Side effects of red clover

Possible Good Effects of Red Clover

A flower crown of plant called red clover is ingredient that has always been used to manufacture some folk medicine as a surface application medicines and as ingredient in food or drinks. For now it is not confirmed that red clover may seriously treat medical conditions but it is proved that may help high cholesterol and maintain hot flashes, PMS with women, mastalgia and oversensitive breasts with female patients.

The plant has been used as folk medicine to prevent (severe) whooping cough, bronchitis, asthma, high cholesterol, indigestion, cancer and sexually transmitted diseases. Also as the application for the skin, the plant red clover is used for chronic skin diseases, burns, skin sores, skin cancer, eczema and psoriasis. And in food industry, red clover solid extract is overused as a flavour.

But red clover plant’s real effect hasn’t been proved scientifically and conclusively for now.

Knowledge about Red Clover

Isoflavones in red clover changes in body to phytoestrogens, and phytoestrogens acts as hormone estrogen. For now it is proved that red clover may not be effective for:- menopause symptoms Even if it is effective for hot flashes due to menopause it is effective for overall menopause symptoms. - high cholesterolRed clover does not reduce bad cholesterol or makes good cholesterol with women who already have problem with high cholesterol.- prevention of weak bones Osteoporosis with women may not be reduced with red clover because it does not strengthen women bones.

There are also not enough medical and scientific evidence that red clover treats as it has been believed by now:

Skin problems Lung problems Indigestion Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) Cyclical breast pain. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) Preventing endometrial cancer Prostate gland symptoms

Side effects of red clover

As it is said from the beginning of article red clover may be safe as ingredient in food but it hasn’t been proved entirely to be safe as medical ingredient. Red clover may be responsible for rash reactions, headache, muscle ache, nausea, and vaginal bleeding. Red clover in the body acts like estrogen and may create hormone misbalances during pregnancy or breast-feeding.

The same goes if it is applied on skin during the breast feeding. It is not yet proved how effective or ineffective really is. It is also not known if red clover may actually increase bleeding, so if it is used, do not use large doses of it. It is proved that with protein S deficiency patients, it may cause forming of blood clots: using red clover may not be recommended because it acts like estrogen in the body.

The same goes for hormone-sensitive conditions (endometriosis, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, uterine fibroids, and uterine cancer). And finally, after surgery, if red cloves slow clotting of blood there may be uncontrolled bleeding during the surgery, so no red clover at least 2 weeks before taking any surgery.