Cloves - Nature's Top Source of Antioxidants
- Clove is a black dried aromatic flower bud of a tree. Cloves are used in various food and medicinal drinks. Clove is strong and spicy to taste so it is used in small quantities in food.
- Cloves have antiseptic and germicidal properties that help fight infections, relieve digestive problems and arthritis pain.
- Cloves provide only around 50 calories for 100 gram of its consumption. It is high in carbohydrates and also contains high amount of protein and dietary fibre. Cloves do not contain any cholesterol.
- Although most spices are excellent sources of antioxidants, cloves rank as the richest source of them all. Chemical analysis shows that cloves have at least 36 different ingredients, the most important being an essential oil called eugenol. Cloves also contain a variety of flavonoids which contribute to clove's abundant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Stage 1
Image Source : Google - Antioxidants are nutrients that help protect your cells against oxidative stress from free radical damage. *Free radicals are highly-reactive oxygen molecules in your cells, created as a byproduct of your metabolism; an excess of free radicals is considered to be the primary cause of many health problems associated with aging.
- The benefits of antioxidants include powerful protection against all types of degenerative diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, macular degeneration, Alzheimer's disease, and many more.
- Cloves are an excellent source of manganese, a very good source of dietary fiber, vitamin K and C and omega-3 fatty acids, and a good source of calcium and magnesium. Cloves also have a significant amount of protein, iron, carbohydrates, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and hydrochloric acid.
- Cloves have analgesic properties that can be used for treatment of various dental problems like tooth aches. They also boost memory and blood circulation, and are beneficial for the heart, liver and stomach.
Stage 2
Image Source : Google - Cloves can effectively cure many digestive problems like stomach ulcers, flatulence and dyspepsia, since they stimulate your body's enzymes and boost digestion.
- Because of the antiseptic and germicidal benefits of cloves, they help fight infections like cold, flu, bronchitis, arthritic pain and athlete’s foot.
- An essential oil in cloves called eugenol and other components of clove combine to make clove a mild anaesthetic as well as an anti-bacterial agent. For these reasons, you'll often find clove oil in natural sore throat sprays and mouth washes.
- Cloves can effectively cure many digestive problems. Cloves are known to have medicinal qualities to cure flatulence, loose stools, indigestion and nausea. Cloves are useful in relieving the symptoms of diarrhea, gastric irritability and vomiting.
Appearance : Cloves are aromatic , dried flower buds which are 1.5 -2 cm in length and brown in color .The flower buds are picked up before they bloom into flower. Each bud consists of long calyx with four sepals and four unopened petals which form a small dome like structure in the centre. Initially they are green in color but they change into brown by becoming pink or red in color.
- Clove oil is very beneficial for dental care. It helps in keeping the harmful microorganisms away from mouth. Acetyl eugenol, beta-caryophyllene and vanillin, crategolic acids are the essential oils found in clove which can suppress toothache and gum bleeding. It can be directly applied on to the affected area to get instant relief. It can be chewed after meals to remove bad breath and odour.
- Essential oils present in clove helps in preventing fever and sore throat. They have anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties which help in keeping away germs from the body. Cloves aid in preventing phlegm from the respiratory system. Clove intake promotes sweating thereby helps in reducing fever. Cloves are often slowly chewed to provide relief from sore throat and prevent cough.
Stage 3 - Cloves help in improving blood circulation, which is important for the proper functioning of the organs and the cells.
- Another one of the health benefits of cloves is its ability to delay as well as minimize the formation of skin cancer. Cloves are also known to have chemo preventive properties against lung cancer.
- Medicinal uses of cloves and clove oil also include it being an effective and potent platelet inhibitor which essentially means that it helps in the prevention of occurrence of blood clots thereby ensuring good cardiovascular health. This is mostly on account of eugenol that is found in cloves.
Though clove has many medicinal uses and regarded as safe to use, it has some disadvantageous reaction in young children, pregnant and nursing woman, people with kidney and liver disorders, bleeding disorders, diabetes, and skin allergies. So caution is advised before taking food or medicine or Ayurvedic mixtures that have clove as a component.
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