Vein-related disorders, such as varicose and spider veins or chronic venous insufficiency are common problems that affect up to 50% Americans, with the female population being at higher risk. Oftentimes, people affected by a vein-related disorder would postpone professional treatment as long as possible because at first, varicose and spider veins are mainly a cosmetic concern rather than a serious health issue.

Current market offers a plethora of over-the-counter herbal supplements and natural products, and it is becoming increasingly hard to navigate through the flood of teas, ointments and tablets. That’s why we are going to look into one specific natural remedy recommended for varicose veins and see if it is worth trying out – sweet clover.

Sweet clover, also known as Melilot, King’s clover or Yellow sweet clover is a biennial plant with smooth multi-branched stems, sweet-smelling yellow flowers and a bitter taste. The plant contains coumarin, a chemical compound which changes into dicoumarol when the plant becomes moldy. Dicoumarol is a strong blood-thinning toxin, or anti-coagulant, which is used in medicine when treating blood clots or various blood-related disorders. These blood thinning properties are exactly what makes sweet clover helpful when treating poor blood circulation and it can thus relieve some varicose vein symptoms, such as heavy legs and swollen ankles. Sweet clover is also used in natural medicine to:

• Clear congestion
• Relieve painful menstruation
• Ease hemorrhoids
• Sooth digestion
• Reduce inflammation

As powerful as all these attributes are when fighting a vein-related disorder, there haven’t been any valid results published or approved by the FDA about the positive affect of sweet clover on varicose veins. To treat deep veins, sweet clover is usually sold in tablets as a dietary supplement. I don’t see any harm in trying this natural remedy if you suffer from a mild case of venous insufficiency. However, if you are experiencing symptoms of varicose and spider veins, it is more than advisable to discuss the issue with a medical professional and have your legs thoroughly examined. Varicose veins can be caused by other severe conditions that need consultation and medical attention.