Cloves are the unopened flower buds originating from the clove tree. Native to India and Indonesia, the clove trees can grow anywhere between eight to 12 metres tall.
Cultures across the world have used cloves in their cooking and traditional medicines for years. Found in a variety of forms such as whole or powdered, cloves are known for their versatile and nuanced flavour profile.
Apart from being a staple in some curries, you can use cloves to season your chai or even cakes! Cloves are widely recognised for their sweet and aromatic qualities. However, did you know? Cloves have so many health benefits to offer too!
#1 ANTIMICROBIAL PROPERTIES
Various studies indicate that cloves possess antimicrobial properties and these properties can potentially stop the growth of microorganisms such as bacterias.
As a result of this, experts believe cloves can also benefit oral health by helping to reduce bacterial and plaque growth in the mouth. Hence, cloves grew to become a widely used ingredient in toothpastes.
#2 SOURCE OF ANTIOXIDANTS
Cloves contain a type of antioxidant known as eugenol. Eugenol is often studied by experts for its high antioxidant activities. According to a published research titled Antioxidant activity of eugenol: a structure-activity relationship study by İlhami Gülçin, eugenol has a strong antioxidant and radical-scavenging activity.
Free radicals in the body may damage our DNA and proteins, which in turn can possibly increase the risk of cancer. This is why antioxidants are important as they can help to reduce oxidative stress and improve overall health.
#3 MAY HELP PROTECT AGAINST CANCER
Antioxidants play an important role in helping to reduce cell damage that could potentially lead to cancer. Since cloves are rich in eugenol (a type of antioxidant), experts believe cloves can make a big impact in the future of cancer treatment.
In a laboratory study carried out by Haizhou Liu and friends, the results concluded that clove extract has the ability to decelerate the growth of various types of human cancer cells.
Sources: Medical News Today, Healthline, PubMed Central (US National Center for Biotechnology Information), Antioxidant activity of eugenol: a structure-activity relationship (Journal of medicinal food), Clove extract inhibits tumour growth and promotes cell cycle arrest and apoptosis (Journal of oncology research)
