Choosing the Best Red Clover Supplement

The resurgence of natural organic health supplements into the mainstream is arguably one of the best things that could have happened to the supplement industry as a whole. Not only are these compounds extremely effective, but they also contain no pharmaceutical grade synthetics, making them perfect for human consumption.

Quick Take: OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR Red Clover SupplementBest OverallAmazing Formulas Red Clover Supplement

• Fantastic option
• Well received
• 430mg per serve

Check on AmazonHigh QualityVH Nutrition Red Clover Extract

• Outstanding reputation
• Extremely effective
• High quality

Check on AmazonMost AffordableNatures Way red Clover Blossom

• Effective supplements
• Extremely affordable
• 400mg per serve

Check on Amazon

But unfortunately, like most things within the supplement industry, not everything works quite as well as its claimed too. In fact, many options are much better than others – which is why finding those potent and effective options are so important.

And one extremely potent natural compound that has provided amazing health benefits for thousands of years is the Red Clover.

What is Red Clover?

In the simplest sense, red clover is a unique type of plant. This plant originates from certain parts of Europe, northern Asia, and Africa, and its applications have been used for the better part of a millennia.

As a topical aid, red clover was frequently used in herbal salves where it was suggested to help the healing of burns and wounds, while also enhancing general skin health. In conjunction with this it was also used frequently in those herbal medicines consumed orally, where it was thought to enhance global wellbeing and increase longevity.

And recent research is starting to indicate that this may indeed be the case.

In modern day, red clover is thought to have positive effects on the body through a number of different mechanisms. With this it is suggested to help relieve the symptoms associated with menopause, enhance bone mineral density, improve heart health, and even help protect against inflammation and cancer.

But does it really work?

What are the Health Benefits of Red Clover?

Considering the number of health claims made about red clover, we wanted to take an objective look at the research to truly determine where it is best used.

Does Red Clover Reduce Menopause Symptoms?

Red clover contains highly potent and bioactive compounds known as isoflavones. These key components actually act like estrogen within the human body, both increasing estrogen receptor activity and binding to those estrogen receptors.

So, by acting as a bioidentical hormone, red clover has been shown to cause huge improvements in menopause symptoms such as anxiety and depression, where it has been shown to alleviate hot flushes and associated discomforts, and has even been reported to enhance quality of life during this difficult time ^[1].

Does Red Clover Increase Bone Mineral Density?

Bone mineral density essentially describes the thickness and density of your bones – and as a result, has a significant association with your risk of bone breaks and fractures.  Considering this, bone mineral density actually tends to decline with age, while also reducing rapidly after menopause.

Interestingly, many of the bioactive compounds found within red clover have been shown to slow down the activity of Osteoclasts, while simultaneously increasing the activity of Osteoblasts.

Osteoclasts are cells responsible for breaking down old bone tissue (an unfortunate process that occurs as part of normal function). Alternatively, osteoblasts form and layer new bone tissue, increasing their density.

Through each of these mechanisms the regular supplementation of red clover has been shown to cause significant improvements in bone mineral density ^[2].

Is Red Clover Anti-Inflammatory?

While in the short term, inflammation is actually a quality defense mechanism, if prolonged, it places a large amount of physical stress on the body. This can lead to a host of health issues, including an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, in conjunction with inhibited mental function and associated feelings of depression and lethargy.

Fortunately, the isoflavones found within red clover have been shown to reduce the secretion of inflammatory cytokines (with specific emphasis on IL-6, TNF-a, and COX-2) within the human body. As a result, red clover appears to offer an excellent method of reducing harmful inflammation ^[3].

Does Red Clover Improve Heart Health?

In conjunction with its impressive effects on inflammation, it appears that red clover can also have an extremely positive impact on the heart. In fact, the consumption of red clover has been shown to reduce the stiffness of arteries, reduce the buildup of plaque on those arteries, and increase the levels of HDL (or good) cholesterol found within the blood ^{[4, 5, 6]}.

Through the action of these three key mechanisms, red clover appears to have the potential to improve heart health and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in a big way.

Is Red Clover Anti-Cancer?

And finally, the consumption of isoflavones has shown strong association with a reduced risk of cancer in men. Additionally, the daily consumption of red clover derived isoflavones has been shown to slow the progression of cancer cells, while also stimulating their death ^[7].

With this in mind, it appears that red clover does indeed have anti-cancer properties, and that its supplementation may offer an excellent addition to more traditional cancer treatments.

Best red Clover Product reviews

Given that red clover supplements appear to have a myriad of positive effects throughout the human body, we wanted to give you some great options that you can start to implement immediately into your own supplement regime.

Quick Take: OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR Red Clover SupplementBest OverallAmazing Formulas Red Clover Supplement

• Fantastic option
• Well received
• 430mg per serve

Check on AmazonHigh QualityVH Nutrition Red Clover Extract

• Outstanding reputation
• Extremely effective
• High quality

Check on AmazonMost AffordableNatures Way red Clover Blossom

• Effective supplements
• Extremely affordable
• 400mg per serve

Check on Amazon

This fantastic option by Amazing Formulas has been incredibly well received by consumers, with its ability to enhance health and function paramount.

No products found.

Providing a scientifically supported dosage of 430mg per serve, you really can’t go wrong here.

VH Nutrition have slowly built an outstanding reputation for producing extremely effective, high quality, products – of which their red clover supplement is no different.

Providing a whopping dosage of 700mg per serve, this is one of the most potent options on the market.

When it comes to extremely affordable and effective supplements, its hard to look past Natures Way.

This red clover supplement provides a solid dosage of 400mg per serve and is one of the most affordable options on the market, making it perfect for those on a budget.

Conclusion

Red clover has been used for thousands of years, but only now does the research truly support its use. Demonstrating the ability to help treat menopause symptoms, improve bone mineral density and heart health, all while staving off inflammation and cancer, it truly is one amazing supplement.

If you have had any experience supplementing with red clover then we would love to hear about it, so please drop us a comment and we will get back to you ASAP.

 

References

1. Ehsanpour, Soheila, et al. “The effects of red clover on quality of life in post-menopausal women.” Iranian journal of nursing and midwifery research1 (2012): 34. From: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3590693/
2. Thorup, Anne Cathrine, et al. “Intake of novel red clover supplementation for 12 weeks improves bone status in healthy menopausal women.” Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine2015 (2015). From: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4523657/
3. Mueller, Monika, Stefanie Hobiger, and Alois Jungbauer. “Red clover extract: a source for substances that activate peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α and ameliorate the cytokine secretion profile of lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages.” Menopause2 (2010): 379-387. From: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20142789
4. Nestel, Paul J., et al. “Isoflavones from red clover improve systemic arterial compliance but not plasma lipids in menopausal women.” The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism3 (1999): 895-898. From: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10084567
5. Booth, Nancy L., et al. “Clinical studies of red clover (Trifolium pratense) dietary supplements in menopause: a literature review.” Menopause2 (2006): 251-264. From: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16645539
6. Campbell, M. J., et al. “Effect of red clover-derived isoflavone supplementation on insulin-like growth factor, lipid and antioxidant status in healthy female volunteers: a pilot study.” European journal of clinical nutrition1 (2004): 173. From: https://www.nature.com/articles/1601764?foxtrotcallback=true
7. Jarred, Renea A., et al. “Induction of apoptosis in low to moderate-grade human prostate carcinoma by red clover-derived dietary isoflavones.” Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Biomarkers12 (2002): 1689-1696. From: http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/11/12/1689.long