Red clover ideal cure

Look out for Trifolium pratense, says herbalist Sean McCarthy, the common but effective Red Clover.

SOMETIMES we spend time looking for exotic remedies or cures while we neglect the simple ones that grow in our gardens or country fields. Like red clover.

It can often be spotted in lawns, country pastures and on roadsides and this pink-headed flower brightens up any pasture, but also has a lot of medicinal value as well as agricultural uses.

Like other members of the pea family, red clover contains an active ingredient called coumarin, which has the ability to thin the blood so anybody on blood-thinning medications should really not use this herb.

Harvest the flowers heads when they are fully open and are in full colour. Make sure that there are no brown parts and once cleaned, they can be added to a salad — red clover has a sweet taste.

If they are being kept for further use then they have to be dried quickly to prevent mould growth.

For centuries red clover has been valued for its ability to ease symptoms of bronchitis and asthma as well as calming skin irritations.

The herb is used to treat hot flushes in menopausal women. Also, menopause increases a woman’s risk for developing osteoporosis and studies show that the isoflavones present in red clover may slow bone loss and even boost bone mineral density in pre or peri-menopausal women.

Trifollium pratense has a special affinity with the glands of the body so is a treatment for swollen parotids (mumps) and due to its sweet taste is one of the easier teas to drink for children. If they don’t want to drink it as a tea, then it can be made into red clover jelly.

This is done by making a pot of strong red clover tea and using that with a pack of commercial jelly.

I have also used this herb on people whose brains are overworked and especially where words or ideas get confused. Red clover is becoming more important as well to farmers who use it to help improve nitrogen levels in the soil as well as building organic material in the soil.

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