Get Lucky, with Red Clover

Interested in more herbal foods that will elevate your health and reinforce your vegan nutrition goals? Red clover may be just what you need. Walking through any grassy overgrowth area the red clover is constantly stepped over. Dismissed as a weed red clover is seen as a lawn nuisance, this plant holds an impressive nutritional profile with many medicinal herbal benefits.

First and foremost, red clover has good amounts of vitamins, proteins and minerals, including calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, silicon, as well as vitamins A, E and K. It is also a source of other nutrients, including niacin, thiamine, and vitamin C. These nutrients are valuable as they fortify the immune system strengthening the body's defenses against disease. These benefits are especially potent in the raw green leaves.

Red clover is a great source of antioxidants and possesses antiviral and antibacterial properties. These properties reduce risk and even prevent infections. Even better is the neutralization of free radicals preventing them from causing degenerative disease and even cell mutation.

Red clover directly benefits circulation in the body, this extends to treating the symptoms of a wide range of health problems. Consumption of the plant leads to reduced tension of the arteries and blood vessels which leads to lower blood pressure. Red clover's benefits to the circulatory system extend to reducing cholesterol as well. All of this extends to potentially treating other heart conditions like coronary heart disease.

Red clover also has hormonal balancing effects. Women may find consuming red clover beneficial as it can treat menstrual and menopause symptoms. This comes from its ability to balance estrogen. For men consuming red clover can be a preventative measure for combating prostate growth.

This is only a sampling of the vast benefits of red clover. Though it is always important to talk to a physician before taking any new herbal supplements. In the case of red clover some people may be allergic.

Red clover is of course best consumed as a fresh green. This can be added to salads and green smoothies. Another popular option is red clover tea. Though many of the nutrients are lacking in tea form there are still many antioxidants available in red clover tea. Powders, capsule and extracts are three other forms that offer more concentrated doses of the herb.

If you are up to harvesting them from the wild take a hike and keep a look out for a short flowering green made up of three alternate leaflets with characteristic pale crescents in the outer half of each leaf. Even try picking the whole plant and taking it home to grow in an herb garden. With the red clover's rapid growth rate it could be a long term source of free produce. Also try growing from seed. Red clover is a popular sprouting seed, instead of stopping at the sprout go ahead and allow it grow into a full plant for its greens.

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