Clove belongs to the genus Syzygium, one of the 75 genera in the Myrtaceae family, and its scientific name is Syzygium aromaticum. Its cultivation has gained importance in many regions such as Brazil, India, Sri Lanka, Madagascar and Tanzania’s Zengibar island.

In our country, it is grown in and around Antalya. Since it grows in the coastal regions of tropical countries, its leaves are wide, show reticulate and remain green in all seasons.

Clove flowers are pink in color and have a pleasant scent. It is also used as a spice after grinding.

The collection of the flower seeds before they turn green and before they bloom, at the ripening stage, ensures that the clove used as a spice is black and fragrant.

Chemıcal Compounds In Clove

Clove has been ahead of other medicinal plants in terms of antioxidant and antimicrobial properties for centuries, with many flavonoids, hydroxybenzoic acid, phenolic compounds such as hydroxycinnamic acid.

However, studies have reported that the main bioactive compounds that reveal these properties of clove are eugenol and eugenyl acetate.

Clove And Antıoxıdant Actıvıty

Clove is also among the top 100 foods with polyphenol content by the United States Department of Agriculture. Accordingly, clove has a serious antioxidant effect thanks to its high polyphenolic content.

According to researches, it shows this effect thanks to phenolic essential oils such as tannins such as gallic acid, flovonol glucosides and eugenol. Due to these effects, extracted preparations prepared with eugenol-rich clove buds are preferred as high antioxidant supplements.

Clove And Antımıcrobıal Actıvıty

According to the article published in the 2014 Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine, clove acts as a powerful armor against bacteria and fungi. In fact, it is a highly preferred plant type in dentistry because of this effect. You can consume cloves to help clean the oral flora from bad bacteria.

Clove And Its Paın Kıller Effect

Studies say that clove has a significant pain relieving effect. As we mentioned in the previous article, one of the areas where this effect is used is toothache. Studies show that clove can also alleviate toothache, as it has a good pain reliever effect. If you want to take advantage of this effect, you can drop clove oil with low concentration (1%) on a small cotton ball and leave it on the aching tooth. After a short while, you will see this pain go away.

Clove And Dıgestıve System

Did you know that clove has a relaxing effect on the digestive system? In the study published in the International Journal of Research in Ayurveda and Pharmacy in 2011; It is said that consumption of cloves in the form of lozenges helps to stop nausea.

Clove And Its Antı-Cancerogen Effect

Clove oil, thanks to the valuable components it contains, has a serious antioxidant effect as well as a protective effect on the body against tumors. Studies report that clove oil has protective properties, especially against lung, skin and digestive system cancers.

The review published in the International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2014 states that although clove supports this effect, it especially exerts this effect thanks to the component called “eugenol” in its essential oil.

Cautıon When Usıng Clove!

Contrary to what is known, the cloves that are presented openly do not work very well, unfortunately. Because the clove has essential oils, it remains in the open for a long time and unfortunately, its essential oils, which are the most important part that will benefit, fly away. In addition, one of the adulterations unfortunately made in Turkey is the introduction of cloves with essential oils on the market.

So, how can you tell that the clove you are buying has essential oils?

Since the essential oil in clove is more concentrated than water, it immediately collapses when thrown into water. However, the essential oil removed clove will float on the water. With this simple experiment, you can easily determine whether there is essential oil in the clove you took.

Clove And Toxıcıty

Clove essential oil is generally recognized as a safe substance when consumed in concentrations lower than 1 500 mg / kg. On the other hand, the World Health Organization (WHO) has determined that the acceptable amount of cloves consumed per day is 2.5 mg / kg by weight in humans.

Although there is not enough research, it is generally said to be careful in use because its essential oil is very sharp. Accidental ingestion of large quantities can cause skin irritation and damage to mucous membranes in some individuals. If used directly as clove oil, the concentration should be below 1%. It is not recommended for use during pregnancy.

However, you should remember that it is important to act with the awareness that too much of it will be harmful and to avoid uncontrolled use of cloves.

It has been reported that excess eugenol has toxic effects and prooxidant properties, increasing the effect of diarrhea, nausea and causing dizziness, short-term loss of consciousness, low or high blood pressure. The World Health Organization (WHO) stated that the daily use of 2.5 mg / kg cloves is sufficient.

If Shortly Summary

There are many potential health benefits, such as keeping cloves in check and helping prevent bacterial growth.

As a cold compress in muscle and joint pain, interruption of pain transmission and numbing the pain,

In pastes for toothache,  tooth infections ,

Antiviral treatment for herpes in viral infections,

As an insecticide in agriculture,

In asthma and allergic disorders due to eugenol inhibition of histamine release,

In skin care, acne treatment and wound healing by making use of its antiseptic feature,

It is used in complaints such as nausea and vomiting.

It is often used in world cuisines to flavor pickles, jams and desserts.

As with many healthy foods, they are most effective when used as part of a healthy and balanced diet.

You can easily incorporate ground cloves into many dishes. It will add a distinctive flavor to desserts and curries.

You can try adding a few servings of cloves to your meals a week.