These little spices looking like small nails have so much in store for your good health.
First, how do you call cloves in your local language?
Please comment with the name and language in the comment section.
The health benefits of cloves are enormous. According to the USDA FoodData Central, cloves contain carbohydrates, protein, energy, and dietary fibre. Minerals in cloves include potassium, calcium, sodium, and magnesium. The vitamins are vitamin E, folate, and niacin. They also contain phosphorus, iron, zinc, vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, and vitamin A and K. Surprisingly, every single piece contains these nutrients. So, you don’t need to use much in your dishes.
We are not done yet. Cloves also contain bioactive substances; flavonoids, hexane, methylene chloride, ethanol, thymol, eugenol, and benzene. These biochemicals possess antioxidant, hepatoprotective, anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties.
Health Benefits of Cloves
Now let’s go on to the health benefits of cloves.
1. Help Manage Diabetes
Cloves extracts imitate insulin in some ways. They help control blood sugar levels. The Journal of Ethnopharmacology published a study that found cloves to have a beneficial effect on diabetes.
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2. Protect the Liver
Cloves contain high amounts of antioxidants. These antioxidants are good for protecting organs like the liver from the effects of free radicals.
3. Improve Gastrointestinal Health
Traditionally, cloves were used to treat stomach issues. They can be used to boost digestion and control gastrointestinal irritation. Also, you can fry cloves and use them to stop vomiting. It is also an effective purgative.
4. Possess Antibacterial Properties
Cloves have antibacterial properties to fight against several human pathogens. The extracts of cloves are strong enough to kill those pathogens.
5. Promote Bone Preservation
Studies have shown that hydro-alcoholic extracts in cloves contain phenolic compounds like eugenol, and its derivatives, such as flavones, isoflavones, and flavonoids. These help in preserving bone density and the mineral content of bone.
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6. Improve Oral Health
They can be used to reduce gum diseases such as gingivitis and periodontitis. Cloves bud extracts can control the growth of oral pathogens responsible for various oral diseases. You can also use them for toothaches because they are also good pain killers.
7. Boost Immunity
Certain plants to be effective in developing and protecting the immune system according to a healthy lifestyle system called Ayurveda. Clove is one of such plants. The dried flower bud of clove contains compounds that help improve the immune system. It increases the white blood cell count, and so, improves delayed-type hypersensitivity.
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8. Possess Anti-inflammatory Properties
Cloves possess anti-inflammatory and pain-killing properties. Cloves extracts were administered on lab rats and it was found to contain eugenol. It reduces the inflammation caused by oedema. Eugenol can also reduce pain by stimulating pain receptors.
9. Helps Treat Headache
You may try cloves for headaches. A paste of cloves with rock salt and milk does the magic. It is quick and effective against headaches.
10. Possess Aphrodisiac Properties
Cloves and nutmeg are some of the few spices known to have aphrodisiac properties. These spices have been tested and administered for that purpose and the results proved positive.
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Side Effects of Cloves
If used in excess and without caution, cloves can prove harmful.
There are also some derivatives of cloves that should be used cautiously.
- Do not use clove essential oils directly. Dilute it with oliive oil or distilled water. As much as cloves extracts are considered safe, studies show they contain cytotoxic properties.
- Cloves are consumed in the form of cigarettes popularly called kreteks in countries like Indonesia. These cigarettes are alternatives to tobacco. However, these clove cigarettes have been proven to be worse to health than conventional cigarettes. The amount of carbon monoxide, nicotine, and tar in the lungs was higher than that of normal tobacco cigarette.
