Spring 2002 Issue — Red Clover for the Management of Isoflavones

Robin P Ward

Marketing Manager, Linnea SA

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Natural management of menopause with high isoflavone Red clover extract

The phenomenon of menopause as a medical condition has only fairly recently been widely recognised by the medical profession. However, by the year 2000, an estimated 50 million American women will have entered menopause.¹

Natural hormonal changes, and a decrease in the body's production of the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone, can manifest themselves in a variety of symptoms, including loss of libido, hot flashes, night sweats, memory loss, depression and vaginal dryness. They can also contribute to the development of other conditions, such as heart disease or osteoporosis.

Estrogen Replacement Therapy

Until recently, estrogen replacement therapy was the cornerstone of the treatment of menopausal symptoms. Estrogen replacement therapy has proved effective for many women in reducing physical and emotional symptoms, and in helping protect against heart disease and osteoporosis. However, for many women ERT is also characterized by unwanted side effects, such as bloating, irritability, and breast tenderness. High isoflavone extracts offer a natural alternative.

Managing menopause with natural isoflavones

Current scientific research has demonstrated that women consuming high levels of legumes containing isoflavones manage menopause with fewer symptoms, and that isoflavones can be effective in reducing such symptoms of menopause as hot flashes, and maintaining both well being and quality of life. Menopausal symptoms are much less prevalent in Asian cultures, and research suggests that this may in part be due to the large quantities of natural isoflavones in the Asian diet. Adjusting the western diet and the use of rich isoflavone supplements derived from leguminous plants offers what could be a natural solution for the many women who experience adverse menopausal symptoms.

Red clover phytoestrogens

One of the main effects in the body of the phytoestrogens is their ability to mimic estrogens. The four key estrogenic isoflavones (biochanin A, formononetin, daidzein and genistein) act as estrogens to the target cells. They are not as nearly potentas estradiol, the strongest estrogen, but high isoflavone dietary supplements are able to deliver high enough levels of estrogenic isoflavones to the blood that their overall estrogenic effect can be quite powerful.

Phytoestrogens versus non-selective estradiol

Natural or synthetic estradiol is entirely non-selective as to which cells it stimulates. It binds easily to the estrogen receptors in every tissue of the body. This is the main reason for which estradiol in Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) produces a mixture of positive and negative effects in post-menopausal women. In contrast, isoflavones have been demonstrated to have little affinity to the oestrogen receptors of the breast and uterine cells, while they bind quite strongly to the cells in the bone, heart and brain. This means they may provide the positive estrogenic effects devoid of the unwanted side effects normally associated with HRT.^10,11 Isoflavones represent one of the classes of the so-called "phytoestrogens", bioactive non-nutrients that are strikingly similar in chemical structure to estradiol, the main female hormone.¹² Indeed, one can superimpose almost exactly the structures of estradiol and isoflavones so they become almost indistinguishable, and therefore they fit beautifully into the pocket representing the binding domain of the estrogen receptor. It is therefore not surprising that isoflavones share many of the properties of endogenous estrogens. Isoflavones have the ability to behave as estrogen mimics, but also have other important non-hormonal properties that have attracted the attention of many investigators.¹⁴

Soy or Red clover - A matter bioavailability and metabolism

Although both soy extracts and Red clover extract are cited for their isoflavone content and estrogenic activity, they should not be considered solely on a competitive or an "either/or" basis. The basis for the use of isoflavones for management of menopausal symptoms comes from the low instances of menopausal symptom in some cultures, such as the some Asian cultures, where isoflavones are present in high quantities in the traditional diet. The recommended dosage of 40 mg/daily of isoflavones (equivalent 100 mg of Red cover extract IFL 40) reflects a quantity of isoflavones and comparative to the intake of isoflavones in the traditional Asian diet (and thus also considered to be an intake of isoflavones that is both effective and safe). Equally, the Asian diet is made up of a range of legumes providing an array of isoflavones, the principal ones being biochanin A, formononetin, daidzein and genistein. There are all present in Red clover extract IFL 40, while Soy extracts contain only daidzein and genistein. Linnea's Red clover extract IFL 40 provides a balanced supplementation of the diet for women whose lifestyle or circumstance make it difficult to change diet to include the consumption of larger quantities or a wider range of legumes. Unlike the majority of isoflavones which are in their glyoside form, the bioavailability of Red clover isoflavones is enhanced because they occur naturally in the aglycone form. Isoflavones in their glycosides form, including the isoflavones of soy, need to be converted to their aglycone or sugarless form before becoming biologically active.¹⁴

Ongoing Research

Although the management of menopause has been the prime focus, Red clover isoflavones are being researched for a variety of therapeutic applications. Recent clinical research into the isoflavones of Red clover has shown promising results in reducing breast tenderness associated with the menstrual cycle, in supporting prostrate health in men, and in helping maintain bone density (and thus helping reduce the instance of osteoporosis) in post menopausal women.

The Red Clover Herb

Red clover is a member of the Family Leguminosae, and is considered to be a legume.It is a biennial (or short-lived) perennial plant with summer flowering that, with summer flowering, produced multiple, fragrant, red-to-purple flowers. The original plant was native to Europe and the temperate regions of Central and Northern Asia and northwest Africa, but is now grown pretty much worldwide. The mature plant is about one metre (three feet) tall and has leaves that consist of three oval-shaped leaflets carrying a distinctive, whitish, V-shaped marking.13 Two synonyms for red clover are pavine clover and cow grass. Scientifically, the species and genus is denoted as Trifolium pratense. Unlike many commercial soy crops, the raw herb used for Red clover extract IFL40 is GMO free.

Linnea

Linnea is a world-class manufacturer of fine botanicals, specialising in the extraction, purification, and processing of plant material rich in pharmacological properties. From raw herb to finished extract, the company takes an uncompromising approach to providing the highest efficiacy and safety. Strict GMP compliance, complete supply-chain traceability, and the highest possible standards are all employed throughout our manufacturing processes to provide maximum product purity and complete customer satisfaction. Linnea is a joint venture of Dr Willmar Schwabe of Germany and Beaufor Ipsen of France, two privately held pharmaceutical companies.

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