Cloves are a versatile spice that adds flavor while also providing health benefits. They are high in antioxidants, may help regulate blood sugar, kill bacteria, and more.
Cloves are the flower buds of the clove tree, an evergreen also known as Syzygium aromaticum.
You may know cloves as one of the main ingredients in gingerbread baked goods or a staple spice in Indian cuisine.
Cloves are best known as a sweet and aromatic spice, but they have also been used in traditional medicine.
- Contain important nutrients
Cloves contain fiber, vitamins, and minerals, so using whole or ground cloves to add flavor to your food can provide some important nutrients.
One teaspoonTrusted Source (tsp) (2 grams (g)) of ground cloves contains:
- Calories: 6
- Carbs: 1 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Manganese: 55% of the Daily Value (DV)
- Vitamin K: 2% of the DV
Manganese is an essential mineralTrusted Source for maintaining brain function and building strong bones.
Apart from being a rich source of manganese, cloves are only used in small amounts and do not provide significant amounts of nutrients.
In addition to containing several important vitamins and minerals, cloves are rich in antioxidants.Trusted Source
Antioxidants are compounds that reduce oxidative stress, which can contribute to the development of chronic disease.
Cloves also contain a compound called eugenol, which has been shown to act as a natural antioxidant. Therefore, including cloves in your diet, along with other antioxidant-rich foods, can help improve your overall health.
A 2022 animal studyTrusted Source found that clove extract improved liver damage caused by the toxic substance thioacetamide. In particular, the compound eugenol may beTrusted Source especially beneficial for the liver.
However, there isn’t enough research showing the benefit of cloves for liver health in humans, and high doses can actually damageTrusted Sourcethe liver.
Some research suggests that the clove oil might help protect against cancer.
Specifically, eugenol has been shownTrusted Source to have anticancer properties. Specifically, test-tube researchTrusted Source suggests eugenol promotes cell death in breast cancer cells.
However, as stated, eugenol is toxic in high amounts, and overdosing on clove oilTrusted Source may cause liver damage, especially in children. Further research is needed to determine how lower amounts may affect humans.
Cloves have been shownTrusted Source to have antimicrobial properties, meaning they can help stop the growth of microorganisms like bacteria.
What’s more, in combination with regular brushing and proper oral hygiene, the antibacterial effects of cloves may even benefit your oral health.
The compounds found in cloves may help keep blood sugar under control. For example, in a 2019 studyTrusted Source, people with and without prediabetes who took 250 milligrams (mg) of clove extract daily for 30 days showed significantly less blood glucose after meals.
In another animal study, nigricin, a compound found in cloves, was foundTrusted Source to increase the uptake of sugar from the blood into cells, increase the secretion of insulin, and improve the function of cells that produce insulin in mice.
In combination with a balanced diet, cloves may help keep your blood sugar levels in check, though more research on humans is needed to confirm this.
Low bone mass is a condition that affects an estimated 43 million AmericansTrusted Source, according to the most recent estimates from 2014.
It can lead to the development of osteoporosis, which may increase the risk of breaks and fractures.
Animal research suggests that eugenol may help improve bone mass. In addition, cloves contain manganese, which is involved in the formation of bone and is incredibly important to bone health.
That said, more research is needed to determine how cloves may affect bone in humans.
Some animal researchTrusted Source indicates that eugenol could help treat stomach ulcers.
Also known as peptic ulcers, stomach ulcers are painful sores that form in the lining of the stomach, duodenum, or esophagus.
Test tube research also suggests that clove oil may also have an effect against Helicobacter pylori (H. Pylori), a bacteria that can trigger stomach problems such as ulcers and even cancer.
Though the anti-ulcer effects of cloves and their compounds may be promising, further studies are needed on their effects in humans.
