Featured Herb: Red Clover

Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) is an herb gaining new prominence that has very solid roots in traditional herbalism. The part used are the blossoms that grow in profusion on the plant. The blossoms can generally be gathered from early to mid-summer and grow wild or have been planted in hayfields through much of the U.S., and as a legume, fix a good deal of nitrogen in the soil. The fresher the blossoms are, the better their effects. A fresh tincture is a very good way to preserve them. If they are to be dried for use, the blossoms with no or very little brown parts are picked and carefully shade-dried. The dried blossoms should retain their reddish-purple color, and not be browned-out. The tea and tincture are the preferred methods of use.
Red Clover is a deep-acting yet mild remedy, suitable for children and the elderly. It should be thought of as well for its moistening and anti-inflammatory properties. As a traditional "blood-purifier", it is used for chronic degenerative conditions such as rheumatism and arthritis,. and to remove long-standing toxins, such as heavy metals from the system. Acute blood toxicosis with boils, ulcers. It is used in chronic skin conditions such as eczema and allegic dermatitis with dryness and heat.
It's high mineral content makes it valuable in nutritional deficiencies, particularly for children with poor diets and allergies. Childhood eczema. Its moistening properties are used to advantage with lung heat and dryness: harsh dry cough, spasmodic cough, children's whooping cough. A syrup can also be useful for these properties. Intestinal dryness and constipation are also addressed. Bladder pain and acute irritation.
Red Clover has a long-standing reputation as a folk remedy for cancer. It has also langored long in medical texts as an unproven cancer remedy. Recently such compounds such as genistein, a powerful anti-oxidant and anti-tumor compound, have been found in Red Clover. Combined with it's blood-purifying properties and high nutritional profile would suggest that it would indeed have a place as an adjunct in cancer. It was one of the herbs in the Hoxsey anti-cancer formula. As a preventative and anti-cancer remedy it should be used freely; the tincture taken or the tea drank freely. A folk salve for skin cancers was made by boiling down the blossoms to a tar-like consistency: a powerful but caustic preparation. Its traditional uses include use for skin, breast and ovarian cancers; though it may be thought of as an adjunct in all forms.
Most recently the estrogenic compounds in Red Clover have recieved publicity; particularly used to relieve hot flashes. It contains no hormones, only pre-cursors. It may be thought of in a variety of estrogen deficiency syndromes including painful menstruation, PMS and menopausal conditions with low estrogen. Note that its traditional use points to use in some cancers that are estrogen-dependent; another of the mildly estrogenic herbs that traditional herbalists maintain can find a use in such cases by binding to estrogen receptor sites, thus preventing the more harmful estrogen compounds from binding.
Red Clover is an herb that can be easily gathered for use by the lay herbalist; and one of the herbs that points up the vast potential to be found in the simplest herbs.