Red Clover Tea Infusion/Benefits of Red Clover Tea

Parts Used: Flowers

RED CLOVER TEA RECIPE:

1. Put 1 cup dried red clover into a quart mason jar. (Fresh herbs need to be simmered gently right in the water for a few minutes to break down cell walls. Dried herbs have brittle cell walls)
2. Bring 1 quart water to boiling.
3. Pour water over herbs and fill to top of jar.
4. Cover or put a lid on the jar, lid works best. (Some herbs have volatile oils that easily evaporate into thin air if not covered)
5. Let steep at least 8 hours or overnight. (Long steeping allows the water time to dissolve and do its work, increasing the potency of the tea) I let mine sit overnight.
6. Strain and drink. (Usually, I tend to strain as needed, leaving the herbs in the infusion to continue steeping until the tea is gone)
7. Store in refrigerator, if you don’t finish it the first dayJ

Drink tonic infusions cold, but you can warm it up.

I don’t usually sweeten tonic infusions, but you could add honey while it’s still hot if you prefer to drink it sweet.

This is only one of many ways to make Red Clover Tea, but for me the BEST way!

About Red Clover:

This herb is a source of many valuable nutrients including calcium, chromium, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, thiamine, and vitamin C. It is also considered to be one of the richest sources of isoflavones.

In folk medicine, it has been used to promote lymph flow and support immune system function. It is said to provide a mild sedative effect that can relax and relieve muscle cramping and nervousness.

Red clover is also known as a blood purifier, useful for improving the overall health of the liver. It may also act as a digestive aid and stimulator of digestive fluids and bile production.

Red clover helps with muscle relaxation and also is a good expectorant.

Traditionally, the blossoms were used as a tonic taken in the spring to promote good health and peace of mind.

Other common uses of

Red clover in herbal medicine include blood purification, alterative, antineoplastic, skin ailments, wounds; antispasmodic, bronchitis, coughs and much more.

You can harvest the flowers in mid-summer and dry them for use in infusions, tinctures, etc.

Parts Used: Flowers

Red clover contains isoflavones which have shown to be useful in helping to alleviate the symptoms of female menopause.

It is also used to promote general prostate health and normal urinary tract function in males, and to support normal cholesterol levels.

Susun Weed lists Red Clover as the single most useful herb in establishing fertility. This herb’s high vitamin content is very valuable to the uterus and its high protein content benefits the whole body. It’s also quite high in calcium & magnesium which relax the nervous system and help promote fertility. This herb also contains nearly every trace mineral needed by the glands. Daily use can help balance hormonal functioning.

Red clover has been used for centuries. The NCI researched the herb and found four anti-tumor compounds in it. Red clover has been cultivated since ancient times, mostly to provide a favorite grazing food for animals. But, like many other herbs, red clover was also a valued medicine. Although it has been used for many purposes worldwide, the one condition most consistently associated with red clover is CANCER..

Chinese physicians and Russian folk healers also used it to treat respiratory problems. In the nineteenth century, red clover became popular among herbalists as an “alterative” or “blood purifier.” This refers to an ancient belief that toxins in the blood are the root cause of many illnesses. Cancer, eczema, and the eruptions of venereal disease were all seen as manifestations of toxic buildup.

Red clover was considered one of the best herbs to “purify” the blood. For this reason, it is included in many of the famous treatments for “cancer”.

Recently, special red clover extracts high in substances called isoflavones have arrived on the market. These isoflavones produce effects in the body somewhat similar to those of estrogen. The major isoflavones in red clover include genistein and daidzen, also found in soy, as well as formononetin and biochanin.

“The isoflavones isolated from red clover have been studied for their effectiveness in treating some forms of cancer. It is thought that the isoflavones prevent the proliferation of cancer cells and that they may even destroy cancer cells. Laboratory and animal studies have found that red clover isoflavones may protect against the growth of breast cancer cells. This is surprising because estrogens (and isoflavones have estrogenic
properties) have generally been thought to stimulate the growth of breast cancer in women.”

Red clover may be useful in treating prostate cancer:”A 66-year-old physician with prostate cancer took a concentrated phyto-estrogen based on red clover for just one week and thereby caused his tumor to regress. The patient had been diagnosed with a high PSA level (13.1 micrograms/liter) in March 1996 and a subsequent needle biopsy had confirmed the presence of a low grade adenocarcinoma. He was scheduled for a radical (suprapubic) prostatectomy and, on his own initiative, decided to take a daily dose of 160 mg of a phyto-estrogen product based on red clover (Promensil tablets - 4 X 40 mg/day) for the seven days preceding his operation. After the operation the biopsy tissue and the tumor tissue were compared. It was clear that the tumor tissue showed a high degree of apoptosis (cell death) resembling the effect of high- dose estrogen therapy and consistent with tumor regression.

Red Clover may be obtained in “pill” form from naturopath or health shops. However, purchase the loose dried flower buds for a more potent effect. Steep in hot water for 15 minutes or alternatively boil at low temperature in water, until water becomes dark crimson. Regular drinking of Red Clover bud tea is an anti cancer cure.

The surface is barely scratched here, so please do more research on Red Clover, because it’s properties are endless!

Enjoy your cup of Tea!