Written By: Vivian BenjaminWhat is a Medicinal Spice?
Medicinal spices are vegetable substances usually from flower buds, dried seeds, fruits, barks and roots, which are utilized to give flavour to food and food preservation. Apart from that, medicinal spices also have advantages in healing illnesses, treating injuries and being used as an essential oil. In this article, I’m going to share with you about a medicinal spice called clove. Syzygium Aromaticum Syzygium aromaticum, commonly called clove, is a medicinal spice used since ancient times to heal ailments and in culinary arts. It comes from the family Myrtaceae and originated from Maluku Island, Indonesia. Presently, clove is cultivated everywhere around the world. It thrives in tropical and subtropical environments. The name “clove” comes from the French name “clou” and the English word “clout” which means “nail” due to the shape of the flower bud. This plant is an evergreen tree, which grows 8 to 12 m in height. Clove has large square leaves and sanguine flowers in groups of clusters. The flower buds are usually green in colour but turn red when they are ready to be harvested. Clove in Traditional Medicine and Culinary Arts Traditional medicine uses cloves to treat nausea, vomiting, bad breath, flatulence, diarrhoea, stomach irritation, bowel issues and liver disease. Aside from that, it is also used to prevent tuberculosis, scabies, cholera, malaria, Candida, worms, viruses, and protozoan infections. In culinary arts, it is utilized as seasoning in meat and vegetable dishes, to add flavour and aroma in baked desserts and also in flavoured rice such as tomato and carrot rice. Now let’s explore what medicinal properties this precious spice contains. 8 Medicinal Properties of Clove 1. Anti-microbial properties Several studies conducted on clove spice concluded that clove displays high bactericidal effects on Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Apart from that, another study reveals promising effects of clove against Gram Positive and Gram Negative pathogens that cause urinary tract infections. Similarly, clove has exhibited positive effects in treating bad breath and cleaning the mouth. Besides having anti-bacterial activities, clove has been demonstrated to have antiviral effects. This medicinal spice can protect against influenza A virus and herpes simplex virus. 2. Antioxidant properties Natural antioxidants are usually found in plant-based food. Presently, people are focusing to incorporate natural antioxidants in their daily diet due to recent studies concluding that synthetic ones are causing cancer. Various studies done on clove demonstrated that the stem, fruit and bud contain rich antioxidant effects. Clove has a rich source of antioxidant properties, higher than blueberries. 3. Prevents cancer Lung cancer is the second most common type of cancer globally and colon cancer falls on the third place for common type of cancer. Poor diet, lifestyle choices and hazardous environment are the major cancer-causing factors. Numerous studies on clove depict that this medicinal spice has the potential to prevent lung cancer and colon cancer. 4. Anti-diabetic effects Clove consumption has displayed promising effects to reduce glucose levels in the blood. It is safe to say that eating cloves can regulate sugar levels for diabetic and non-diabetic individuals. 5. Prevents inflammation Inflammation plays a key role in the development of many illnesses such as cancer, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and many more. Several studies concluded that clove contains anti-inflammatory properties. It is often used to treat throat inflammations in alternative medicine. Moreover, clove essential oil is utilized in aromatherapy to reduce arthritis symptoms. 6. Reduces gastric ulcers Research done on clove shows that this spice reduced gastric ulcers by increasing mucus production. Stomach mucus acts as a barrier and prevents irritation from hydrochloric acid. Not only clove prevents acid secretions, but it also increases peristalsis therefore; promoting healthy digestion. 7. Boost immune function The immune system is a warrior knight that protects against pathogen invasion. It comprises several organs and proteins. Thanks to its anti-microbial advantages, clove protects the human body against pathogen invasion hence; boosting immune function. 8. Healthy bones The most common type of bone disease is osteoporosis, which leads to more than 8.9 million fractures annually worldwide. Poor nutrition along with lifestyle factors are the main causes of bone impairment which can be modified. On the other hand, non-modifiable aspects are age, gender, and family history. Apart from that, inflammation and infection also damage your bones. Clove is rich in manganese, vitamin K and calcium therefore; a good spice to be added to daily diet to support bone health. All in All Medicinal spices are gaining popularity in functional medicine around the world. Most spices are safe to be used and don’t cause toxicity if utilized in a balanced method. The use of clove as a medicinal spice has been practised since ancient times as early as 200 BC. Clove contains many health benefits that encourage the health and wellness of an individual. You can eat dried clove raw, add it to cooked or baked food and use it as an essential oil. Share in the comment section if you have utilized this medicinal spice before or your journey in medicinal plants. I’m always happy to hear from you. Alternatively, other people reading this article may benefit from your inspiring comments. References 1. Mohamed F.R (2022); Clove (Syzygium aromaticum); Chemistry, Functionality and Applications; pages 1-8. 2. Gloria A.O (2022); Culinary Spices in Food and Medicine: An Overview of Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. and L. M. Perry [Myrtaceae]; Frontiers in Pharmacology; 12: 793200. 3. Ortega L et al (2023); Antimicrobial Activity of Spices Popularly Used in Mexico against Urinary Tract Infections; Antibiotics; 12:325. 4. Sanagala C et al (2023); Review on spice, oleoresins and its applications; The Pharma Innovation Journal; 12(6): 106-116. 5. Pati S et al (2023); Medicinal Value of Clove; European Chemical Bulletin; 12(1):171-177. 6. Arun K.S & Vinay K.S (2023); Pharmacological Actions of Clove; Himalayan Journal of Medicine and Surgery; 4(2): 1-4. 7. Sundus H.A et al (2023); Syzygiumaromaticum Antioxidant, Anticancer, and Antibacterial Activities of Clove; SAR Journal of Medicine; 4(2): 43-46. 8. Habib I.M et al (2023); Optimization of Natural Food Preservatives Extraction from Spices and Herbs; Food Technology Research Journal; 1(1):1-8.
2 Comments
Philo
6/10/2023 02:37:04 pm
Wow. The author has highlighted many benefits of cloves especially medicinal values of it. Normally I use cloves in my cooking without knowing its values. In future I would like to use cloves in my daily dishes. Thanks to the author. God bless.
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Vivian Benjamin
7/10/2023 01:49:43 pm
Thank you for the comments, Philo. I hope you find joy in incorporating cloves into your daily diet. Take care.
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