Cloves: benefits, harm, application

Cloves are not only flowers, but also a popular spice. It has a spicy, burning aroma that makes culinary dishes more attractive. But the dried buds of the Syzygium clove tree are used not only in cooking.

Benefits of cloves

The positive effect of this seasoning on the human body is very wide. It has antiseptic properties and has a bactericidal effect, good for relieving pain and spasms. Cloves are used to heal wounds and cracks in the skin.

When adding cloves to culinary dishes, you can have a positive effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. This spice stimulates the production of gastric juice, stimulates appetite and normalizes digestion.

Using cloves you can get rid of toothache and give freshness to your breath. It is used to treat certain dental ailments, such as periodontal disease.

According to the results of recent studies, it has been found that this spice helps cope with cancer. It is used in the development of a drug for the treatment of leukemia.

The high content of B vitamins in cloves is beneficial for the functioning of the nervous system. It is used to relieve fatigue and stress, as well as to relieve tension and calm.

Harm of cloves

Although this spice has a lot of positive qualities, we must not forget about its possible harm to the human body. This primarily applies to certain health conditions. For example, you should not overuse cloves if you have high acidity of the gastric juice, since in this case the spice will irritate the walls of the stomach.

Cloves can be harmful to pregnant women. It has strong tonic properties and can cause early miscarriage. The spice can change the taste of breast milk, so it is better to avoid cloves when breastfeeding.

Clove's ability to affect the nervous system can be harmful to young children, as well as people with nervous disorders and illnesses. You should not abuse this spice if you have hypertension.

Cloves contraindications

Based on the above, we can formulate several human health conditions in which the use of cloves is contraindicated. These include:

• Children under 3 years of age.
• Peptic ulcer and gastritis with high acidity.
• Severe heart disease and vascular pathologies.
• High nervous arousal becomes a contraindication for the use of cloves not only as a spice, but also in the form of infusion, oil and others.
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Uses of cloves

In European countries, cloves are used primarily as a spice. In ancient times, it was brought to Europe by the Arabs. The right to monopoly trade in cloves was held at various times by Holland, Portugal and France.

Nowadays, cloves are used to prepare a variety of meat and fish dishes; they are added to home canned food and confectionery dishes. Meat broths and fish soups receive a unique flavor when cloves are added.

If you decide to cook dishes with the addition of cloves, then it is important to know that it does not tolerate long-term heat treatment. This results in the loss of both the taste and aroma of the spice. Therefore, it is better to add it at the very end of cooking. In wine and vinegar cloves give off their aroma much better and reveal their taste qualities.

Clove essential oil is often used in cosmetology. It has a rejuvenating and antioxidant effect. Many skin diseases are treated with clove oil products. For example, to treat skin rashes, baths with the addition of clove essential oil are used.

A mask of 5 drops of clove has a good effect on the face. oils, honey, cream and pharmaceutical clay, taken 1 tablespoon each. All components are mixed and applied to the skin for 10 minutes.

Cosmetic ice with the addition of clove oil is well suited for morning rubbing. The mixture for its preparation is made as follows: 2 drops of clove oil and cosmetic cream in a volume of 6 ml are dissolved in a glass of water.

You can gently cauterize ulcers and boils with clove oil by applying it pointwise to the affected area. This procedure must be done constantly until complete recovery.

Essential oil, when mixed with any base oil, has an excellent anti-cellulite effect. It can be used both for massage and for anti-cellulite wraps.

To normalize digestion, use a mixture of a teaspoon of honey, a pinch of ground cloves and the same amount of ground black pepper. Take this mixture morning and evening.

To get rid of various oral problems, for example, stomatitis, gum disease, toothache or simply bad breath, it is recommended to chew one clove bud. In the same way you can help with a beginning sore throat.

When low blood pressure you need to chew a few cloves. You will get an effect comparable to that of caffeine.

To relieve pain from arthritis or arthrosis, use clove oil. To do this, mix a tablespoon of massage oil with 15 drops of clove essential oil and use this mixture by rubbing it into the sore joint.

Drinking mulled wine with cloves is good for heart health. In order for the drink to have healing properties, it is prepared without cooking. A bottle of high-quality red wine is suitable for this type of drink. Pour 5 cloves and a pinch of cinnamon into it. Close the bottle well with a cork and leave to infuse for 3 weeks without access to light. Add prepared mulled wine to your tea, a teaspoon at a time, and drink up to three times a day.