The Health Benefits of Cloves

Cloves are the dried flower bud of the evergreen tree, Syzygium aromaticum (Eugenia aromatica). While the tree is indigenous to the Maluka Islands of Indonesia, cloves also grow naturally in India, the West Indies, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, Brazil and Madagascar. For over 2,000 years, Indian and Chinese traditional medicine has made extensive use of cloves and clove oil. Arabic traders brought the buds to Europe in the 4th century. During the 7th and 8th centuries in Europe, cloves became popular as a food preservative. Today, cloves are in the spice rack of most homes and evidence supporting their use as a therapeutic remedy against harmful organisms continues to grow.

What Makes Cloves Effective?
Cloves are high in vitamins, minerals and fiber. However, the component responsible for clove’s powerful effects and odor is a substance called eugenol. Eugenol is toxic against harmful organisms, including fungus, and may even relieve discomfort. [1] [2]

Cloves and Harmful Organisms

Research has repeatedly shown that cloves and eugenol are effective at establishing an environment that is not friendly to harmful organisms. When Portuguese researchers evaluated eugenol against giardia, they observed it inhibited giardia growth and may offer potential as a natural therapy against giardiasis. [3]

Clove, wintergreen, cinnamon, and peppermint are just some of the many essential oils that have demonstrated action against bacteria, fungus, and yeast, including candida. [4] [5] An interesting practical application for this has been evaluated in Japan where researchers believe that spices like clove may offer seafood a level of protection against certain harmful organisms. [6]

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