Clove! Those of us of a certain generation will no doubt remember clove oil being a thing for dabbing on toothache! You will remember the vile bitter taste and how it made your mouth water, but you will also remember how it numbed your gum and eased the pain…but what else can this amazing spice do? By Juanita Shield-Laignel Cloves grow prolifically in India and Madagascar and have been used traditionally in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine. These tiny, but oh so potent, dark brown bulbs have a warming, stimulating and cleansing effect on the body, and they can be used in cooking, as an extract, in herbal tea or as
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an essential oil. We are familiar with clove as a cooking ingredient
M b iit’s ’ traditionally di i ll used d at this hi time i Maybe year as iit
– very popular as an autumn spice…gingerbread,
can also help with Supporting Immune Function
cookies, cakes and pies - pumpkin, apple or
and Fighting Infections – as well as reducing
otherwise, are all the better for a pinch or two of
inflammation and acting as an antioxidant,
this little marvel of nature. And being a key
eugenol also has antimicrobial and antiviral
component of mulled wine and spiced cabbage,
properties giving it a similar action to raw garlic.
clove comes into its own at the end of year. Given clove’s antimicrobial properties it can also But did you know it also has some other amazing
help promote good digestive health. Clove
medicinal qualities; numbing pain is not the only
contains compounds that have been shown in
one?
studies to increase the production of gastric mucus, thus possibly helpful in the prevention of
Cloves are rich in antioxidants and very high on
stomach ulcers. It can also help ease bloating and
the O.R.A.C. scale (the antioxidant rating scale), as
water retention.
they contain the antioxidant called eugenol, shown to fight free radical damage. This
In extract form, clove can also contribute to
compound can be found in concentrations as
healthy liver function by decreasing inflammation
high as 80%–90% in clove bud oil! Eugenol is
and oxidative stress and there have also been
mooted as helping defend against the
studies to show that clove extract, is rich in
development of chronic diseases and as being an
polyphenolic compounds that support metabolic
important component in anti-aging.
health, which may in turn help adults maintain
28 | www.thejerseylife.co.uk
