CLOVES
Botanical: Caryophyllus aromaticus  (also known as Syzygium aromaticum)
Family: Myrtaceae (myrtle/clove)
Other common names: Lavanga, Carophyllus, Clovos, Mother Cloves, Tropical Myrtle, Eugenia Aromatica

Cloves are not only a culinary staple, but they should also be in every medicine cabinet as an old-time pain reliever, digestive aid and warming stimulant. Cloves exhibit broad antimicrobial properties against fungi and bacteria, thus supporting its traditional use as a treatment for diarrhea, food poisoning and other infectious conditions. Try Cloves as a breath freshener and, perhaps, even an aphrodisiac.

History:
The Clove is an evergreen tree that may grow from fifteen to fifty feet tall, and is native to the Molucca Islands and the Philippines. It is cultivated in Madagascar, Indonesia, Zanzibar, Sumatra, the West Indies, Brazil and other tropical areas. In ancient times the Chinese and Romans prized it highly, and the fresh and dried flower buds are still used in herbal formulas for treating diarrhea and intestinal worms in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), where it was first mentioned in writings of the first century B.C. The word Clove is derived from the Latin, clavus, meaning "nail," which describes the shape of the bud; and two of Cloves' generic names are Syzigium (from the Greek "closed together," as the petals close in a tuft over the flower of the Clove), and Eugenia  (after Prince Eugene of Savoy [1663-1736], statesman and patron or the arts and science). By A.D. 300, Cloves had reached Europe, but it was not until 1500 that increased sea voyages and trade made it better known and more widely used. Early American Eclectic physicians used Cloves to treat digestive complaints, adding them to bitter herbal medicines to make them more palatable, and they were also the first to extract Clove oil from the herbal buds, which they used on the gums to relieve toothache. Clove Oil is extracted from the leaf and/or under-developed flowers and is the principal form used medicinally. Some constituents include essential oils, eugenol, gallic acid, tannin, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, gum, fiber, resin, vanillin, mucilage, cinnamaldehyde, beta-sitosterol, beta-pinene, beta carotene, B-vitamins and vitamins A and C.

Beneficial Uses:
Cloves are used mainly to support healthy digestive function and are thought to relieve digestive upsets, vomiting and nausea. Oil of Cloves apparently reduces the sensation of bloating and gas pressure within the stomach that frequently troubles people with peptic ulcers and gastroenteritis. Clove is considered a warming herb that improves the assimilation and digestion of foods.

In Ayurvedic medicine, ancient healers used Cloves to heal respiratory ailments. The herb is said to clear excess mucus from the lungs and relieve asthma, coughs and colds.

Long used as a pain reliever, Clove oil is said to possess powerful analgesic properties. Eugenol, its active ingredient, comprises from sixty- to ninety percent of this herb and is thought to be responsible for its pain-killing properties. Oil of Cloves has been used around the world to relieve pain from toothache and dental treatments and remains one of the major pain relieving agents still used by dentists to ease periodontal disease and toothache. 

Clove oil is considered by some to be one of the most powerful germicidal agents in the herbal kingdom. Its antiseptic, antibacterial properties help in the treatment of diarrheaa and food poisoning by killing many types of bacteria, including pseudomonas aeruginosa, shigella (all species), streptococci, staphylococci bacteria - all of which may be involved in food poisoning - as well as pneumonocci bacteria. Its disinfectant properties make it a fine mouthwash, breath freshener and toothpaste ingredient. Cloves are said to be antiparasitic, and its antimicrobial properties destroy intestinal parasites, thus supporting its traditional use by the Chinese in treating intestinal worms.

Reputed to have antiviral and antifungal properties, Clove oil is said to increase the efficacy of "acyclovir," a drug used to treat the viral infections underlying Bell's palsy, chronic fatigue syndrome and herpes. 

Consuming Cloves is thought to produce an aphrodisiac effect.

Used externally, Oil of Cloves also eases neuralgia and rheumatism. It is also thought to be beneficial in counteracting the fungus that causes athlete's foot.

**Provided itself beneficial in research that involved people, endorsed by Germany’s Commission E for Therapeutic use, Athlete’s Foot, Bronchitis, Colds, Coughing, Fever, Infections, Inflammation, Mouth Inflammation, Pain, Pharyngitis, Toothache

*Provided itself beneficial in research that did not involve people, the study could have been done in a test tube, petri dish or animals for Therapeutic use, Bad Breath, Bug Bites, Bunions, Colic, Dermatitis, Diarrhea, Gum Problems, Macular Degeneration, Sores, Vaginitis, Wounds, Yeast Infections

Contraindications:
None



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Disclaimer: The information presented herein by Organic Herbs Medicine Cabinet is intended for educational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent disease. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.