You’ve surely already tasted it in warm winter beverages or homemade desserts, such as gingerbread.

You have certainly experienced it, at least in trace amounts, in toothpaste, body lotions or scented perfumes.

It is the clove, also known in Latin as the Syzygium Aromaticum.

In Latin it is also called clavus, which means nail, due to their similarity.

Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the Myrtaceae family and they grow between 12 and 16 mm long.

Their smell is warm, pungent and aromatic and their flavor is sweet-tart and very strong, which is why it is today one of the most famous and most widely used spices in the world.

Cloves were brought to this country a long time ago by sailors returning from their travels.

But it is also a powerful medicinal herb with proven efficacy in fighting inflammation, pain, oxidation and cancer.

The healing properties of cloves

Although small, the clove is a powerful remedy for many diseases.

The main ingredient of cloves is eugenol, whose main feature is anti-inflammatory activity.

In addition, it contains the minerals calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, manganese and selenium.

It is rich in vitamins C, E, K and B complex, including folic acid, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin.

Consuming cloves can help with a number of diseases, internal or external.

As a dietary supplement, this spice can be used whole, ground or as an oil concentrate.

First aid for toothaches and bad breath

Cloves have always been used to eliminate bad breath.

They were found to have analgesic properties and to be especially effective with toothaches.

In some countries dentists, use its oil to disinfect the teeth before surgery due to its strong antibacterial properties.

How can it help you?

Put whole cloves on the gums, near the painful area around the problematic tooth. Keep them there.

The gums’ thin skin membrane easily absorb oil from it and provide immediate relief, which you'll soon notice.

It kills the eggs of parasites and bad bacteria

Clove acts as an antimicrobial agent, killing parasites and bacteria in the digestive tract.

In appropriate doses, it relieves excessive bloating and cramps.

Antiparasitic cleansing with clove oil is one of the most effective methods of cleaning the body overall, which is why it is one of the three ingredients of the well-known anti-parasitic program of Dr. Hulda Clark.

It kills all kinds of microscopic protozoa and eggs of parasites, which can’t be eliminated from the body with other means.

It is effective against many types of fungi, including Candida and bacteria streptococci, staphylococci and pneumococci.

Use it in tea and other beverages on a daily basis in small doses for a favorable impact on digestion and to strengthen the immune system.

A natural aphrodisiac

Clove is a known natural aphrodisiac.

Method of use:
Drink two cups of clove tea every day or take two capsules of clove powder twice a day.

Tea from cloves is made as follows. Pour two to three cloves into 2,5 dl of hot water and leave it covered for at least fifteen minutes. After that, filter the tea and drink it.

Dissolving dangerous blood clots

It is scientifically proven that the clove is among the world’s healthiest natural spices because of its antioxidant properties.

There is also evidence that certain compounds in cloves act as antihistamines.

This is one of the strongest natural ways to slow blood clotting.

Danish researchers have discovered that cloves have an even stronger effect in slowing blood clotting than aspirin, which is a part of therapy for many in the treatment of high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol.

Destroys breast cancer

Eugenol, the main essential oil in cloves, kills over 91 percent of cells of three types of breast cancer, according to a survey conducted in laboratory conditions.

In another study, eugenol administered to mice slowed the growth of breast cancer cells by 78 percent after only four weeks.

Recent research has confirmed its potent activity against other forms of cancer - prostate, lung, throat and skin.

India is one of the countries with the highest clove consumption, so it is no accident that the country's rate of breast cancer is 75 percent lower than in Europe and the United States.

Cloves are therefore a very healthy addition to a balanced diet based on organic fruits and vegetables.

Health benefits of cloves

• cures insomnia
• regulates blood sugar
• soothes inflammation
• relieves pain, especially toothaches
• destroys bacteria
• eliminates nausea and vomiting
• stimulates the secretion of mucus
• helps the work of the liver
• cures inflammation of the mouth and throat

Clove tincture

Ingredients:

• 20 grams of cloves
• 1 dl of 70 percent alcohol

Coarsely grind the cloves, pour the alcohol on them and leave in a closed jar for two weeks.

Strain the tincture and take 2-4 drops in a glass of water.

Use it for rinsing and gargling the mouth and throat.

Russian drink to combat the flu and sore throats

Scientists have confirmed the effectiveness of this Russian folk beverage against colds and sore throats.

Ingredients:

• 2 dcl of hot water
• 1 teaspoon of freshly grated horseradish
• 1 teaspoon of ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon of honey

Mix the ingredients into a glass of warm water and drink slowly. Stir occasionally so the horseradish doesn’t settle.

Medicinal mulled wine

Boil four deciliters of red wine with two deciliters of water. Add two cloves, a piece of vanilla, three anise and dried ginger (as much as fits on the tip of a knife); add honey to taste.

This hot drink will raise your immunity, help with digestive problems and protect you from the flu and colds.

Test your clove

To check the quality of a clove, put it in a glass of water.

If a clove floats vertically, it is good - floating is a sign that it contains the high-quality medicinal oil to which they owe their effectiveness and popularity.

If it floats horizontally or sinks to the bottom of the glass, it is a sign that it should not be used.

Cloves in cooking

In addition to being an indispensable spice for the popular winter beverage of mulled wine, cloves are used to flavor many sweet and salty dishes.

Recipes for richly spiced cakes, biscuits, puddings or sweet breads often contain clove combined with cinnamon, and sometimes ginger.

Cloves are an excellent link between the tastes of apples and pears and it is used in the preparation of pies and cakes made from apples and pears or fruit sauces and compotes.

Given that its taste is very intense, be careful to moderate dose cloves when cooking.

Whole cloves are delicious in pea or bean soups or baked beans with chili, where their strong, biting spicy characteristics provide a fullness of flavor.

You can also insert several whole cloves into a peeled onion bulb and then add them to rice when sautéing. Clove is present in many combinations of spices, for example, in mixtures for pickling vegetables or in mixtures for roasting.

It is best to buy cloves, whole because the powdered form quickly loses its flavor, and its medicinal properties deteriorate. Whole cloves should be used within a year, and ground cloves within six months.

Since it has a very solid structure, it is difficult to chop so it is recommended you grind cloves in a coffee grinder.

Cloves are to be stored in a sealed container and kept in a dry and dark place. Fresh spices can last longer when stored in the refrigerator.

Apple and cranberry sauce

Ingredients:

• 350 grams of cranberry
• one chopped apple
• 1/3 cup of maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon of ginger

Mix the ingredients in a pot and heat it until it boils.

Then reduce the heat, let the sauce simmer and stir occasionally.

The sauce is finished after the cranberries start cracking, and the apples soften, in about ten minutes.

Serve with dishes with seitan and enjoy the fullness of its flavor.

Precautions

Pregnant and breastfeeding women should not consume cloves.

Do not use it for two weeks preceding any type of surgery.

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