Red clover is a plant with a high amount of isoflavones and serves to regulate the hormonal system in humans. Its scientific name is Trifolium pratense L, and it belongs to the legume family.
Its benefits and properties are related to therapies against symptoms of menopause, fertility, and hormone deregulation, needing to be taken daily for its effects to be noticeable as it happens with the isoflavones and other flavonoids of the plants.
Contents
What is red clover used for
Due to its high content of isoflavones, natural chemical compounds of the flavonoid class, red clover is used to eliminate discomfort caused by menopause, as well as to act as an antioxidant.
There are many uses for red clover or Trifolium pratense, highlighting among them the benefits for menopause and premenstrual syndrome.
However, its composition acts on more parts of the organism when metabolized, so, next, we are going to explain its properties and benefits.
Fertility
The Trifolium pratense plant or red clover is considered one of the best natural sources of phytoestrogens, which can help with hormonal imbalances, influencing female fertility.
The isoflavones in red clover mimic human estrogens, going unnoticed and acting similarly. Thus, women with fertility problems may have a greater chance of getting pregnant.
It also plays an important role in fat metabolism since isoflavones, like most flavonoids, influence and block the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, being able to prevent other arterial and coronary problems.
Menopause
Plant phytoestrogens are one of the best alternatives to correct undesirable effects when reaching female climacteric. Red clover for menopause acts by reducing hot flashes, heat sensation, flushing, and general discomfort. Its properties and benefits are similar to those of soy isoflavones and some foods rich in genistein, daidzein, and glycitein.
The amount taken each day, the daily dose should be indicated for each person.
Taking the appropriate amount will favor in many cases the levels of estrogen and progesterone, all due to the estrogenic effects of the isoflavonoids it contains.
Osteoporosis
This way it can be effective in preventing bone density loss. Fermented red clover extract is a way to combat menopausal osteoporosis, the same that appears with the reduction of estrogen levels in the body.
Increasing bust size
Its main uses are as a medicinal plant that helps regulate estrogen. The presence of these can be related to a difference in breast size. However, this is a temporary effect that, rather than benefiting, can harm. Never use plants or herbs for this. Red clover for increasing bust size does not work as you expect.
Properties and benefits
- Regulates the production of female estrogens.
- Calms premenstrual pain.
- Stimulates the lymphatic system.
Red clover is one of the best alternatives to the benefits of soy isoflavones. It can be used, always under control, when an allergy to the Glycine max plant appears, in which case, if necessary, the intake of an alternative supplement rich in isoflavones could be indicated.
How to take it (dosage)
- From 40 to 80 mg of isoflavones per day, or the corresponding amount of Trifolium pratense L until reaching the recommended isoflavone dose.
Depending on the product or supplement you take, the daily amount ingested may change. Some brands produce a more concentrated product than others, which could lead to taking about 720 mg of red clover every 24 hours.
Take these amounts as a reference and never as a guide. Doses and quantities should be indicated on the package or accompanying leaflet so that you can calculate the total isoflavones contained in the red clover you are going to buy.
Infusion or tea
One of the alternatives to soy and its isoflavones is to prepare a red clover infusion. To do this, follow these steps:
- Add 1 teaspoon of Trifolium pratense to a cup of boiling water. Let it steep and drink it when it’s warm.
Contraindications
- Treatment with progesterone and other hormones for fertility.
- Allergy to leguminous plants (Leguminosae).
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding.
- Cancer, family history of cancer, and use of oncological drugs.
- Use of anticoagulant plants.
- Colds and expectorant cough: it has antitussive effects that could suppress coughing.
It is not recommended to take red clover before and after surgeries as it can thin the blood, increasing the risk of bleeding. The stipulated time in this case is two weeks before and after the surgery. Exactly the same applies to the consumption of anticoagulant plants to avoid their potentiation.
References
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- Per Bendix Jepessen et al. Combined bioavailable isoflavones and probiotics improve bone status and estrogen metabolism in postmenopausal osteopenic women: a randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
- “Trifolium pratense”. Tropicos.org. Missouri Botanical Garden.
- Valdés, B. & F. González Bernáldez. Trifolium baeticum Boiss. and Trifolium pallidum Waldst & Kit. 1972.
- Angulo Carpio, M. D., M. C. de Figueras & A. M. Sánchez de Rivera. Cariohistological studies on the genus Trifolium. 1981.
- Nancy L. Booth, Cassia R. Overk, Ping Yao, Steve Totura, Yunfan Deng, A. S. Hedayat, Judy L. Bolton, Guido F. Pauli, Norman R. Farnsworth. Seasonal Variation of Red Clover (Trifolium pratense L., Fabaceae) Isoflavones and Estrogenic Activity.
- A. de Lucas, S. Panter, A. Mouradov, S. Rochfort, K. F. Smith, G. Spangenberg. Assessment of nutritional characteristics of virus-resistant transgenic white clover (Trifolium repens L.) grown under field and glasshouse conditions. Molecular Breeding 2015, 35 DOI: 10.1007/s11032-015-0341-2.
- T A Delorme, , J V Gagliardi, , J S Angle, and , R L Chaney. Influence of the zinc hyperaccumulator Thlaspi caerulescens J. & C. Presl. and the nonmetal accumulator Trifolium pratense L. on soil microbial populations.
- P. Phelan, A. P. Moloney, E. J. McGeough, J. Humphreys, J. Bertilsson, E. G. O’Riordan, P. O’Kiely. Forage Legumes for Grazing and Conserving in Ruminant Production Systems. Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences 2015.
- Kainat Khan, Subhashis Pal, Manisha Yadav, Rakesh Maurya, Arun Kumar Trivedi, Sabyasachi Sanyal, Naibedya Chattopadhyay. Prunetin signals via G-protein-coupled receptor, GPR30(GPER1): Stimulation of adenylyl cyclase and cAMP-mediated activation of MAPK signaling induces Runx2 expression in osteoblasts to promote bone regeneration. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry 2015.
