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.

• Dı-pana: Appetite stimulant
• Pa-cana: Digestive Śva-sahara Antiasthmatic
• Kan.t. ha: Benefits the throat Śirovirecana Clears the orifices of the head
• Chardinigrahan.a: Prevents nausea
• Hikka-nigrahan.a: Stops hiccup Śu-lapraśamana Alleviates intestinal spasms
• Vedana- stha- pana: Analgesic
• Agnima-ndyana-: śaka Destroys lack of appetite
• Biomedical: Carminative, expectorant, analgesic, aphrodisiac, antifungal/antiseptic, antiemetic, antispasmodic

Contraindications: High pitta; inflammatory conditions

Safety: No drug–herb interactions are known.

Cloves are an aromatic herbal substance. They are hot, pungent, oily and sharp. Therefore, they aggravate pitta. Cloves will help to control vata and kapha.

Cloves may be used in powder form with vegetables and fruits. Powdered cloves also may be taken as a tea. Adding a pinch of powdered cloves to ginger tea will relieve vata and kapha.

Cloves are a natural pain reliever. Oil of cloves is used to relieve toothache. For this treatment, a small piece of cotton is dipped into the oil and inserted into the cavity of the tooth.

Cloves will alleviate coughs, congestion, colds and sinus problems. A few drops of clove oil may be added to boiling water and the fumes may then be inhaled as a decongestant. This will relieve nasal obstruction and congestion.

Chewing a piece of clove with rock candy helps to alleviate a dry cough. Rock candy is recommended so that pitta will not be aggravated since clove is hot and will create a burning sensation on the tongue.

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.