Welcome to Herb Notes. I'm Tara Ruth.
Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) is a pungent culinary delight that makes for a wonderful spice and herbal ally.
Let’s dive into three gifts of clove…
1. Clove for Digestive Health
Like so many of our most beloved spices, clove is a carminative. Carminatives are aromatic herbs that can help reduce gas and bloating. Clove can soothe the digestive tract, easing stagnation, addressing gas and bloating, and lessening nausea. To experience the digestive benefits of clove, you can simply cook with this dynamic spice.
2. Clove for Oral Care
Clove can support a healthy oral microbiome: easing toothaches and reducing bad breath. Clove is antimicrobial and has a natural anaesthetic quality that can prove helpful for toothaches as a powder applied topically to the gums.
3. Clove for Aromatherapy
Clove’s warm, pungent scent that offers a sense of grounding and coziness. You can enjoy the uplifting scent of clove at home in an orange pomander: sticking whole cloves into the rind of a whole orange. Clove’s spicy scent mixes wonderfully with the citrus. You can keep this near your bed as you sleep to inhale its healing fragrance during the night, or place the pomanders in your kitchen for some sweet decor.
And just a few contraindications to keep in mind…
Taking clove essential oil could cause bleeding in people with bleeding disorders. It is not recommended to take clove oil during the two weeks leading up to a surgery. Clove essential oil may also cause an allergic reaction or inflammation on the skin. Swallowing pure clove essential oil can be toxic. There is not enough information to know if clove is safe to use in medicinal amounts when pregnant or lactating.
Wanna learn more about the benefits of other common herbs?
Visit HerbNotes.cards to grab a free deck of our top 12 Herb Notes. You'll learn all about herbs like elderberry, chamomile, and more.
This has been Herb Notes with me, Tara Ruth. Catch ya next time!
