Maybe you've seen the herb with the beautiful purple flower crown adorning the Danish summer landscape? That's the red clover. But it's much more than a beautiful herb. It has several health benefits. For example, it helps combat discomfort related to menopause.
What is red clover?
Red clover is an herb that belongs to the pea family. Today, red clover is often used as an herbal supplement and in extract form, but traditionally it was used in tea and the alcohol-containing solution tincture. First, the herb acts as a natural diuretic, which means that urine production increases and the body's growth levels are balanced.
Researchers also believe that red clover strengthens the body's immune system by helping the body eliminate excess waste products and other toxins.
The herb's content
The benefits of red clover are due to its active chemical components, in particular the isoflavones. Isoflavones are plant-based substances that produce phytoestrogen. The primary isoflavones that red clover contains are genistein, biochanin, daidzein and formononetin. Thus, red clover helps to provide a phytoestrogen supplement that is similar to the estrogen the body produces itself.
Furthermore, red clover also contains a number of vitamins and minerals, such as calcium, chromium, magnesium and vitamin C.
Reduce discomfort related to menopause
One of the very special properties of red clover is that it can relieve menopause symptoms. In the fermented form of red clover, plant estrogens (isoflavones) can reduce symptoms such as hot flashes, sweating, weight gain, bone loss, etc. To benefit from the aforementioned relief, you can take red clover in extract form, as a fairy and as a dietary supplement. So there is ample opportunity to choose how you want to take the herb.
However, it should be noted that the phytoestrogens obtained through red clover are not as strong as those that the body can produce itself. Therefore, younger women who can produce enough estrogen themselves will not feel the big impact. However, when the woman has lost large parts of her body's own estrogen by the age of 50, phytoestrogens, which can be obtained through red clover, become the primary source of estrogen.
Scientifically proven to reduce hot flashes
Aarhus University conducted a study in 2017 to find out whether red clover helps with menopausal symptoms. 60 women who had five hot flashes a day during menopause. The women were divided so that half of the group drank red clover extract and the other group received a placebo product for 12 weeks. After the 12 weeks, the researchers found that there was a significant difference between the two groups. The group that had drunk 120 ml of red clover extract had fewer and milder hot flashes.
So it is clear that red clover has a special effect on the female body during menopause. However, one should be aware that red clover is just an herb and not a medical drug. Therefore, the results vary from person to person. According to several doctors, it can take anywhere from three to twelve months before you see the results of daily intake of the herb.
