Red clover has been used traditionally as gout herbal medicine for centuries due to its ability to remove toxins from the body. However, using red clover isn't without its side effects. Scientists are now seeing that red clover thins the blood, so it should not be taken without the guidance of a doctor or other health professional. If you are already on anticoagulant medicine, red clover should not be used.



The properties within red clover that make it an effective gout herbal medicine are isoflavones. The isoflavones levels in red clover are 100 times higher than those of soy. This helps to heal inflammatory conditions, including gout, but also arthritis and eczema.

As a herbal medicine, red clover is also known as:

- Meadow clover

- Cow clover

- Purple clover

- Trifolium pratense (Latin name)

- Trefoil

- Wild clover

Red cover belongs to the pea family. It helps with the elimination of uric acid, which is important to the treatment of gout, since symptoms are a result of a buildup of uric acid causing crystal formation on the joints. Therefore, as red clover helps to eliminate levels of uric acid in the blood, the body has a reduced chance of experiencing a build up of uric acid therefore, reducing the likelihood of a gout attack.

Before taking red clover, be sure to speak to your health specialist, as you should before taking any new herb or supplement. As a gout herbal medicine, red clover is available in many different forms. These include:

- Teas

- Tinctures

- Capsules

- Tablets

- Liquid extracts

- Isoflaven standardized extracts

- Topical ointments

When taken as tea, simply use one to two teaspoons of dried red clover flowers in a mug (8 ounces) of hot water; two to three cups should be taken daily. Or, red clover extract can be mixed into a regular cup of tea.

Red clover in capsule form is usually taken in doses of 50mg to 150mg daily. If the capsules are red clover isoflavone extracts, then 28mg to 85mg is the normal daily dose. This means that two to three capsules will likely be required. For individual dosage instruction speak to a doctor.

For a direct topical treatment, red clover ointment or cream can be applied directly to the affected area. However, take care not to apply to any area where there is broken skin.

Red clover tincture should be thirty percent alcohol (1:5), and is taken in hot water as a tea with usually between sixty to one hundred drops (3 to 5 mL), three times every day.

Red clover herbal products are available at many natural and herbal stores. It is quite a common item so should be available in several forms at your local health shop.

Be aware of the possible side effects of gout herbal medicine made with red clover. General side effects can include nausea, headache, and rash. Infertility has also been witnessed in animals that graze on red clover patches. For more information please speak to a health professional.