What is clove?
Originally from Indonesia, the clove tree is a tree belonging to the Myrtaceae family like eucalyptus, tea tree and niaouli. Clove is part of childhood memories. Our grandmothers used it in oranges to make “amber apples” which kept moths away. Or in the onions, which they slipped into the pot-au-feu. In the East, it is used in the composition of curry. It was in the Middle Ages that the clove tree was discovered in France. We called him a long time Eugenia caryophyllusEugenia meaning “well-born” in Greek, because the cloveespecially its essential oil, is known to trigger contractions duringchildbirth.
Nowadays, it is regularly used in cooking for its warm and slightly acrid flavor, while its essential oil is of great therapeutic interest. It is very rich in eugenol (70 to 80%), a phenol whose antiseptic properties are well established. However, essential oils containing phenols are dermocaustic (irritating to the skin) and pose a risk of liver toxicity.
The particular smell of cloves is also the “madeleine of Proust” of our sessions at the dentist. An olfactory memory that can thus be associated with its main medicinal virtues: antiseptic, healing and anesthetic.
What are the benefits of cloves?
Both antiseptic and anti-inflammatory
The smell of clove (Syzygium aromaticum) says the power of its essences. These are used for their antiseptic properties, which act as much on bacteria, such as Helicobacter pylori (the bacteria responsible for stomach ulcers) as on viruses. A godsend for dentists, who take advantage of its analgesic power on local pain.
Recent studies have also shown that cloves are a anti-inflammatory with targeted action, capable of defusing inflammation without risk to the stomach. An interesting alternative to aspirin: “As soon as there is inflammation, there is production of free radicals in greater quantity, explains Franck Dubus, doctor of pharmacy. And eugenol, the active ingredient in cloves, counteracts this spike. It is also capable of inhibiting the transformation of certain fatty acids, essential for the production of inflammation mediators, prostaglandins. By stopping the production of these mediators, clove prevents inflammation from developing.”
The recipe for painkiller oil with cloves
- Spend 5 g of nails clove in the coffee grinder.
- Put this powder in a glass jar with 100 ml of olive oil.
- Leave to macerate for a month, stirring.
- Filter.
- Massage the painful joint with this mixture.
THE nail of clove is rich in essential oil. Macerating it in vegetable oil extracts part of it. Use as is or as an aromatherapy base oil, especially for muscle pain and contractures.
What diseases does clove treat?
#1: IT FACILITATES DIGESTION
As an infusion, clove stimulates sluggish intestines and reduces bloating.
- Recipe : put 5 cloves with 5 crumpled bay leaves and 4 peppermint leaves in 1 liter of simmering water. Cover, then steep for 10-15 minutes
- Drink a cup after meals.
#2: IT RELIEVES APHTAES
Soothing and natural, this preparation helps the oral mucosa to heal in case ofcanker sores.
- Recipe : put 1 teaspoon of cottage cheese in a glass, add 3 drops of HE (essential oil) of clove and 3 drops of HE of bay leaf. To mix together.
- Hold 1 teaspoonful of the mixture in your mouth for 2 to 3 minutes, ensuring that it is in contact with all the mucous membrane, then spit it out.
- Repeat the operation 3 or 4 times a day for 3 to 5 days.
#3: IT FIGHTS AGAINST GINGIVITIS
In mouthwash, the clove effectively relieves theinflammation of the gums.
- Recipe : put 6 cloves and 50 g of thyme flowering tops in 1 liter of simmering water. Cover and steep for 10-15 minutes. Filter.
- Make mouthwashes 3 or 4 times a day, for 5 or 6 days. This preparation can also be used to make gargles in case of sore throat.
#4: HEALS SMALL ABSCESSES
This mixture is used to disinfect small wounds that are at risk of becoming infected.
- Recipe : pour 5 ml of oily calendula macerate into the palm of your hand. Add 1 drop of clove HE, 2 drops of bay leaf HE and 2 drops of myrrh.
- Massage the abscess 3-5 times a day until it disappears. If the infection persists and does not evolve favorably after 2 or 3 days of application, consult a doctor.
- Wash your hands before and after the treatment.
#5: IT SOOTHES JOINT PAIN
Anti-inflammatory, this preparation with essential clove oil soothes rheumatic pains.
- Recipe : put in the palm of your hand 5 ml of oily macerate of calendula.
- Add 2 drops of EOeucalyptus lemon, 2 drops of rosemary camphor EO and 1 drop of clove EO.
- Massage the painful area widely, 2 to 4 times a day for 3 days.
What are the dangers of cloves?
Precautions for using essential oil
Pure, clove essential oil (EO) is irritating to the skin. Always dilute it in vegetable oil. Also avoid using it internally for more than three days, otherwise the liver will be exhausted. HE is contraindicated in pregnant women, breastfeeding, children, in case of taking anticoagulants and pathology of the liver. Clove is also not recommended for people sensitive to eugenol (active ingredient).
Discover all the health benefits of cloves and their essential oil in the slideshow above.
