Cloves are one of the widely used spices across the globe. But its uses might be more than what you think. Cloves are packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals. Originally used in Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine, cloves benefits include strengthening the immune system, help with digestion, reducing inflammation, among others.
Let’s see the cloves’ nutritional value.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (1), 1 teaspoon of cloves contain
| Calories (Kcal) | 6 |
| Protein | 0.13 grams |
| Fiber | 0.7 grams |
| Carbohydrates | 1.38 grams |
| Total fat | 0.27 grams |
Health Benefits of Cloves
1. Loaded with Antibacterial Properties
A study (2) says that clove oil acts as an antibacterial agent that helps with various health conditions. For example, including clove oil in your toothpaste is an excellent way to help fight the plague and other bad bacteria in your mouth. Many toothpaste companies include cloves as an ingredient. It is a fantastic way to maintain oral hygiene.
2. Helps with Digestive Issues
Cloves contain a good amount of fiber that can help improve your bowel movement and regulate your hunger levels. Because of their nutrients, cloves play an essential part in keeping your stomach healthy and stop it from growling between meals.
[Read: Clove Oil for Teething]
3. An Excellent Pain Killer
Out of all clove medicinal uses, it is best known for its role in relieving toothache and dental pain. The analgesic effect of clove essential oil on toothache is well documented in various studies. Also, a study (3) done on male mice has shown that the analgesic properties of cloves worked well when compared to other remedies.
4. Help Maintain Your Blood Sugar Levels
Maintaining blood sugar levels isn’t an easy task. However, it isn’t tough too. Cloves contain one important mineral, Manganese. This particular mineral helps you in regulating your blood sugar levels.
5. Enhances Liver Function
Cloves are packed with antioxidants. These antioxidants are responsible for protecting our organs from free radicals, especially in the case of the liver. When the amount of antioxidants decreases in the liver, it will be susceptible to various infections. Now, cloves extract is a vital element and helps in fighting with the effects of free radicals with its hepatoprotective properties.
[Read: Clove Oil for Toothache]
6. Packed with Essential Nutrients
Cloves are loaded with vital nutrients like fiber and vitamin C, which help in preventing constipation and strengthen your immune system. Also, the content of manganese in cloves helps with brain function and building stronger bones.
7. Helps with Stomach Ulcers
According to one animal-based research, the essential oil in cloves increased the amount of gastric mucus(4). Now, this acts as a barrier and assists in preventing the erosion of stomach lining from digestive acids.
[Read: Home Remedies for Stomach Ulcer]
How to Consume Cloves?
Ideal clove daily intake could be a teaspoon. You can consume cloves in similar ways to ginger and ground cinnamon. Sprinkle some grounded cloves to your dishes like cookies, pasta, oatmeal, applesauce, etc. In addition to that, cloves can be used to make teas. Teas made with cloves are popular in countries like India. Cloves can also be used in sour cakes and bread, such as Gingerbread.
Side Effects/Word of Caution
In most of the cases, consuming cloves is totally fine. However, there are some cases in which the clove oil has found to affect the intestinal microbiota when ingested as some of the bacteria in the gut biome are sensitive to eugenol. Also, when consumed in large amounts, cloves can irritate your bowel for sometime.
Additionally, if swallowed, cloves can create a burning sensation in the throat. So make sure to discuss your consumption of cloves with your physician or doctor first. There are also studies that show kids who swallowed cloves had Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC) and central nervous system depression. If you are using clove essential oil, make sure to dilute it with distilled water.
Conclusion
Clove is an excellent spice and has many health benefits. Of course, it is equally important to maintain a healthy and balanced diet regardless of the various health benefits that we get from foods. You can start including this wonderful spice in your diet. You can add these in chutneys, pickles, curries, etc. Nevertheless, it is better to check with your doctor or physician before consuming this.
FAQs
1. Are There Any Specific Cloves Benefits for Men?
Cloves can keep men’s sexual life healthy according to an animal-based study.
2. What Are the Benefits of Drinking Clove Water?
Drinking clove water or eating them as a whole, benefits are the same. They can help with various health conditions.
