When it comes to the treatment of hot flashes, among the most popular today is that which stems from the red clover plant. A cousin to the soybean, red clover is also a legume, containing some compounds similar to what is found in chick peas and lentils.
My grandmother, who was a midwife in rural Pennsylvania in the 1930’s and 40’s often spoke of the powerful properties of red clover on the female
reproductive system, and frequently used it to help women overcome a variety of hormone-related problems.
Today, Grandma Ann’s knowledge has come full circle with many medical studies now validating not only the fact that red clover is a potent treatment for
many hormone-related conditions – including hot flashes – but also why it works so well.
The reason: Isoflavones. Yes, the very same natural compound that makes soy so helpful for women during menopause is also found in the Red Clover
plant – but in much greater abundance.
Indeed, the leaves of the Red Clover plant are brimming with not just two isoflavones as found in soy – genistein and daidzein - but also two others
known as biochanin A and formononetin. And it is these two additional isoflavones that many believe give red clover its outstanding estrogenic effects.
In addition, red clover also works as an “adaptogen”.
So, when estrogen levels are low, red clover works like estrogen’s “understudy” - taking on not only its characteristics, but also some of its duties in our
body. This includes attaching to estrogen receptors in a way that “tricks” the body into believing all is right in hormone-land! The end result: Fewer symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats.
But if you remember, earlier in this book you learned that it’s not just low estrogen levels that can cause menopause symptoms. It’s actually the waxing and waning of our hormones that creates the most troubling symptoms. And this is where red clover can really shine.
Why? It’s the ability of this herb to adapt to what your body needs. So, when estrogen levels are too high, red clover becomes what doctors call a “down
regulating” treatment. This means that by landing on and taking up a good portion of the estrogen receptors in your body, it keeps you from receiving
too much of your own estrogen stimulation the way you might if those receptor sites were not blocked. In this way red clover may help keep your body from
and estrogen overload. This is important for two reasons. First, it results in better hormone balance, which in the end is also what helps to alleviate many
menopause symptoms, but particularly hot flashes and night sweats.
But even more importantly, it also means red clover may have some anti-cancer effects. By keeping receptors in the tissue of the breast and uterus from being over-stimulated by the presence of too much estrogen, it may help prevent or at least reduce the risk of breast and uterine cancer.