Clove Bud

Clove Buds or cloves. It’s likely you’ve used them in your kitchen, particularly when cooking up some Indian cuisine. But have you ever wondered what they actually are, where they come from and if they have any health benefits?

Let your wondering be over because we’re about to tell you all that you need to know about Clove Buds.

What is a Clove Bud?

Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of an evergreen plant called Syzygium aromaticum, thought to be native to Indonesia.

It’s used as a spice in many recipes from desserts, curries, and even tea and is widely used in Indian cuisine. What you may not know, is that it’s also been used in traditional medicine.

Are Clove Buds Good for Your Health?

Not only are Clove Buds aromatic and delicious in curries, they are good for your health too. With one of the richest sources of phenolic compounds, they can help overcome pain, fight infections, parasites and much more.¹

What is the ‘much more’ we are referring to? Here are just some of its health benefits:

Oxidative Stress Reduction

Oxidative stress is an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in your body. This imbalance can cause common diseases like metabolic disorders, worsening heart health, diabetes, respiratory conditions, neurodegenerative diseases, and even cancer.²

Studies show that Clove Buds are high in eugenol, which is five times more potent than vitamin E.² Vitamin E is a natural fat-soluble antioxidant and antioxidants can help prevent and reduce oxidative stress.²

Increased Medication Potency

The eugenol found in Clove Buds not only may help prevent cancer in a dose-dependent manner, but it also may even help potentiate the activity of some anticancer medications.³

This means that not only could Clove Buds be used to help prevent cancer, but also assist with cancer treatment itself too.³

Antibacterial Agent

Clove Buds may help inhibit the growth of disease-causing bacteria and are primarily considered to be good for oral health; as they may help prevent the inflammatory condition of gums. This is why clove extracts are frequently added to mouthwashes.⁴

Study shows that using a mouth rinse that contains Clove extract for three weeks may considerably reduce risk of gingivitis, and may prevent the formation of tooth plaque.⁴

Good For Liver Health

It seems that regular consumption of Cloves can also reduce the risk of liver inflammation. One study even demonstrated that eugenol in cloves might help with the reversal of liver scarring or cirrhosis.⁵

Analgesic Properties

Incredibly, Clove extract may even help reduce the sensation of pain – a great natural alternative.⁶

Traditionally, Clove has been used to treat toothache in many countries.⁶

Glucose Metabolism

Experimental studies suggest that Clove Buds may improve glucose uptake by skeletal muscles. This means it may have a role in the management of diabetes and reduce the risk of various metabolic disorders, especially if taken regularly and early enough.⁷

Bone Health

Osteoporosis is a significant problem, especially among post-menopausal women, causing demineralisation of bone, making them prone to fractures.⁸

The action of eugenol on bone metabolism along with high mineral content of Clove Buds, may help strengthen bones.⁸

Studies in animal models show that Clove extract considerably improved bone calcium and phosphate content. However, most of the studies are limited to lab animals, and it’s not known whether Clove will definitely benefit humans in the same way.⁸

Stomach Ulcer Treatment

Did you know that stomach ulcers have less to do with high acidity, and more to do with reduced local defenses and lower production of gastric mucus?

Studies in animals indicate that Clove extract can stimulate mucus production, help protect the gastric mucosa, and in turn may have a role in the treatment of stomach ulcers.⁹

Not only are Clove Buds aromatic and delicious in curries, they are good for your health too.

Why not add some extra Cloves to your next curry or spicy dish?

Properties

Anti-Bacterial⁴
Anti-Fungal⁴
Anti-Inflammatory⁶
Anti-Parasitic¹
Antioxidant²
Aphrodisiac¹
Asthma¹
Blood Pressure – Reduction²^,7
Bone Strengthening⁸
Brain Function / Neuroprotective^1,²
Cancer Prevention³
Cough⁴
Diabetes / Blood Sugar⁷
Digestive Function⁹
Energiser²
Expectorant¹^,²
Flatulence⁹
Heart Support / Health²
High/Good Levels of Vitamin E¹^,²
Hypertension²
Indigestion⁹
Libido & Sexual Performance²^,5
Liver Health⁵
Oral Health⁴
Osteoporosis⁸
Oxidation Reduction²
Pain Relief⁶
Respiratory Support⁴
Toothache⁶
Ulcer Support⁹
Vomiting Prevention⁹

References