Cloves Are a Health Food

It’s interesting how many (most) of the herbs and spices we use in the kitchen have excellent health benefits.  The aromatic spice cloves, has some pretty impressive healing properties you might not be aware of.

Cloves, originally from Indonesia, were brought to Europe by traders hundreds of years ago. They are unopened pink flower buds from the evergreen clove tree.  The buds are dried and their color changes to brown. This flower bud has many medicinal properties and has been used extensively in ancient Indian and Chinese cultures for thousands of years.

Cloves are anti-microbial, anti-fungal and anti-viral.  Their antiseptic properties help treat a variety of conditions. Cloves are rich in vitamins A and C, as well as several minerals including calcium, sodium, potassium and iron.

The oil from cloves is well known to help toothaches and other dental problems, but  clove oil has many other health benefits.

Benefits of Clove Oil

Topically – The antiseptic properties of clove oil make it excellent for treating cuts and wounds.  It’s anti-fungal properties make it a good choice for treating conditions like athlete’s foot.  Clove oil can also help relieve bug bites and stings.

Dental Care – Clove oil kills germs and is often found in dental care products. It is well known for helping to relieve toothaches, sore gums and other irritations in the mouth.  In fact, clove oil has been used in traditional Indian medicine to heal cavities. Clove oil can even help ease a sore throat.  In a very diluted form, clove oil can  help infants who are teething.

Immune System – The anti-viral properties in clove oil help to boost the immune system. It contains antioxidants which help prevent disease as well as aging (also making it good for skin care).

Inflammation – Rubbing clove oil onto  the skin increases the blood flow and causes the area to become warm.  This is good for arthritic sufferers or to help relieve the pain from sore muscles.

Respiratory Infections – Cloves are expectorants which means they promote the discharge of phlegm and other respiratory tract fluids. This can be particularly helpful for colds and coughs, as well as conditions like bronchitis and asthma.

Digestive Issues – Clove oil has also been very successful treating various stomach upsets including indigestion and flatulence.

These are just  a few of the many benefits of cloves.  Clove oil is not expensive and well worth keeping in your home all year round.    You can even make it yourself.

To your Health!

Peter Gillham