They might be tiny, but cloves are giants when it comes to nutrition and natural health.
I first realized this about 12 years ago when I was simultaneously doing an intestinal cleanse and having a root canal. I noticed that whenever I drank the clove oil for the cleanse, my mouth would also stop smarting.
Used often in Ayurvedic medicine, cloves are anti-fungal, antibacterial, antiseptic and analgesic. They’re packed with antioxidants and are good sources of minerals (especially manganese), omega-3 fatty acids, fiber and vitamins
Here are great uses for cloves, culled from an Ayurvedic tradition:
1. Temporarily treat a toothache:
You can temporarily alleviate the pain by dabbing a little clove oil on a cotton ball and placing it on the sore tooth or on your gums. An added benefit is that it will also pull out any infection.
2. Relieve upper respiratory infections:
Ayurveda suggests making a tea to lessen, or prevent, colds and flu. It is also used as an expectorant, making it easier to cough up phlegm. Cloves are a natural painkiller and also attack germs, so they'll help you get rid of that sore throat.
3. Reduce inflammation:
Use clove oil to massage sore muscles; some also use it for arthritis and rheumatism.
4. Treat scrapes and bruises:
Cloves are pretty strong and can sting, so the best bet is to probably make a poultice with a little olive oil.
5. Improve digestion;
Cloves help relax the smooth lining of the GI tract, so they help alleviate vomiting, diarrhea, intestinal gas and stomachaches. Just be careful; since they're strong, they can also irritate the stomach.
6. Enhance sexual health :
Sometimes used as an aphrodisiac, cloves can also help men from reaching orgasm too early.
7. Acidity:
Due to its cooling nature, it is very helpful in curtailing acidity bouts. You can prepare a combination of laung, mishri and elaichi and consume it whenever you experience an acidity bout.
8. Cough:
It can be given in combination with sonth, peepal, baheda, elaichi etc. to treat cough.
9.Headache:
A simple application of laung powder mixed in water to the forehead pacifies the headache.
10. Joint pain:
Applying a paste of laung to the joint will relieve the pain.
Dr Sandeep Jadhav Kalwa Thane
