Hi SpiceFam! Welcome back to another blog. Today we are going to take a look at another amazing spice called “clove”. This spice is very aromatic and adds tons of flavours to teas (to this day, I still put cloves in my tea 🙂 ), cooking etc, which has been a part of my household growing up and still is even to this day. Though this spice is strong in smell, it’s not necessarily overpowering. With that being said, here is a closer look at this wonderful spice.
Clove is said to be a nutrient-dense spice, which is packed with omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and is rich in minerals (especially Magnesium) and vitamins. The following minerals are found in cloves:
- magnesium
- potassium
- calcium
- phosphorus
- zinc
- sodium
Vitamins found in cloves are as follows:
- folate
- vitamin B12
- vitamin D
- vitamin E
- riboflavin
- vitamin B6 (to name a few)
Additionally, cloves contain various biochemicals such as eugenol, ethanol, thymol, benzene, flavonoids, hexane, and methylene chloride that make it rich in antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective properties.
Here are some health benefits of cloves:-
- Preserves bones – Cloves/ clove buds contain hydroalcoholic extracts like eugenol, flavonoids, isoflavones and flavones, which aids in aid in preserving bone density and are helpful in increasing the tensile strength of bones in osteoporosis and maintain a healthy mineral content for the bones.
- Controls diabetes – Scientists have revealed that extracts from cloves imitate insulin in certain ways and maintains sugar levels in the body which helps control this disease.
- Aids in overcoming flatulence – Flatulence is caused due to the accumulation of gas in the alimentary canal. This not only causes uneasiness in the body, but it also leads to pain in the lower abdomen. Cloves can help reduce the amount of flatulence that accumulates throughout the day to alleviate pain and give you a much-needed boost of confidence.
- Treats respiratory infections & common cold – Clove when added to food during respiratory congestions can help you kick the infections away. It works as an excellent expectorant that loosens mucus in the esophagus and throat to help us cough it out. The antimicrobial properties kill the pathogens that can lead to throat infections and congestion in the chest.
- Boosts immunity – Using clove as a spice in your daily preparations or adding it as a condiment in dishes can increase the food’s immune boosting power. It increases the white blood cell count which results in improving delayed type hypersensitivity.
- Protects liver – The antioxidants and hepatoprotective properties found in clove extracts are helpful in protecting the organs from free radicals. It helps in increasing metabolism and decreases the production of antioxidants in the liver.
There you have it SpiceFam! Next time you see this amazing spice be sure to include it in your kitchen/household items. Hope you enjoyed today’s blog. And in everything else, remember to use in moderation. See you in the next one!
