Research

Red clover for Menopause: Evidence, Interactions and Cautions

By Andreea · Last reviewed September 2026 · 2 min read

Red clover is an ingredient used in menopause supplements marketed to women. Below is what it has actually been studied for, how strong that evidence is, the drug interactions and cautions on record, and the primary source our grade rests on — all drawn from the HerWellReport ingredient dataset.

HerWellReport Evidence Gradelimited for hot flushes; none for stress incontinence

Studied forhot flushes and night sweats; menopausal symptom scores; vaginal dryness

Used inMenopause supplements

Helps stress leaks?No

Helps hot flushes?Unclear

Also sold as: Trifolium pratense; red clover isoflavones; Promensil

What the evidence says about Red clover

The Cochrane review of phytoestrogens (43 trials, 4,084 women) pooled five Promensil trials and found no significant difference from placebo in daily hot flush frequency (mean difference -0.93, 95% CI -1.95 to 0.10). A separate 2021 meta-analysis of eight trials did report a reduction of 1.73 hot flushes per day (95% CI -3.28 to -0.18, P=0.0292), so the answer depends heavily on which trials are pooled. Treat one widely cited review with care: Ghazanfarpour and colleagues (Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine, 2015) concluded red clover had a positive effect on hot flushes although their pooled result was not significant (MD -1.99, P=0.067), and called an oestradiol effect significant when the reported interval crossed zero (SMD 0.240, 95% CI -0.001 to 0.482, P=0.051). Red clover is not mentioned anywhere in the Menopause Society's 2023 nonhormone therapy position statement, so it was not assessed rather than assessed and rejected.

The grade "limited for hot flushes; none for stress incontinence" means: limited — One or two small human trials, or trials for a closely related outcome. none — No human trial evidence we could find for this use. Grades are explained in full on our methodology page.

Read the primary source this grade rests on (opens in a new tab).

Red clover drug interactions

warfarin and other anticoagulants
antiplatelet drugs
methotrexate
tamoxifen and other drugs metabolised by CYP1A2, CYP2C8, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6 or CYP3A4

Who should be careful with Red clover

Avoid if you have a hormone-sensitive cancer such as oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer, because red clover has oestrogenic activity
case reports describe subdural haematoma and subarachnoid haemorrhage in women taking red clover supplements

Products we have researched that contain Red clover

MenoRescue — marketed for hot flushes, night sweats and broken sleep. 180-day money-back guarantee.

We have read the label and the research behind every ingredient. We have not tested the product and we publish no ratings. Full ingredient breakdown

Read our MenoRescue review →

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