Contents:
- Medical Video: The Various Health Benefits of Cloves You Will Be Amazed to Know
- Important nutrients in cloves
- Benefits of cloves for health
- 1. Protect from cancer
- 2. Kill bacteria that cause disease
- 2. Improve liver health
- 3. Maintaining bone health
- 4. Treat heartburn
- 5. Control blood sugar levels
Medical Video: The Various Health Benefits of Cloves You Will Be Amazed to Know
Clove is a versatile spice with a sweet taste and distinctive fragrant aroma. Cloves are usually used as a marinade for grilling, adding flavor to warm drinks, to strengthen the aroma of the cake. But apparently, the nutrient content in cloves is also beneficial for the health of the body. What are the benefits of cloves that you can get?
Important nutrients in cloves
Although small, do not underestimate the nutritional content of cloves. One teaspoon of clove (2 grams) contains 21 calories of energy, 1 gram of carbohydrate, and 1 gram of fiber. One teaspoon of clove is also able to meet 30% manganese, 4% vitamin K, and 3% vitamin C from the body's daily needs. Cloves also contain calcium, magnesium, and vitamin E, although they are few in number.
These important vitamins and minerals support the benefits of cloves for your body's health.
Benefits of cloves for health
1. Protect from cancer
Cloves are enriched by eugenol antioxidants to fight free radicals in the body that can trigger the development of cancer. Besides eugenol, cloves also contain vitamin C as an antioxidant to help neutralize free radicals. The antioxidant power in cloves is even reported to be five times more effective than vitamin E and other types of antioxidants.
Free radical buildup in the body can damage the DNA code and cause oxidative stress which triggers various chronic diseases. Ranging from arthritis, heart disease, atherosclerosis, stroke, hypertension, gastric ulcer, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, cancer, to causing aging.
2. Kill bacteria that cause disease
Cloves have antibacterial properties that can stop infection. A study showed that clove essential oil effectively killed E. coli bacteria which can cause stomach cramps, diarrhea, and fatigue.
Cloves also help maintain oral health by stopping the growth of two types of bacteria that cause dental plaque and gum disease (gingivitis). If you don't want to chew cloves, use a mouthwash containing clove extract to get this one benefit.
2. Improve liver health
Not only protects the body from cancer, eugenol in cloves can help improve liver health.
An animal study conducted in mice reported that clove oil can improve liver function and reduce inflammation. Other studies have shown that eugenol helps relieve symptoms of liver cirrhosis. Another study conducted in humans found that taking eugenol supplements for one week reduced levels of GST, an enzyme that is often a sign of liver disease.
However, keep in mind that eugenol can turn to be toxic to the liver if consumed in high doses. One case study showed that 5-10 ml of clove oil in children can cause serious liver damage.
3. Maintaining bone health
Bone loss can increase your risk of osteoporosis. Well, a study conducted in animals reported that active compounds in cloves have been shown to help maintain and increase bone mass density
The content of manganese in cloves also helps the process of bone formation, and is very important for bone health.
4. Treat heartburn
Heartburn is most often caused by thinning of gastric mucus which is influenced by various factors, such as stress and infection.
An animal study showed that clove essential oil can increase the production of gastric mucus which serves as a barrier to the effects of stomach acid, while preventing erosion of the stomach wall due to stomach acid.
5. Control blood sugar levels
Research shows that compounds found in cloves can help control blood sugar. Other studies have looked at the effects of clove extract and nigericin, compounds found in cloves, both in human muscle cells and in mice with diabetes.
Cloves and nigericin are found to increase the absorption of sugar from blood to cells, increase insulin secretion and improve the function of cells that produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is responsible for transferring sugar from the blood to cells. In combination with a balanced diet, the benefits of cloves can help maintain your blood sugar levels.
