Red clover extract is a herbal medicine derived from the red clover plant, used to treat various conditions including osteoporosis, menopausal symptoms, and heart disease. It contains isoflavones and nutrients, but its effectiveness is debated. Red clover flowers can be used in teas, tinctures, and ointments, but extract provides a more potent dose. It may have potential in treating osteoporosis, menopausal symptoms, PMS, and skin disorders, but should not be taken by those with breast cancer or on anticoagulant medication. Extended use is not recommended for certain groups, and side effects may include headaches, rashes, or nausea.
Red clover extract is a substance derived from the red clover plant and is used as herbal medicine. This clover is native to Europe, northwestern Africa, and western Asia, but has been introduced to many other regions of the world. Because it contains isoflavones and many nutrients, red clover extract is often used to treat conditions such as rashes, acne, cancer, osteoporosis, menopausal symptoms, and heart disease. The degree of effectiveness of the herbal extract is debated in the scientific community.
Red clover, also called trifolium pratense, cowgrass, beebread, and meadow clover, is a fast-growing type of grass in the clover family. Red clover has three leaves and thin, fuzzy stems that culminate in four to six branches, depending on the type. Red clover’s medium stems are shorter and have fewer branches, while giant red clovers grow taller, have longer stems and larger flower heads. The flower heads are round and appear reddish-pink towards the outer side of their oblong petals, becoming whiter towards the inside of the head.
Although often planted as a cover crop or as cow fodder, red clover flowers can also be dried and used as an herbal remedy in teas, tinctures, powdered or liquid extracts, and topical ointments. Instead of eating a whole flower head, people often take red clover extract, which provides a more potent dose of the active ingredients. Red clover extract isolates isoflavones and sometimes some of the herb’s beneficial nutrients, including calcium, potassium, magnesium, vitamin C, chromium, niacin, phosphorus, and thiamine. Isoflavones are natural chemicals that mimic estrogen, a hormone responsible for many female physical characteristics and processes.
The isoflavones in red clover extract are responsible for its potential effectiveness in treating osteoporosis, or bone loss; menopausal hot flashes; and other symptoms resulting from insufficient estrogen levels. Women also use red clover extract to help with premenstrual syndrome (PMS), which features symptoms like depression, cramps, and mood swings. The herb is traditionally used in the treatment of wounds and skin disorders such as acne and psoriasis, a condition marked by redness and irritation of the skin. Red clover may promote heart health by making the arteries more flexible and thinning the blood to aid blood flow. However, due to this property, it is often not recommended to combine red clover extract with anticoagulant medications.
Historically, the isoflavones in the herb have also been used to treat cancer, but several studies have been conducted to support and refute red clover’s ability to remedy this disease. In fact, some cancers, such as breast cancer, are exacerbated by estrogen. Patients currently battling such cancer or those with a history of breast cancer should not take red clover extract. Cancer is a serious disease that requires comprehensive medical care and patients should consult a doctor when seeking treatment.
Extended use of red clover extract is also not recommended for children, women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, women on birth control, women who are breastfeeding, or patients taking tamoxifen, a drug used to treat breast cancer. Side effects may include headaches, rashes, or nausea. Although no serious side effects have been found in humans, animals that have consumed large amounts of red clover have experienced infertility problems.
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