Trifolium pratense

Trifolium pratense
Family:Trifolium pratense; Alterative; Antiscrophulatic; Antispasmodic; Aperient; Cancer; Detergent; Diuretic; Expectorant; Miscellany; Sedative; Skin; Tonic.
Common name:Red clover
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 oestrogenic and may be of benefit in the treatment of menopausal complaints. The flowering heads are alterative antiscrofulous antispasmodic aperient detergent diuretic expectorant sedative and tonic. It has also shown anticancer 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 antidiabetic and anti-AIDS activity.

Herbal Database

01.01.2005 06:29 []