30 Magical Benefits of Cloves

Cloves have made its space in India to treat number of diseases besides adding some fresh flavour to the food to be cooked. It is considered as an excellent home remedy to treat toothaches, skin disorders, headache joint pains, cough and indigestion and many more ahead. All these treatment using clove can be due to amazing properties of clove. Some of which include antimicrobial, antiseptic, antispasmodic, carminative, expectorant, germicidal, rubefacient, stomachic stimulant properties. In the following article we present some home remedies that are related to cloves, collected from Indian kitchen especially for you where use of such amazing and magical spices and condiments is not only limited to preparing of and adding a different flavour to the meals but also in treating some common disorders.

Cloves nutrition facts

Cloves are considered to be one of the highly priced spices that are found from evergreen rainforest trees native to Indonesia. This spice is recognized all around the globe for its awestruck medicinal and culinary qualities. They are basically “flower buds”.

This spice is scientifically known as Sygizium aromaticum across the world. Botanically, the spice belongs to the family of Myrtaceae of the genus; Sygyzium.

These buds are generally picked up and made into use when their length reaches to 1.5 to 2 cms. Initially the flower buds are pale in colour but gradually they turn into green colour. By the time they are harvested, these flower buds develop into bright-red clove buds.

Medicinal properties and health benefits of cloves
Let’s check from the following post what are the useful properties of clove that can be made into use as home remedy in order to treat common ailments:

1. The principles that are quite active in the clove are known to have properties which include antioxidant, anti-flatulent, anti-septic, carminative and local anaesthetic. Cloves are also said to have anti-inflammatory and rubefacient (warming and soothing) properties.
2. Do you know that cloves are said to be having the distinction of having the highest antioxidant activity of any food.
3. Clove is a spice that contains essential oils such as eugenol that are quite beneficial for your health.It is a phenyl-propanoids class of chemical compound. This compound gives pleasant, sweet aromatic fragrances to the clove-bud. It is very beneficial for all dental care essentials and treatment procedures as it contains Eugenol that has local aesthetic and antiseptic properties in them.
4. It is a very common home remedy to use cloves in toothache. When you press a clove bud between your jaws at the site of aching tooth it eases the pain.
5. Applying clove oil in the cavity of decayed tooth would reduce the pain. It will also help to ameliorate infection.
6. In order to remove bad breathe, it is advised to chew cloves.
7. You can prepare a decoction. It is prepared by boiling 5-6 cloves in 30 ml of water. You are advised to take this decoction with honey three times a day as an expectorant. You can also try chewing a clove with common salt. It also helps in relieving from coughing.
8. It is considered to be one of the wonderful medicines in cases of inflammation in the pharynx (condition termed as pharyngitis). Also, try chewing roasted clove. It will surely relieve you from cough or throat congested.
9. Clove can also be used to treat asthma. Just follow these simple steps. Soak 2 cloves and 12 to 15 basil (Ocimum sanctum) leaves and 10 black pepper (Piper nigrum) in water. Then boil it for 15 minutes. Next filter the same. To this, add two tsp honey. Drink this mixture with milk.
10. In order to relieve uneasiness to those who are suffering from acidity, it is advised to suck a clove.
11. In order to cure stomach ache, intake of clove with sugar can prove to be beneficial.
12. Clove can also be used to treat headache effectively. All you need to do is prepare a paste of clove with common salt. Thereafter drink it with milk.
13. Simple application of a paste of clove can also be used to relive from headache.
14. You are advised to prepare a paste of clove in cases of nausea and vomiting. The paste can be prepared by mixing clove powder in honey. Licking the prepared paste would ease all your related problems.
15. Clove also helps during pregnancies. Clove bud when boiled in water and given to a pregnant lady eases the sensation of vomiting.
16. Do you know that clove can also be used in relieving joint pains and muscular cramps? All you need to do is apply a few drops of clove oil mixed with mustard (Brassica juncea) oil on the affected area in joint pain and muscular cramps.
17. Cloves can be used to treat spasmodic coughs during tuberculosis, bronchitis and asthma. Follow these simple steps by mixing a few drops of clove oil and garlic in honey. Thereafter take this formulation before you go to the bed.
18. Loves are also used to relieve from earache. Follow these steps. Mix clove oil and sesame (Sesamum indicum) oil. Warm the mixture. Put 2 to 3 drops in the ear and you will feel relieved.
19. Good news for all those having trouble with acnes, cloves can treat acne. Just apply a paste of clove powder in honey over the part of your body that is affected.
20. You can also use this remedy. Mix a few drops of clove oil in jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) or coconut (Cocos nucifera) oil and then apply it over acne. This is a home remedy that not only removes all the acnes but also the leftover spots.
21. Clove can also be used for treating sty (inflammation on the eyelash). All you have to do is rub a clove stub in water. Then apply the same over the affected area.
22. When the clove oil is diluted with water in the ratio of 1:10, it acts an effective mosquito repellent. Now you have to just spray this solution to keep all the insects at bay.
23. Clove is quite beneficial to treat coryza. Boil 6-7 clove buds along with 15 g aniseed (Pimpinella anisum) in half a litre of water. Boil it till it remains one-fourth. Drink the prepared solution with sugar. It will surely relieve you from coryza (inflammation of the mucous membrane).
24. The best remedy to treat catarrh is to eat a clove in betel (Piper betel) leaf.
25. The essential oil, eugenol in this spice has been used to give a therapeutic effect in the field of dentistry as a local-aesthetic and antiseptic for teeth and gum.
26. Though further detailed studies are still required to establish all its benefits, but it has been found that Eugenol can also be used to reduce blood sugar levels in
27. In traditional medicine preparations, the decoction is sometimes also used to treat flatulence and indigestion as well.
28. It also has a natural anti-parasite property (kills intestinal worms) which can be said as one of its function.
29. By increasing the secretion of gastro-intestinal enzyme, the active principles in the clove may increase gut motility and also improves the digestion power as well. Thus, clove helps to relieve indigestion and constipation problems.
30. The spice is also said to contain a good quantity of minerals that includes potassium, manganese, iron, selenium and magnesium. Potassium can control heart rate and blood pressure as it is an important electrolyte of cell and body fluids. Manganese is used by a human body as one of a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase.

Selection and storage

Clove buds are easily available in the spice market throughout the year. A good quality bud can be easily recognised. When a good quality bud is squeezed between the thumb and the index finger, it releases a sweet fragrance. It is always advised to buy whole buds from the store instead of buying cloves in powdered form. It is warned that powdered buds may contain adulterated spicy powders which are not good for health. Make sure that while you buy clove buds, they should be wholesome i.e. with stem and sepals, and compact.

Powdered cloves are advised to be stored inside the refrigerator in an air tight container. Moreover, they should be used as early as possible as they may lose their flavour quickly. While whole cloves should be stored in places that are cool and dark. They are advised to be stored in closed containers for many months. They can be milled easily using “hand mill” as and when required.

Safety

While consuming d8ishes prepared using clove, one should be careful. Consumption of such dishes that are prepared using large quantities of cloves health problems which include gastrointestinal irritation, central nervous system disorders. It is warned by the doctors that recipies that are prepared using these spices must be avoided by those individuals who are suffering from stomach ulcers, ulcerative colitis, and diverticulitis conditions It is also said that intake of clove must be avoided by those ladies who are pregnant.

Source: https://healam.com/