What are the benefits of cloves for the body and how to take it

Cloves are an aromatic spice native to India. It grows on trees of the Eugenia or myrtle genus. For more than 5000 years, this plant has been used for medicinal purposes as an antiseptic, antifungal, antibacterial, antioxidant, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory agent.

Doctors will not write you a treatment with cloves in a prescription, but in folk medicine our ancestors used this spice to treat coughs, flatulence, toothache, inflammation, bronchitis, etc.

Beneficial properties of cloves for the health of the body

Cloves have the following effects on the body:

1. Antiseptic and analgesic effect.
2. Improves blood circulation, removes harmful substances, including toxins, and stimulates the immune system.
3. Expectorant effect - reduces the amount of mucus in the upper respiratory tract, promotes its rapid and effective removal.
4. Speeds up metabolism.
5. Relieves cramps - removes muscle spasms.
6. Stimulates appetite.
7. It is an excellent anthelmintic.
8. Increases the body's defenses.
9. Helps cure infertility.
10. Fights asthma attacks.

Cloves normalize blood pressure

Impact on peptic ulcer disease

Peptic ulcer disease is currently a very common disease. Under the influence of stress, taking medications, hydrochloric acid of gastric juice and a certain type of bacteria (Helicobacter Pylori), defects form in the mucous membrane. Through a large number of studies, it has been proven that eating clove buds increases the production of mucus, which contains a large amount of bicarbonates.

It protects the gastrointestinal mucosa from the effects of hydrochloric acid. Taking clove extract is also used to treat ulcers as effectively as standard treatment regimens.

Compound

The composition of cloves includes the following components:

• essential oil – has a wide spectrum of effects: normalizes neuropsychic processes, improves memory, restores strength, increases appetite, treats respiratory diseases, etc.;
• tannins – tone, strengthen immune defense;
• flavonoids - help cope with fatigue and weakness, fight capillary fragility, inflammatory diseases of the stomach and intestines;
• sterols – have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory effects;
• fiber – cleanses the body of harmful substances;
• proteins – increase the body’s defenses, improve metabolic processes;
• vitamins, C, A, E, B, microelements, etc.

Where did cloves find their use?

In cosmetology

Garden cloves have an antiseptic, tonic, bactericidal, wound-healing, antioxidant, and anti-aging agent. It is added to masks and products for the care of problem skin of the face and body:

• for oily skin;
• for acne;
• with aging skin, the appearance of facial wrinkles, “crow’s feet”, etc.;
• for skin that loses elasticity and moisture.

In cooking

Cooks like to use this aromatic spice in the following cases:

• for pickling mushrooms and vegetables;
• for preparing spices, sauces, seasonings;
• in combination with other spices, cloves are used in the preparation of various confectionery products;
• it is added to compotes and alcoholic drinks.

Dishes to which cloves have been added last much longer. And all this thanks to the antimicrobial effects of the spice.

To ensure that this seasoning does not lose its beneficial properties and aroma during the cooking process, it should be added to dishes or drinks at the end of cooking.

In perfumery and aromatherapy

Cloves are popularly added to many men's and women's fragrances. And although for our women this aroma is mostly associated with pickles and marinades, for girls of Eastern nationality it reminds the atmosphere of love, luxury and celebration.

Clove essential oil can be added to an aroma lamp or bath. It helps strengthen the aura, protect the house from the evil eye, energy vampirism, enemies, and evil tongues. It also has a calming, relaxing effect.

Rules for choosing cloves when purchasing: buds should not break

Merchants who came to the markets for a large batch of spice used this method of checking the quality and freshness of the product: they took several buds and dipped them in a glass of water. If the carnation unfolded vertically in the liquid and remained that way (inflorescence up, petiole down), then the product could be safely purchased. Another behavior of the buds indicated that the cloves were overdried or, on the contrary, stored in a too humid room and some of its valuable essential oils evaporated.

We can also take a bottle of water with us if we buy spices in bulk at the market or in a spice shop. In other cases, you need to look at the production date and expiration date so as not to buy an expired product. Good quality cloves have a strong aroma and the buds bend rather than crumble (you can rub them between your fingers to see if the characteristic slightly oily residue remains on the skin).

Ground cloves quickly lose all their taste and healing qualities, so it is better to buy the spice in buds and grind it in a mortar or coffee grinder immediately before use.

Treatment at home

Cloves are very popular in folk medicine and are used in the treatment of various diseases. For effective therapy, you need to use dried buds, and not already purchased ground raw materials.

For respiratory diseases

It is recommended to include cloves in the complex of preventive measures to prevent ARVI diseases in the autumn-winter period. But even if the disease has already attacked, this spice will help cope with the disease, because the beneficial properties of cloves for the body are already clear:

• If the disease is accompanied by a cough, then you need to prepare the following medicine: 1 tbsp. l. mix the raw materials with the same amount of honey. Add the same amount of water. Stir and place the entire substance in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, remove the clove stick and take 1 tsp of honey. 3 times a day.
• If ARVI is accompanied by a runny nose: pour 25 grams of dried cloves into 1 glass of water and boil for at least 2 hours over low heat. Cool. Do inhalations (breathe over warm steam for 5-7 minutes).
• For a sore throat: grind 4 flowers into powder, pour a glass of boiling milk, leave for 10 minutes. Drink hot in small sips, making sure to hold the milk in your mouth.

If you have a headache when you have a cold: chop 4-5 clove buds with 1 tsp. hot water. Mix everything until you get a paste. Apply the paste to your temples or forehead for 15 minutes

Improvement of the digestive process

Cloves have found their wide application for the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract:

• removes spasms;
• has a positive effect on the functioning of the digestive tract;
• acts as a carminative;
• removes inflammatory processes in the gastrointestinal tract;
• increases appetite;
• relieves nausea, vomiting, belching.

To improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, it is enough to chew 2 buds of medicinal raw materials with 1 tsp. honey 15 minutes before meals

For nausea and vomiting caused by general intoxication of the body: chop 3 clove buds and mix with honey. Place the mixture on your tongue and keep it in your mouth until the honey is completely dissolved.

For psycho-emotional state

A decoction of fragrant flowers is drunk for depression, sleep disorders, headaches, memory problems: chop a small piece of ginger, add cardamom grains (0.5 tsp), hop cones (the same amount). Pour boiling water (0.5 l), add 1 flower, leave for 5 minutes. Take warm in small sips.

From fungal diseases

Cloves have a fungicidal (antifungal) effect.
It can successfully cure nail fungus and ringworm. Recipe for ringworm and dandruff: grind 4-5 spice umbrellas, add 1 tbsp. l. dry onion peel. Pour in 100 ml of alcohol. Cover with a lid and leave the mixture for 2 weeks. 1 hour before washing your hair, rub the product into the hair roots.

Apply the product before each shampoo.

In dentistry

Experts use the oil of the flowers of the fragrant tree to make fillings and insulating gaskets. A tart clove decoction relieves toothache, inflammation in the gums, promotes rapid healing of wounds due to stomatitis, etc.

The nutritional value

To answer the question about the benefits of cloves, let’s consider the nutritional value of this seasoning. Dried clove buds contain an oily substance that is responsible for the main beneficial properties of the spice. It contains eugenol - compounds that, in addition to good taste, have anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, analgesic effects, and are also a very strong antioxidant.

The spice is an absolute record holder on the ORAC scale, which is used to determine the strength of an antioxidant food. The seasoning is a very good source of manganese - an element that is necessary for the proper functioning of the nervous system, is responsible for fertility and sexual function, has a positive effect on metabolism and increases bone strength. It also contains a lot of magnesium, calcium, iron, vitamins A, C and K, as well as omega-3 fatty acids.

Popular recipes

The benefits of cloves for the human body are undeniable. In folk medicine, teas, tinctures, decoctions, etc. can be prepared from dry buds.

Tea with cloves

Daily consumption of clove tea enriches the human body with missing vitamins, improves mood, vitality, and strengthens defenses.

This tea also normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract - relieves bloating, heaviness, and fights diarrhea. Cinnamon, ginger, lemon, orange, honey, and black pepper go well with cloves.

Is mulled wine healthy?

If you make this drink correctly, it will really be beneficial for the functioning of the heart - it will strengthen the heart muscle. For medicinal purposes, it is better not to brew the drink, but to infuse it: take 5 clove buds for 0.5 liters of red wine. Pour them into a bottle, close tightly, and let it brew for 2 weeks in a dark place.

Clove decoction for blood vessels

Cloves help dissolve atherosclerotic plaques, slow down their growth, and prevent the formation of deposits on vascular walls. The following recipes are suitable for cleaning vessels:

1. 1 tsp. Pour a glass of boiling water over chopped dry cloves, bring to a boil, let it brew. Take 2 tsp.
2. Grind 3 buds of cloves and 10 rose hips, pour boiling water (200 ml). Leave for 15 minutes. Add honey to taste. Take 2 cups daily.

Clove decoction

Clove decoction for hypertension

If a person does not know how to take cloves for hypertension, how to brew it correctly and in what proportion, then there will be more harm than good.

It is prohibited to use clove powder; only decoctions are allowed:

• Steam 10 umbrellas in 150 ml of boiling water. Take small doses throughout the day;
• Pour 1 liter of boiling water over 40 buds, reduce the heat, leave the container on the fire until the water evaporates by half. Take 1 tsp decoction.

You need to start treating hypertension with cloves in small doses.

Milk infusion

Milk with cloves has the following beneficial properties: normalizes blood pressure, lowers blood sugar levels, and also fights ARVI:

• 1 tbsp. l. crushed aromatic raw materials pour 1 liter of boiling milk. Leave in a thermos for at least an hour.

Clove-based product and flax seeds - preparation method

Home remedies made from cloves and flax seeds can be used as an adjunct in the treatment of parasitic infections. However, their regular use for preventive purposes is recommended. Below is one way to get rid of parasites in the human body using cloves.

Ingredients:

• one and a half teaspoons of cloves (20 g);
• 3/4 cup flaxseed (about 100 g).

Cooking method:

• cloves should be ground into powder;
• Grind the flax seeds and mix both components together.

Directions for use:

• Dissolve two tablespoons of the mixture in a glass of warm water. Drink on an empty stomach.
• Repeat taking the product 3 days in a row, then take a break for three days and continue treatment.
• If desired, you can also add the product to fruit juices or breakfast smoothies.

This method of how to get rid of parasites in the human body is best suited for combating various types of helminths.

Cloves with coffee: is it healthy?

Yes, coffee with this spice is an incredibly healthy thing, since such a drink activates the brain. It is recommended to drink coffee with cloves in the autumn-winter period; this drink warms, tones and invigorates well.

Benefits for men

Cloves have a beneficial effect on the male reproductive system:

• increases libido;
• eliminates psychological causes of weakened erection (clove improves mood, calms nerves);
• improves local blood circulation;
• ensures normal erection;
• helps prolong sexual intercourse.

For men, you can use different recipes: milk decoctions, wine tinctures, essential oils for bathing, massage, aromatherapy.

The main thing is to follow the dosage and not to overdo it, otherwise the opposite effect is possible.

Benefits for women

This spice has also shown its beneficial properties on the body in the treatment of a number of women’s problems:

• menstrual irregularities;
• pain, cramps caused by premenstrual syndrome;
• climacteric condition;
• state of nervousness;
• sleep problems;
• frigidity, etc.

For both sexes, cloves are an aphrodisiac - they increase testosterone levels in the blood, and also increase potency in men, making them sexually attractive to women.

Contraindications

Cloves should be used with caution, since it can bring not only benefits, but also harm to the following categories of the population:

• persons with hypersensitivity to spices;
• pregnant women, nursing mothers;
• children under 3 years old;
• persons with high acidity and stomach ulcers;
• people suffering from arterial hypertension.

Cloves are not only a fragrant spice used in cooking, but also a popular remedy in folk medicine.

This spice can cure inflammation of various origins, toothache, headache, increases the body's defenses, and improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. When used correctly, cloves have a beneficial effect on women, men and children, but when used incorrectly, they can cause serious harm.

Effect on the bone apparatus

Bone fractures, especially in old age and old age, are an extremely unpleasant event. The fragility of the bone apparatus is caused by deficiencies in the body of various microelements. Scientists say that taking the spice helps increase the flow of microelements such as calcium, magnesium and phosphorus to bone tissue, thereby helping to strengthen it.

Manganese, which is also found in cloves, is responsible for the formation of bone tissue elements. It improves bone strength, making them better able to withstand physical stress. The spice is recommended to be included in the diet to prevent fractures, especially for people over 60 years of age.