Red clover is a common wild herb, and you are sure to have spotted it growing in lawns, meadows, and roadsides across the UK.
A favourite of bees and livestock alike, red clover is actually a member of the pea family – making it a useful nitrogen fixer, as well as a source of protein. However, red clover isn’t just a handy plant for soils, animals, and insects.
This familiar grassland plant also has potential benefits for humans, especially women going through menopause.
This is because red clover is rich in a group of plant compounds called isoflavones. These compounds mimic the effects of oestrogen in our bodies, so there is plenty of interest in whether they might help to reduce menopausal symptoms.
Red clover has one of the best sources of isoflavones – and it is also a prolific plant that is cheap and easy to grow. As a result, it is becoming increasingly popular as a herbal remedy for menopause.
In this post, we’ll explain a little bit more about isoflavones and look at the potential benefits of red clover during menopause.
What’s the big deal about isoflavones?
You might have heard of phytoestrogens, or plant-derived oestrogens. These are chemicals found in plants that have a similar chemical structure to oestradiol, the main form of oestrogen found in women’s bodies during their reproductive years.
Although these plant-based compounds aren’t an exact match for oestradiol, they do weakly mimic the hormone in the body. The effect seems to be strongest when natural levels of oestradiol are lower, so it is likely that these compounds will have the greatest effect on women during and after menopause.
There are four main groups of phytoestrogens:
- Stilbene
- Coumestan
- Lignan
- Isoflavones
Isoflavones are the best studied of the group. They are typically found in legumes, such as soybeans. And, of course, they are also found in red clover.
Since most menopausal symptoms are caused by decreasing levels of oestrogen (mainly oestradiol), it seems logical that a diet rich in phytoestrogens should help to alleviate some of these symptoms.
Research is ongoing into the exact effects of phytoestrogens during menopause and many studies so far have either been small or conducted on animals. However, these plant compounds do show some promise for reducing certain symptoms and side effects of menopause.
Benefits of red clover in menopause
Now that we know a little bit about isoflavones and their potential role in reducing menopause symptoms, let’s look more closely at red clover and what the research says so far about its benefits in menopause.
1. Bone density
The area where red clover has shown the most promise so far is in protecting against one of the most common longer-term impacts of menopause – reduced bone density.
Oestrogen plays a vital role in maintaining bone density and keeping our bones strong. As a result, women typically experience an accelerated loss of bone density post-menopause, which leaves us at greater risk of developing osteoporosis.
However, the isoflavones found in red clover might help to protect against this loss of bone density and keep our bones stronger for longer.
For example, a 2015 study found that healthy menopausal women who took a red clover supplement for 12 weeks showed significantly less loss of bone density than the control group.
2. Hot flushes
Other common symptoms of menopause are hot flushes and night sweats. And red clover may help here too, although the current evidence suggests the effect may be short-term.
A 2014 meta-study into the effects of red clover on hot flushes concluded that it does help to reduce the frequency of flushes over a period of 3-4 months. However, the effect seemed to wear off over time.
Still, as anyone going through menopause knows, symptoms can come and go as you move through this period of life. So, if your hot flushes are particularly intense, supplementing with red clover may help to give you some relief, even if it is only for a few months.
3. Skin and hair
One of the more surprising impacts of the menopause is the effect it can have on your hair and skin.
When we surveyed over 100 women about their experience of perimenopause and menopause, several told us that they’d experienced changes to their hair, skin, and nails as a result of their changing hormones.
But red clover’s phytoestrogens might reduce some of those changes. According to one 2011 study, after supplementing with red clover for 90 days, women reported improvements in their skin and hair. They also noticed improved mood, libido, and sleep.
4. Cholesterol and heart health
According to a review published in the Journal of the International Menopause Society in 2018, red clover might also protect our heart health after menopause, reducing harmful LDL cholesterol and increasing beneficial HDL cholesterol.
This is noteworthy because menopause often comes with an increase in cholesterol, which can leave us at higher risk of cardiovascular issues, such as heart attacks or strokes.
Should you take red clover for menopause?
There is definitely more research to be done into the benefits of red clover and other sources of phytoestrogens on menopause symptoms.
However, the evidence so far is positive, if not always completely conclusive.
Most people can take red clover without any negative side effects, although you should always speak to your doctor about trying herbal remedies if you are taking any medications or are at increased risk for developing hormone sensitive conditions like breast cancer.
Ultimately, what works for one person might not work for another, so the best way to know if red clover is right for you is to try it for a few months and see.
References
Red Clover, Wildlife Trusts, https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/wildflowers/red-clover , consulted 05/10/2024
Gartoulla, P., & Han, M. M. (2014). Red clover extract for alleviating hot flushes in postmenopausal women: a meta-analysis. Maturitas, 79(1), 58–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2014.06.018
Herbal remedies and complementary medicines for menopause symptoms, the NHS, https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt/alternatives-to-hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt/herbal-remedies-and-complementary-medicines-for-menopause-symptoms/
Ehsanpour, S., Salehi, K., Zolfaghari, B., & Bakhtiari, S. (2012). The effects of red clover on quality of life in post-menopausal women. Iranian journal of nursing and midwifery research, 17(1), 34–40. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23493172
Desmawati, D., & Sulastri, D. (2019). Phytoestrogens and Their Health Effect. Open access Macedonian journal of medical sciences, 7(3), 495–499. https://doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2019.044
Alabadi, B., Civera, M., Moreno-Errasquin, B., & Cruz-Jentoft, A. J. (2024). Nutrition-Based Support for Osteoporosis in Postmenopausal Women: A Review of Recent Evidence. International journal of women’s health, 16, 693–705. https://doi.org/10.2147/IJWH.S409897
What’s the menopause got to do with bone health? , The Royal Osteoporosis Society, https://theros.org.uk/blog/2021-03-22-what-s-the-menopause-got-to-do-with-bone-health/, consulted 05/10/2024
Thorup, A. C., Lambert, M. N., Kahr, H. S., Bjerre, M., & Jeppesen, P. B. (2015). Intake of Novel Red Clover Supplementation for 12 Weeks Improves Bone Status in Healthy Menopausal Women. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2015, 689138. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/689138
Gartoulla, P., & Han, M. M. (2014). Red clover extract for alleviating hot flushes in postmenopausal women: a meta-analysis. Maturitas, 79(1), 58–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2014.06.018
Survey data of 111 women collected by WOW Worthy Women CIC during March-April 2024
Lipovac, M., Chedraui, P., Gruenhut, C., Gocan, A., Kurz, C., Neuber, B., & Imhof, M. (2011). Effect of Red Clover Isoflavones over Skin, Appendages, and Mucosal Status in Postmenopausal Women. Obstetrics and gynecology international, 2011, 949302. https://doi.org/10.1155/2011/949302
Luís, Â., Domingues, F., & Pereira, L. (2018). Effects of red clover on perimenopausal and postmenopausal women’s blood lipid profile: A meta-analysis. Climacteric : the journal of the International Menopause Society, 21(5), 446–453. https://doi.org/10.1080/13697137.2018.1501673
Menopause and your heart, the British Heart Foundation, https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/support/women-with-a-heart-condition/menopause-and-heart-disease, consulted 05/10/2024
Red clover, National Centre for Complementary and Integrative Health, https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/red-clover, consulted 05/10/2024
