Clove: Benefits, Uses & Dosage

Cloves (Caryophyllus aromaticus, Sanskrit: Lavanga) are dried flower buds with pungent taste, heating energy, and pungent post-digestive effect. They act on plasma, muscle, marrow, nerve, and reproductive tissues. Key actions include stimulant, expectorant, carminative, analgesic, and aphrodisiac properties.

Cloves are a versatile spice-medicine indicated for colds, cough, asthma, indigestion, toothache, vomiting, hiccough, laryngitis, pharyngitis, low blood pressure, and impotence. Their strong analgesic properties make them especially valued for toothache, while their expectorant action addresses respiratory complaints effectively.

Cloves reduce Kapha and Vata but increase Pitta. Precautions apply for inflammatory conditions. They are commonly used in combination with other herbs to enhance their therapeutic effects.

• Hridya (cardiotonic)
• Dipana (appetizer)
• Pachana (digestive)
• Ruchya (improves taste)
• Chakshushya (beneficial for eyes)
• Kasaghna (antitussive)
• Chhardiighna (antiemetic)
• Shwasahara (relieves dyspnea)
• Dahashamaka (relieves burning)

Contraindications: High pitta; inflammatory conditions

Safety: No drug–herb interactions are known.

Rasa (Taste): Pungent, Bitter

Virya (Energy): Heating

Vipak (Post-digestive effect): Pungent

Dosha: Increases pitta, decreases vata and kapha

A good digestive stimulant and acts on sinus and bronchial congestion.

• Cold or cough: 1 teaspoon of honey mixed with a pinch of clove, 2 or 3 times a day.
• Indigestion and low appetite: 1 pinch of clove powder, ¼ teaspoon trikatu and 1 teaspoon of honey, 5 minutes before food.
• Hoarseness of voice: A pinch each of clove and cardamom powder, ½ teaspoon ground licorice root and 1 teaspoon of honey, mixed well and eaten slowly.
• Diarrhea: A pinch each of clove, saffron and nutmeg powders mixed into ½ cup of yogurt, taken twice a day.
• Toothache: Apply a drop of clove oil on the tooth.

Dosage: 1–3g per day dried powder or 2–10ml of a 1:5 @ 70% tincture. Q It reduces kapha and va-ta by its hot and bitter quality and reduces pitta by its cool action. This cold action of cloves is displayed via its antiinflammatory effect; it also feels cool as you draw air through your mouth when chewing a clove.

Combinations:

• Cardamom, ginger for nausea and vomiting.
• Pippali, vasa, vamsa lochana in lung disorders with high kapha.
• Ashwagandha, shatavari, nutmeg in sexual dysfunction.
• Ginger oil in narayan oil in massage for arthritis, sciatica and pain.