Fugh-Berman A, Kronenberg F
Department of Health Care Sciences, George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC 20037, USA.
Menopause. 2001 Sep-Oct;8(5):333-7. doi: 10.1097/00042192-200109000-00007.
Red clover (Trifolium pratense) extracts are becoming increasingly popular, primarily for the treatment of menopausal symptoms. Although promoted as a phytoestrogen source similar to soybeans, red clover is a medicinal herb, not a food, and traditionally has not been used long-term. We sought to review the scientific literature for this newer use.
Medline was searched for controlled trials of red clover (Trifolium pratense), and other sources were searched for other studies and abstracts.
Two double-blind placebo-controlled trials found no beneficial effects of red clover extracts on hot flashes or other menopausal symptoms. Three of four trials examining the effect of red clover on lipids found no benefit; the fourth trial contains too little data to interpret. One study examining the effect of red clover on arterial compliance found a significant beneficial effect on arterial compliance.
Red clover extracts have as yet no clear demonstrable benefit for menopausal symptoms. Potential estrogenic effects on breast and endometrium have not been adequately assessed. The presence of coumarins in some clover species makes it imperative to include tests of clotting factors in future trials.
红车轴草（Trifolium pratense）提取物越来越受欢迎，主要用于治疗更年期症状。尽管红车轴草被宣传为与大豆类似的植物雌激素来源，但它是一种药草，而非食物，传统上并未长期使用。我们试图回顾关于这种新用途的科学文献。
检索Medline中关于红车轴草（Trifolium pratense）的对照试验，并检索其他来源以获取其他研究和摘要。
两项双盲安慰剂对照试验发现，红车轴草提取物对潮热或其他更年期症状无有益作用。四项研究红车轴草对血脂影响的试验中有三项未发现有益效果；第四项试验数据太少无法解读。一项研究红车轴草对动脉顺应性影响的试验发现，其对动脉顺应性有显著有益作用。
红车轴草提取物对更年期症状尚无明确的可证明益处。对乳腺和子宫内膜的潜在雌激素效应尚未得到充分评估。一些三叶草品种中存在香豆素，这使得在未来试验中必须纳入凝血因子测试。
