Red clover - Trifolium pratense

Herbs are a daily part of my practice. I have come to love herbs, their power, and their dynamic abilities to heal the body. Many of my patients are on tinctures which are liquid preparations of herbs working in synergy to restore health. In medical school we learned the herbs by organ system, their active constituents, toxicity, and medicinal actions. By actions we mean their healing properties such as:

Lymphagogue – the ability to move the lymphatic system and produce lymphatic fluid.

Galactagogue – the ability to increase breast milk production.

Adaptogenic – the ability to balance your adrenal system.

Alterative – “blood cleansers” that have a positive effect on the body by restoring proper function.

Phytoestrogen – hormone-like effect.

The learned information about the herbs is important, of course, but more important is how these herbs work with my patients on a daily basis. I have come to know the herbs on a different level after using them for the past 11 plus years. But even after all this time I still love going back and re-reading my Botanical Medicine notes from school. Each time a different part of the herb will pop out at me.

One of the herbs I recently went back to study was Trifolium pratense; also known as Red Clover.

I have always used Red Clover for balancing female hormones. It works well to support estrogen levels in peri-menopausal women along with patients who are not bleeding when they are debilitated/drained. But when I went back to read about her (sorry, to me these herbs take on either female or male qualities which is why I often refer to them in this manner) I was reminded of her blood abilities and antioxidant properties. The blood actions include the ability to cleanse the blood and to help lower fibrinogen activity while also helping with thinning the blood.

I can put Red Clover into the tinctures for my depleted patients who have lost all hope, so to speak, as it can also help with long-term stress in adults. Its antioxidant properties also help with its anticancer action. And through this antioxidant ability, Red Clover helps with tissue repair. This would make it also a good option for patients with skin conditions such as acne, eczema, and psoriasis.

I am grateful to have these amazing herbs as a part of my practice. They allow the body to heal by stimulating the innate ability of the body.

Image Credit: Ivar Leidus (Wikipedia) (CC BY-SA 4.0)