Health Benefits of Cloves

Benefits of Cloves

Clove, just like its evergreen plant, is an evergreen spice or herb. It is used as giving a unique aroma to your food and some drinks. Clove is not only used in food products but also in some cosmetics, toothpaste, and soaps. The health benefits of the clove can be seen evidently when it is used in medicines. Although there is no specific research that can show medical benefits, yet it is used. Commonly clove is used as an herb and used to treat tooth pains and mouth-related problems like after mouth surgery, irritation during cough, and other related issues. The clove plant of clove is found in South America and Asia. They are enriched with minerals, vitamins, and have the properties of an antioxidant. In the Chinese method of medical treatment, they are used in medicines of immunity, increasing medicines, for the inflammation, and to help in the digestion process.

Nutritional Information

Health Benefits

From the above table, it is obvious that cloves are rich with Vitamin K, Vitamin C, calcium, Vitamin E, and magnesium. Clove has one component, eugenol; this component, along with vitamin C, works amazingly as an antioxidant and reduces the pace of many chronic diseases. Clove is an extremely good source of fiber. The presence of manganese in it makes your bones strong. According to a research that was done last year, it was found that the clove is remarkably effective in controlling blood sugar level. Besides these few benefits, let us have a look at some other benefits.

Toothache

Oil is extracted from cloves, which has numerous health benefits. This oil is extremely good for treating inflammation and bacterial infections. This oil is also used for toothache; according to a research clove, oil can be used in replacement benzocaine, which is a chemical and is used in toothache medicines. As this clove oil has the power to give relief in the pain tooth and the pain of injection.

Skin Benefits

As we all are familiar with the tea tree oil that is used for treating skin with the help of the aromatherapy method. With the help of this oil, the acne on the skin is removed and treated. But now clove oil is also used to treat acne and pimples. Especially adding ethanol to the clove oil having eugenol enables the clove oil to act as anti-inflammable oil and will reduce the acne and spots on the skin. This oil with ethanol can also be used for the treatment of any bacterial disease of the skin.

Treatment of Food Poisoning

There are many food preservatives that are used in canned foods to preserve them for a longer period. All these preservatives are sometimes extremely dangerous to health. Some of them, including sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate, are not beneficial for health, and you must wash your food if it includes them. Research has shown that clove oil, especially having eugenol, can be used instead of these two chemicals. Clove oil will give an extra aroma to your preserved food as well as act as an antibacterial agent. Clove oil acts best against gram-negative bacteria like pseudomonas, E.coli, Salmonella, and other bacteria, which are gram-positive. The gram-positive bacteria that can be treated with clove oil include staphylococcus and streptococcus. Clove oil extracted from its bud is extremely effective for the treatment of food poisoning. Because the above-mentioned bacteria are responsible for causing food poisoning and clove oil can remove them.

Other Health Benefits

• Cloves are antioxidant, anesthetic, antiseptic, rubefacient, and anti-inflammatory.
• Eugenol is the basic component of the clove and gives them the aroma. The eugenol is helpful in treating wounds of mouth surgery.
• From cloves, some oils are extracted, which are extremely beneficial for the overall health of the body. These oils are maslinic acid, acetyl eugenol, and beta-caryophyllene.
• Extracts of cloves are used in painkillers. These extracts include methyl salicylate and gallotannic acid. Both these compounds are used in painkiller medicines and collectively known as tannins.
• Clove is beneficial for digestion because it has the ability to boost the motility of the gut. This is done with the help of some enzymes that are secreted in the stomach. This will also give relief to constipation problems.
• The fair of different minerals like manganese, selenium, potassium, and iron. The heart health is dependent on potassium because it helps the cell of the body to perform the electrolytic function. With the help of this function, the heath health is ensured, and the pressure of blood is maintained.
• The antioxidants components of cloves are vitamin A and beta carotene. Moreover, it would be best if you had vitamin A for sharp vision and healthy skin. The presence of flavonoids in the clove makes it extremely beneficial for tooth health and prevents the cancer of the lungs and cavity. The overall health of the body is ensured with these two compounds of the cloves.
• As seen from the nutritional info table of the cloves that there is fair weightage of vitamin C in cloves. Vitamin C helps the body to fight against different diseases. It prevents infections in the body, and along with the presence of vitamin K and B6, the overall health of the body will be increased.

Uses in medicines

• The oil extracted from the cloves is used by the aromatherapist.
• It is used in some germicides spray and is known as anti-parasite.
• It is also used for the killing of worms present in the intestine.
• Clove oil is used in some skin medicines. This oil has the ability to expand the veins and makes blood pass easily through them. In this way, the skin gets warmer, and arthritis disease can be cured.

Side Effects

We have discussed many of the health benefits that clove offers to the body. However, there are some side effects that should be kept in mind while consuming cloves. As we discussed that cloves are beneficial, and they can kill the bacteria in the intestine. But cloves are not smart enough to decide which bacteria is harmful for the digestion and which one is good. So, it is most likely that it can kill all the bacteria, including good ones. Moreover, if cloves are consumed in large quantities, they can give you burning sensations in the stomach.

Clove oil is not good for the kids, especially infants. You should not give them or expose the oil in front of them. The clove oil causes intravascular coagulation in the infants, and sometimes it has severe effects on the nervous system of the infants. Clove oil should also be avoided during pregnancy and the days of breastfeeding. However, there is no research about these two facts but it's better to be safe.

Best way to use

• As at the start of this article, we said that clove is an herb. So, if you are using clove as an herb for any herbal treatment, then you need to consult some trained practitioner.
• Clove oil should be used after the advice of the doctor. Although you can find instructions on the pack of the clove oil, they will not help, as they are stated in general terms. But the recommended usage prescribed on the label of the oil can be followed.
• If you are consuming cloves, then try to avoid any supplements that contain clove oil or clove extracts. In this case, better to consult your doctor so that overdosage can be avoided.
• If you have taken too much clove and have burning sensations, then contact your doctor.
• Topical cloves should not be taken by mouth for skin purposes.
• As it is discussed above, the clove is used after surgery because it heals the wound quickly. So, if you are having surgery, then stop taking cloves a few weeks before the surgery. If you take cloves before surgery, then your blood during surgery will clot quickly, and it would be difficult for you to get operated.

Final Words

Clove is an herb that is used as a spice in many countries. It has the nature of antioxidant and anti-inflammable, which can treat many diseases. It is used in many medicines, especially in painkillers. The flavonoids in the cloves are beneficial for the bones and teeth. Its overdose can create a problem of burning sensations in the stomach.

References

https://www.drugs.com/mtm/clove.html

https://www.verywellhealth.com/the-health-benefits-of-cloves-89050

https://www.nutrition-and-you.com/cloves.html