Trifolium pratense Family Leguminosae/Fabaceae Other names: wild clover, cow clover, meadow clover, purple clover (engl.) trefle rouge (fr.) bienenklee (germ.) trifoi roşu (rom.)

  It is a very common, wide-spreaded herb, used as a food for cattle (it has a rich amount of proteins). Wild clover is also used as a medicinal herb. It grows in Europe, Asia, North America and Australia. It may have 40-50 centimeters height; the leaves have tri-folioles and they have on the upper side a light-colored zone (which has the form of the „V" letter).
  Flowers are rose-coloured (see photo) and they are the parts of the plant which have a medicinal use (Trifolii rubri flores).
  Flowers are collected from May until September. They contain as active principles: saponosides, flavonosidea (isoflavones with estrogen-like action), fenolic acids, volatile oil, cumarins.
  They have the following actions: depurative, anticancer, anticough, expectorant, antiinflammatory, antispastic, diuretic, emolient, estrogen-like, cicatrisant.
  They are used for the cure of the following diseases:
- urinary inflammations
- rheumatism, arthrosis, spondilitis, gout
- bronchitis, spastic cough, convulsive cough, bronchial asthma
- skin diseases (in the association with other depurative herbs): acne, eczema, ulcerations, psoriasis or other chronic dermatosis
- chronic intoxications of the body
- menopausal disorders
- tumors/ cancer, in the association with other depurative herbs (for internal and external use - enemas, cataplasm); it was used especially for the uterine and ovarian cancer.
  The using ways:
- herb powder obtained with the coffee grinder; it will be taken 1 teaspoonfull 4 times a day, keeped for 15 minutes under the tongues, then swallowed with some water; it can be used in a mixture with other herbs
- cold maceration prepared from 5 teaspoonfulls in 1 liter of pure water (let for 6-8 hours to prepare the maceration for internal use) or 200 g herb for 2 litres of water, added in the bath (bath for rheumatism)
  It is also a melliferous herb.
  From the psycho-emotional point of view, it is recommended for the people with negative emotions and un-expresses resentments. It helps the expression of the inner feelings; it brings back hope and faith in the soul.
  Observations:
  Even it was described for the cattle which eat a lot of wild clover the possibility of becoming infertile (because the wild clover reduce the sensitivity of the uterus at the estrogens), this effect didn't appear at the human female.
  The isoflavones in general (as those from the wild clover or the soyabean) helps for the treatment of the menopausal disorders and they reduce the risk of hormone-dependent cancer (including breast cancer).Take care! For the most efficient use of any medicinal herb, always use it as a cold extract (cold maceration, powder, tincture; don't use infusion or decoction).