INTRODUCTION

Clove is an Indonesian spice that is native to the Maluku Islands. It is grown on a flower sprout of an evergreen tree called ‘Syzygium aromaticum’, which can grow up to 65feet tall and it belongs to the ‘Myrtaceae’ Family. The name is derived from the Latin word ‘clavus’, which means nail since the shape of a dried clove looks like that of a nail. It is shaped like a small, reddish-brown spike with a bulbous top. Clove is harvested during the immature state, ‘green’ and dried till it becomes ‘reddish-brown’ in colour.

Cloves are used and grown in Asian, African, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern countries like Indonesia, Japan, Madagascar, Tanzania, India, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Malaysia, etc.  In Ghana, cloves are termed as “Pepre” in Twi, and “Mbrego Amba” in Fante. It is also referred to as ‘kanafuru’ in Nigeria. They are available throughout the year per a country’s harvest season. It is commonly used in most of our local dishes and herbal drugs.

     IMMATURED CLOVES                MATURED CLOVES

Cloves are also known for their famous medicinal properties and are known to cure many ailments. It is commonly used in soups, stews, meats, sauces, porridges, among others.

Unfortunately, its wonderful benefits which have been proven by scientists are less known by its users. Most of the users do adopt its usage since it is a traditional spice. The health benefits are detailed below.

CLOVE OIL                                                         POWDERED CLOVE

It is known to improve oral health. According to researchers, the oil essential in clove helps fight against plaque, gingivitis, and bacteria in the mouth.  It has a natural ability to relieve toothache pain, makes your breath smell so fresh for long, and is traditionally used to treat halitosis. Interestingly, you can make your domestic mouthwash by adding a few drops of clove essential oil to a glass of water and using it to rinse your mouth as daily as you want.

Again, it aids stomach problems; the essential oil in clove can ease indigestion and many of the knock-on effects of stomachache, such as gas and bloat. They promote the production of digestive enzymes, which help progress the way food is digested and eliminate gases. Additionally, it is customarily used to help treat other stomach problems, including diarrhoea and nausea, when ground into powder form and mixed with water or made into tea.

Moreover, for respiratory conditions, cloves can assist in relieving many symptoms of a common cold like congestion and help you to breathe freely. It has excellent medicinal properties, which help free up mucus and ease any congestive issues. To cure coughing and sinus congestion, you can make a steam bath with cloves and inhale the vapour or drink a few cups of clove tea each day until you feel healthier.

Cloves help to reduce vaginal itching; study has shown that extracting from clove is a great remedy for reducing vaginal itching. To treat vaginal itching with clove, all you have to do is put a handful of cloves in a bottle or bowl add water, and store overnight, then; in the morning, you strain the water from the clove in another bowl, and use it to rinse your vagina once in a week.

Cloves support boosting libido in both men and women. Studies show that cloves contain nutrients like manganese, vitamin, and calcium which helps fight against the disease that causes sexual weakness in men and women and boost sexual performance as well. Its stems, leaves, oil, and buds are used as traditional medicine for men and women with such conditions which give high libido and firm erection.

Additionally, it can be used to boost hair shine. If your hair is starting to look fragile and dull, cloves can be used to repair that. This can be done by mixing powdered cloves with olive oil to make conditioner for the hair.

Also, clove is used as a natural remedy for healing fever and reducing arthritis pain. Taking in clove tea reduces body temperature, stimulates the immune system to take care of foreign microbes that may cause infection, and deliver analgesia to deal with the symptoms of painful arthritis.

Finally, it assists with weight loss, having so much fat in the body makes one stand the risk of attracting so many diseases, like cancer, diabetes, etc. hence drinking clove tea s helps reduce the storage of new fat in the body and increases utilization of calories to produce energy.

CONCLUSION

Cloves possess many health benefits and, if given much attention, will go a long way to heal many diseases in the world; it continues to provide great health benefits to many people in rural areas through their foods and drinks. Many people have adopted its juice as a normal breakfast tea in their various homes; however, its preparation, concentrations, and quantities to be used remain unknown to many. This calls for research to further deepen our understanding of this limited information. Hopefully, entrepreneurs could add value and produce more clove oil, powder and make its drink available to the international market.

Without a doubt, you can now see how useful clove tea can be to our overall health, and as something which has been used for centuries, you can be rest assured that in its small amount, it is absolutely fine.