add half the sugar mixture and the raisins Cool down Add yeast with wine yeast, pectic enzyme, yeast nutrient, and orange juice close up the top and add the air lock After 5 days rack After 7 days rack again Then let it sit for 3 months then bottle SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH A biochanin-enriched isoflavone from red clover lowers LDL cholesterol in men. A double-blind randomized study on the effects of red clover isoflavones on the endometrium. Absorption in humans of isoflavones from soy and red clover is similar. Effect of red clover-derived isoflavone supplementation on insulin-like growth factor, lipid and antioxidant status in healthy female volunteers: a pilot study. Effect of Trifolium pratense-derived isoflavones on the lipid profile of postmenopausal women with increased body mass index. Effects of a red clover extract (MF11RCE) on endometrium and sex hormones in postmenopausal women. Effects of dietary supplementation with isoflavones from red clover on ambulatory blood pressure and endothelial function in postmenopausal type 2 diabetes. Effects of supplementation with purified red clover (Trifolium pratense) isoflavones on plasma lipids and insulin resistance in healthy premenopausal women. Effects of Trifolium pratense on the climacteric and sexual symptoms in postmenopause women. Improvement of postmenopausal depressive and anxiety symptoms after treatment with isoflavones derived from red clover extracts. Induction of apoptosis in low to moderate-grade human prostate