The benefits of cloves are many and varied, medicinal, cosmetic and nutritional. Thanks to the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants it contains, it fights many dangerous diseases such as cancer and diabetes, strengthens the immune system and is recommended for pain relief.
The benefits of cloves have been known for thousands of years. Cloves are one of the oldest and most famous spices in the world.
In its original homeland, Indonesia, its name is cengkeh, and in Arabic it has several names, which are cloves, cloves, or cloves, the latter being the literal translation of the French name, which is Clou de girofle. In Latin it is called Eugenia Caryophyllata.
What is cloves?
Cloves are the flower buds of the clove tree, native to Indonesia. It is an evergreen tree of the myrtle plant family. Clove is a powerful aromatic spice. It is a popular spice known all over the world. Due to the many and varied benefits of cloves, its uses are also diverse.
The aromatic clove tree was first known in the Maluku Islands in Indonesia, and is still a major producer in Indonesia. Today, Indonesia is followed in clove production by Madagascar, Sri Lanka, India, Tanzania, Zanzibar and other hot tropics.
The Indonesians are the main consumers of cloves, they consume about 50% of the world production, and they use it not only for cooking and drinking, but also for smoking.
History of the discovery of the benefits of cloves
Ancient China knew of the various benefits of cloves. As early as 200 BC, envoys from the Indonesian island of Java brought cloves to the court of the Han Dynasty of China.
This aromatic spice was used not only in cooking, perfumes and medicine, but was also eaten as a mouth cleanser. Anyone who met the emperor had to chew cloves to ensure their breath was fresh.
Arab traders brought cloves to Europe in the 4th century BC during the time of the Romans. At the time, cloves were very expensive, and using them in cooking was considered a luxury.
Clove cultivation was almost entirely confined to Indonesia. With the spread of cloves around the world, it became the focus of the trade wars between the European empires, which were trying to control the market for this popular herb, so that the Dutch Empire, in the early 17th century, burned every clove tree that did not grow on the Dutch-controlled Spice Islands. So I burned it on all the islands except for Amboina and Ternate, for the scarcity of cloves and thus ensuring their monopoly on this great ingredient and their high price.
However, in the latter half of the 18th century, France smuggled cloves, from the East Indies to the islands of the Indian Ocean and the New World, and broke the Dutch monopoly.
In the early 21st century, Indonesia was the largest clove producer in the world, followed by Madagascar, Tanzania, and Sri Lanka.
Clove Tree
The clove tree grows best in highly humid environments, with an average temperature of 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit (21.11 to 29.44 degrees Celsius), making tropical environments well suited for this plant.
The clove tree is an ever-growing tree, ranging in height from 8 to 12 meters (25 to 40 feet). Trees are usually propagated from seeds sown in shaded areas.
The clove tree begins to bear fruit in the 5th year of its planting. The fruits are colorful and turn brown or black after picking. The tree may annually produce up to 34 kg (75 lb) of clove buds. The buds are picked by hand in late summer and again in winter and then dried in the sun. Clove buds are about 13 to 19 mm (0.5 to 0.75 in) long.
The buds contain 14-20% of the essential oil. The main component of clove buds is eugenol essential oil, which is extracted by distillation to produce clove oil, which also gives it its pungent flavor.
Clove benefits
The benefits of cloves have been invoked in all-natural medicinal practices, such as Ayurvedic medicine and ancient Chinese medicine for hundreds of years, thanks to their antibacterial and antimicrobial properties.
The benefits of cloves are also known to improve digestion and reduce inflammation. In addition, cloves also contain beneficial vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, vitamin K, magnesium and fiber.
Ancient medicine knew and used the benefits of cloves, but modern medical scientists did not begin to study its health benefits until recently. So what is it?
1- Oral health and dental pain
Clove has anesthetic properties thanks to the eugenol it contains. It is ideal for treating toothache and is considered a local anesthetic. It is sufficient to put one clove of crushed cloves, or its equivalent in powdered cloves, on the affected tooth to relieve pain until reaching the dentist.
Researchers have studied clove oil as a natural way to maintain oral health for its effect on plaque, gingivitis, and bacteria in the mouth.
Researchers have compared the effectiveness of an herbal mouthwash containing cloves, basil, and tea tree oil with a commercially available essential oil mouthwash.
2- Anti-cancer
A study by scientists from Capital Medical University in Beijing, the University of Pittsburgh, Roswell Park Cancer Institute and the University of Minnesota, found that clove extract helps reduce cancer growth, and eliminates cancer cells in its various forms, specifically breast, ovarian and lung cancer, and other early-stage cancers, thanks to a substance The eugenol it contains and its anti-cancer properties.
In one laboratory study, scientists found that clove extract was able to slow the growth of multiple types of human cancer cells. The clove extract also caused the death of many colon cancer cells.
The same study also looked at the effect of clove extract on tumor growth in mice. Tumor growth was significantly lower in mice treated with clove extract, compared to those in the control group.
In another human study, scientists looked at the effect of various preparations of clove extract on breast cancer cells. They found that the effect of clove essential oil and ethanol extract from cloves, was toxic to breast cancer cells.
Warning: It should be noted that if eugenol is ingested in large quantities, it may cause poisoning. Therefore, you should always consult your doctor before consuming cloves and its oil as a home remedy.
