Page 128 - Lost Book Remedies

The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies

Edible Use: I eat the leaves and young flowering
heads both raw and cooked. The flowers make a sweet
herbal tea and the ground seed pods and flowers can
be used as a flour substitute. The taproot is edible
when cooked.

Medicinal Use. How to Use Red Clover: Red clover
can be taken as a dried herb, tincture, or as a tea made
from the blossoms.

Relieves Symptoms of Menopause: Because
of its phytoestrogen isoflavone content, red clover
flowers work as a natural alternative to hormone re-
placement for women. It relieves symptoms of meno-
pause, including reducing the frequency of hot flashes
and night sweats. I usually pair it with Black Cohash
for menopause symptom relief.

Osteoporosis: By acting as a natural hormone re-
placement, red clover may slow bone loss and even Guttorm Raknes, Own work, CC by SA 4.0
boost bone density in pre- and peri-menopausal Use them cooked as a green, in soups, and salads. The
women. leaves can also be dried and powdered for use as a fla-
Cardiovascular Health: Red clover helps protect voring on foods. They tend to be more bitter after the
against heart disease by increasing HDL (good) choles- flowers appear.
terol in pre- and post-menopausal women. It also has Warning: In general, red clover is very safe, with few
blood-thinning properties, which improve blood flow side effects, except for occasional gas. The anticoagu-
and prevent clotting. lant effect and hormonal effects may be undesirable for
Skin Conditions Including Eczema, Psoria- some people.
sis, and Other Skin Irritations: Red clover Due to its hormonal activity, don’t use red clover for
flower tea, supported with yellow dock and nettles, is women with a history of endometriosis, breast cancer,
an excellent internal remedy for skin irritations. Use uterine cancer, fibroids, or other estrogen-sensitive
an external poultice made from chopped red clover conditions.
flower and water applied directly to skin lesions.
Red clover contains coumarin derivatives and must be
Harvesting: Harvest red clover from fields, away used with caution in individuals taking anticoagulation
from heavy pollution areas such as roadsides. Unlike therapy. Also, do not take red clover before surgery or
most herbs, red clover needs to be harvested in the childbirth. It can inhibit blood clotting and healing.
early morning while there is still some dew present on Recipes. Red Clover Tea (hot): Red clover blos-
the flower.
soms, fresh or dried, and 1 cup boiling water. Steep
Pick the blossoms one to two weeks after blooming. three fresh red clover blossoms or 2 to 3 teaspoons of
Snip the blossom head off and leave the rest of the dried flowers in 1 cup boiling water.
plant alone.
Allow the tea to steep while cooling for 15 minutes.
Use the blossoms fresh or place them on a drying rack Drink warm or allow to cool for external use. Drink up
in a warm dark, ventilated, and dry place. Turn them to three times daily for maximum benefits.
frequently until the blossoms are dried through. Store Red Clover Tea (Cold): Add one-half cup of red
the dried herb in a cool, dry, and dark place. When har-
vesting young leaves, try to get them before the plant clover blossoms to a quart (a liter) of water and allow
it to steep in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
flowers.

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