The Nutritious Red Clover - Trifolium Pratense
Other Common Names: Bersim Ahmar, Kirmizi Yonca, Meadow
Honeysuckle, Meadow Trefoil, Murasaki-Tume-Kusa, Nafal, Purple Clover,
Trebol, Trebol Rojo, Trefoil, Trifolium pratense
Range: Australia; Britain; Eurasia; Europe; Iraq; Spain; Turkey; USA; Russia
Habitat: Meadows, pastures and other grassy places, especially on calcareous soils. Usually found on circumneutral soils.
Red clover is safe and effective herb with a long history of
medicinal usage. It is commonly used to treat skin conditions, normally
in combination with other purifying herbs such as Arctium lappa and
Rumex crispus. It is a folk remedy for cancer of the breast, a
concentrated decoction being applied to the site of the tumour in order
to encourage it to grow outwards and clear the body. Flavonoids in the
flowers and leaves are estrogenic and may be of benefit in the
treatment of menopausal complaints.
The flowering heads are alterative, anti-scrofulous, anti-spasmodic,
aperient, detergent, diuretic, expectorant, sedative and tonic. Red
Clover is valued for its ability to loosen phlegm and calm bronchial
spasms. It has also shown anti-cancer activity, poultices of the herb
have been used as local applications to cancerous growths. Internally,
the plant is used in the treatment of skin complaints (especially
eczema and psoriasis), cancers of the breast, ovaries and lymphatic
system, chronic degenerative diseases, gout, whooping cough and dry
coughs. The plant is normally harvested for use as it comes into flower
and some reports say that only the flowers are used.
The toxic indolizidine alkaloid 'slaframine' is often found in
diseased clover (even if the clover shows no external symptoms of
disease). This alkaloid is being studied for its anti-diabetic and
anti-AIDS activity.
Leaves and young flowering heads - raw or cooked. The young leaves
are harvested before the plant comes into flower, and are used in
salads, soups etc. On their own they can be used as a vegetable, cooked
like spinach. The leaves are best cooked. They can be dried, powdered
and sprinkled on foods such as boiled rice. The leaves contain 81%
water, 4% protein, 0.7% fat, 2.6% fiber and 2% ash.
The seed can be sprouted and used in salads. A crisp texture and
more robust flavor than alfalfa (Medicago sativa). The seeds are
reported as containing trypsin inhibitors. These can interfere with
certain enzymes that help in the digestion of proteins, but are
normally destroyed if the seed is sprouted first.
Flowers and seed pods - dried, ground into a powder and used as a flour. The young flowers can also be eaten raw in salads.
A delicate sweet herb tea is made from the fresh or dried flowers.
The dried leaves impart a vanilla flavor to cakes etc.
Known Hazards: Diseased clover, even if no symptoms of disease are visible, can contain toxic alkaloids.
Other Common Names: Bersim Ahmar, Kirmizi Yonca, Meadow
Honeysuckle, Meadow Trefoil, Murasaki-Tume-Kusa, Nafal, Purple Clover,
Trebol, Trebol Rojo, Trefoil, Trifolium pratense
Range: Australia; Britain; Eurasia; Europe; Iraq; Spain; Turkey; USA; Russia
Habitat: Meadows, pastures and other grassy places, especially on calcareous soils. Usually found on circumneutral soils.
Red clover is safe and effective herb with a long history of
medicinal usage. It is commonly used to treat skin conditions, normally
in combination with other purifying herbs such as Arctium lappa and
Rumex crispus. It is a folk remedy for cancer of the breast, a
concentrated decoction being applied to the site of the tumour in order
to encourage it to grow outwards and clear the body. Flavonoids in the
flowers and leaves are estrogenic and may be of benefit in the
treatment of menopausal complaints.
The flowering heads are alterative, anti-scrofulous, anti-spasmodic,
aperient, detergent, diuretic, expectorant, sedative and tonic. Red
Clover is valued for its ability to loosen phlegm and calm bronchial
spasms. It has also shown anti-cancer activity, poultices of the herb
have been used as local applications to cancerous growths. Internally,
the plant is used in the treatment of skin complaints (especially
eczema and psoriasis), cancers of the breast, ovaries and lymphatic
system, chronic degenerative diseases, gout, whooping cough and dry
coughs. The plant is normally harvested for use as it comes into flower
and some reports say that only the flowers are used.
The toxic indolizidine alkaloid 'slaframine' is often found in
diseased clover (even if the clover shows no external symptoms of
disease). This alkaloid is being studied for its anti-diabetic and
anti-AIDS activity.
Leaves and young flowering heads - raw or cooked. The young leaves
are harvested before the plant comes into flower, and are used in
salads, soups etc. On their own they can be used as a vegetable, cooked
like spinach. The leaves are best cooked. They can be dried, powdered
and sprinkled on foods such as boiled rice. The leaves contain 81%
water, 4% protein, 0.7% fat, 2.6% fiber and 2% ash.
The seed can be sprouted and used in salads. A crisp texture and
more robust flavor than alfalfa (Medicago sativa). The seeds are
reported as containing trypsin inhibitors. These can interfere with
certain enzymes that help in the digestion of proteins, but are
normally destroyed if the seed is sprouted first.
Flowers and seed pods - dried, ground into a powder and used as a flour. The young flowers can also be eaten raw in salads.
A delicate sweet herb tea is made from the fresh or dried flowers.
The dried leaves impart a vanilla flavor to cakes etc.
Known Hazards: Diseased clover, even if no symptoms of disease are visible, can contain toxic alkaloids.
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