How To Make Red Clover Tea (Recipe)

Red clover is foraged for both its medicinal and nutrient-ish edible properties. This natural tea is filled with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals is as an old-school remedy, bone health, skin health, hair health, and many other claims that sadly, have limited scientifical evidence (so far!).

Also keep in mind that this wild edible has not been approved as a drug by the FDA and further study is needed to prove its healing power. But, red clover has been used for hundreds of years basically around the globe and by Native Americans to treat and prevent a whole host of common ailments and conditions.

Nutrients

Red clover, as you might expect, has a variety of vitamins and minerals, in particular vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and more, but it also has isoflavones and flavonoids.

Harvesting and Look-Alikes

This is as easy as it gets. Wait until the flowers are blooming, then simply pluck the pinkish-purple flower heads and put them in a bag. Make sure you avoid the plants growing near highways or busy roads, treated lawns, or those that have been sprayed with pesticides.

Now, there are some lookalikes you should be aware of because Trifolium hybridum (a.k.a. alsike clover) has flowers that look very similar to the untrained eye. To identify the real red clover, look for white chevron markings, and keep in mind that the pink-to-purple flowers are similar, and that both plants have exactly three leaflets on each leaf!

As you can see, making this tea is super easy and the steps are almost identical to those you have to follow when making tea from other plants (lavender, chamomile, etc.) And since the flowers are edible, you can also try tossing them into a salad and see if you like it.

Warnings and Precautions

• It is not recommended for pregnant women, breastfeeding women, or for those trying to become pregnant, to drink red clover tea. There is not enough clinical data to deem it safe (for now, at least) but we do know it exhibits estrogenic activity.
• Women taking birth control pills are also cautioned against consuming red clover tea without the approval of their doctor. The medicinal tea could have an impact on hormonal stability and reproductive organs.
• Do not consume if you are on blood thinners, have a bleeding disorder, or are going to have surgery or even a tooth pulled within a two week time period. Red clover may enhance the power of blood thinner medication.
• Hemophiliacs should never consume this tea and all heart patients are urged to speak with their doctor before considering use.
• Individuals who have been turned down for estrogen supplements by their doctor or are undergoing any type of hormone replacement therapy should not drink this tea because the isoflavones in red clover weakly mimic the estrogen in the body.
• Kids under the age of 12 should not consume it.
• Avoid taking it if you have any kind of a hormonal disease or disorder.
• As you might expect, if you have some serious conditions such as diabetes or worse, you should not attempt to take it.

If you experience nausea, a skin rash, or headaches after drinking it, this may be a sign of an allergic reaction. Discontinue use and speak to your doctor about the symptoms right away.