Why You Should Be Eating More Cloves

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Cloves are the dried flowers of the clove tree, and look like small, trumped-shaped buds. Usually, you can find them in a jar in the supermarket, but you can also get them in powdered form as well. 

Cloves are one of nature’s superfoods. They contain the highest concentration of antioxidants of any commonly-consumed item in the western world.

In this post, we take a look at some of the healing properties of cloves and how they can support your health. 

 

They Reduce Inflammation

Because of their high antioxidant status, cloves are excellent at reducing inflammation throughout the body. They’re particularly effective at cutting down the immune response after a high-fat meal by reducing free radicals and removing them from the system. They may also be beneficial in cutting the risk of cancers, diabetes and heart disease. 

They Improve Liver Function

Cloves are associated with better liver function. Research shows, for instance, that cloves might be able to prevent cirrhosis, which is a scarring of the liver that occurs after prolonged alcohol consumption or years of an unhealthy diet. Cloves contain special compounds that protect the body’s tissues and prevent damage from occurring in the first place. 

They Reduce Gum Pain

Waiting for an emergency dental appointment can be a painful experience. Often, there’s a gap of a few hours between the excruciating pain starting, and the visit to the dentist. 

Therefore, some people chew on cloves. They contain a number of compounds, such as eugenol, that can help to numb gums and even fight infection before you get professional medical help. Just place a clove next to the part of the gum or tooth that hurts and wait for it to offer some relief. If you have severe periodontitis, it won’t get rid of the infection entirely, but it will help go some way towards it. 

They Reduce The Occurrence Of Ulcers

Stomach ulcers can be extremely painful and make it difficult to eat. In some cases, they require rapid medical intervention. 

Ulcers are a consequence of thinning layers of mucus that protect the stomach lining. Studies show that cloves thicken mucus, lowering the risk of ulcers forming in the first place.

In this sense, ulcers are a little bit like mushrooms. By increasing the thickness and stickiness of mucus, they help to protect the lining of the alimentary canal from damage. 

How Much Clove Should You Take?

Generally speaking, you want to buy whole cloves. Their potency tends to fade once ground. 

If you want to make clove tea, take a few cloves and then use a spice grinder to turn them into particles. Then pour boiling water over them to create a tea, steeping them for a few minutes. 

Use a strainer to remove the spice. What’s left is a tea that contains numerous beneficial and healthy ingredients. 

If you don’t like the taste of cloves on their own, you can add them to other areas of your diet. They work well in spicy curries, pickles, pumpkin pie and as part of rubs for seasonal meat.