Red clover has been cultivated for thousands of years both as a traditional medicine and a food source by Asian, European, and Indigenous North American cultures.[1] Medicinally, red clover has been used for a wide variety of ailments, including skin problems, illnesses affecting the lungs (e.g., pneumonia, bronchitis, asthma), disorders of the nervous and reproductive systems, heart disease, sore throat, burns, fever, and as a general analgesic and antiseptic.[1][2][3]
Interestingly, scientific research on clover species was sparked in the 1940s when it was observed that sheep grazing in pastures with a particular type of clover (subterranean clover, Trifolium subterraneum) became infertile.[1] This led to the initial observations of the estrogenic properties of clover species.[4]
References
- ^Kolodziejczyk-Czepas JTrifolium species - the latest findings on chemical profile, ethnomedicinal use and pharmacological properties.J Pharm Pharmacol.(2016-Jul)
- ^Sabudak T, Guler NTrifolium L.--a review on its phytochemical and pharmacological profile.Phytother Res.(2009-Mar)
- ^Kolodziejczyk-Czepas J, Nowak P, Moniuszko-Szajwaj B, Kowalska I, Stochmal AFree radical scavenging actions of three Trifolium species in the protection of blood plasma antioxidant capacity in vitro.Pharm Biol.(2015)
- ^Okochi M, Kenjo A, Asai E, Ueda K, Gotoh MTwo-step hepatic artery reconstruction for a hepatic artery lacking in length for the use of a microclamp in living donor liver transplantation.Int J Surg Case Rep.(2016)