Red Clover

Trifolium pratense · Red clover isoflavones

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Menopausal hot flashes¹ Overall menopausal symptoms² Total cholesterol³ Postmenopausal bone density⁴	Pregnancy or breastfeeding⁵ Breast cancer history or predisposition⁵ Hormone-sensitive cancer⁶

Red clover (Trifolium pratense) is a legume whose isoflavones are structurally similar to estrogen, and supplements are promoted for women's health conditions⁴. The isoflavones bind estrogen receptors, with a preference for the beta subtype⁷. Use centers on menopausal vasomotor symptoms such as hot flashes, with serum lipids and bone density as secondary targets, typically in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women seeking an alternative to hormone replacement therapy⁷.

Evidence for hot flashes is split: a meta-analysis of randomized trials found fewer daily hot flushes than placebo, while a Cochrane review found no significant difference for a standardized red clover extract. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) calls the cholesterol findings conflicting and the bone studies few⁴. In ovariectomized rats, a 2020 study found a red clover and hops combination inhibited tail skin temperature changes linked to flushing; it remains preclinical⁸. More than 6,000 products listing red clover are on the market, mainly liquid extracts and capsules; see Form comparison.

The most consequential caution is hormonal: Health Canada labels say not to use red clover with a history of or predisposition to breast cancer⁵. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center advises patients taking warfarin to talk with their healthcare provider, citing preclinical signals of increased anticoagulant effect⁶.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

58 sources, 48 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources