Red Clover

Trifolium pratense

Red Clover

Native to; the northern Atlantic and central Europe; the Mediterranean region; Balkans, Asia Minor, Iran, India, Himalayas; Russia from Arctic south to east Siberia; Caucasus, and the Far East. It spread to England ca 1650 and was carried to America by British colonists (Taylor and Smith, 1981). Widely introduced and cultivated. It is grown primarily for its value as a nutritionally dense food for grazing livestock. In Russian and Chinese traditional use the floral tea is used to support bronchial-respiratory health. It has also been used as a wash, and internally both as a tea and an extract. Because of it’s nutritional complexity it has been recommended for convalescence, brewed as a tea from the freshly dried flowers. If you are selecting dried flowers to make tea, it is best to avoid the material if it is brown. This indicates that the material has oxidized probably due to improper drying, and storage.

What is Red Clover Used For?

Red Clover is primarily nutritive, but also used to support proper lymphatic function (alterative), immune support, healthy skin, and proper endocrine function. It does contain genistein, daidzein, and biochannin-A among other isoflavones and concentrated standardized remedies made from this plant deliver these chemicals in an isolated state. Since the plant is so nutritionally complex, it is probably best to use it in its unadulterated form as an extract or tea. Supplements high in these types of flavonoids are generally useful as a tonic for menstrual irregularity and menopause.