Red Clover

There is a recent study that shows how a red clover extract can reduce the frequency of hot flushes. And while this is not news (red clover has been used to treat symptoms of the menopause for many years in traditional Chinese medicine), it's a welcome confirmation of previous studies, particularly with all the bad publicity about prescription hormone replacement therapy.
Red clover contains large amounts of a group of compounds called isoflavones, a type of phytooestrogen found in various plants.
Phytooestrogens have mild oestrogenic properties that block oestrogen receptors. This is believed to be the key to red clover's ability to modify symptoms of the menopause. (Isoflavones have also been shown to play a part in lowering the risk of heart disease, and may help prevent osteoporosis as well.)
With this new study, a team of researchers in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, wanted to determine if the frequency of hot flushes could be reduced, using a standardised extract of red clover. A group of 30 menopausal women, 49 to 65 years old, were divided into two groups. One group received a placebo for three months, while the other group received 80mg per day of the red clover extract.
The subjects agreed to eliminate any items from their diets that contained isoflavones (such as soya products, grains and cabbage). And every four weeks the women were interviewed for details about their menopause symptoms.
When the results were analysed, the researchers found that the women in the placebo group experienced no change in the frequency of their hot flushes. The women who received red clover, however, enjoyed a 44% reduction in their hot flush frequency. Furthermore, once the maximum decrease was fully established (after about 8 weeks of use), the reduction of frequency was maintained for the remaining 4 weeks of the study.
The daily 80mg dosage of red clover extract was well tolerated by the subjects in this study, but it should be noted that earlier studies have shown that red clover may thin the blood, so it should not be used by patients who are also taking an anticoagulant medication.
In addition to menopause symptoms, red clover has traditionally been used to remove toxins from the body and to treat a variety of health problems, including chest congestion, chronic degenerative diseases, gout, psoriasis and eczema.