Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) is quite a popular spice native to Indians, and is said to be very common in most Indian kitchens. The clove slice is renowned for decades due to it’s numerous health benefits. A lot of people take it majorly to replenish their body immunities, and as a cure to relieve toothache and minor respiratory illnesses.
There are several methods of integrating cloves as an addition to your regular diet. This popular and amazing spice can be a tasty alternative to your usual pulao, curries, biryani, chutneys, and your desserts inclusive. However, you have to be conscious of the amount of clove you put into your foods.
Apart from being a spice, clove soaked in water, often referred to as clove water, is an effective way of harvesting optimal benefits from the spice. The little you have to do is to soak two cloves in a cup of water and leave it there throughout the night. Drink the water as the first thing the following morning, before taking your breakfast. Many people have used clove soaked in water for infection treatment and other health issues.
As an health minded person, here are some of the numerous health benefits you can get from the intake of clove water. They are briefly discussed below.
1. Enhances Digestion
One of the most common benefit of clove water is it’s ability to help digestion. A single cup of water soaked with cloves can help to stimulate the production of saliva; a vital component at the beginning of the digestion process.
Clove water also excite gastric production and lowers symptoms of indigestion, excess gas and stomach pains.
2. Weight Loss
Another health benefit of water soaked in clove is its efficacy to reduce weight. Quick metabolism and smooth digestion are one of the criteria that determines the rate of weight gain or loss.
As explained earlier, clove soaked in water helps to accelerate digestion and quicken metabolism, which helps to lose those stubborn body fats.
3. Regulation Of Blood Sugar
Clove water helps to regulate the level of blood sugar. Studies has proven that some compounds present in clove stimulates the production of insulin. More insulin mean lower sugar in the blood. Therefore, soaking clove in water is a great advantage to diabetic patients.
4. Antibacterial Agent
Clove soaked in water can be useful for maintaining oral hygiene. It has been a scope of study for recent researches as an antibacterial spice.
In a study, a mouth rinse which contain clove was found to facilitate the fight against bacteria and plaques in the mouth. If adopted as an oral hygiene agent, the antibacterial ability of clove water will boost your oral health.
5. Anti-Inflammatory Agent
For most consumers, cloves are special due to the anti-inflammatory properties present in them. As a result of its richness in antioxidants, cloves helps to treat inflammation and stress. Clove soaked in water helps people suffering from arthritis and is often recommended to them.
6. Fight Infection
Does cloves soaked in water for infection actually work? There is a high possibility that cloves might help in fighting off infections because of their powerful antimicrobial properties. One study showed showed that clove extract exhibited antimicrobial activities that warded off harmful organisms. Another test-tube study conducted clove essential oil found out that destroyed three common types of bacterial infections.
7. Might Treat Yeast Infection
One study on cloves (Syzygium aromaticum) found out that is contained a powerful antifungal agent known as eugenol. The study that eugenol is capable to destroying fungal pathogens or candida yeast cells that causes yeast infections.
Bottom Line
Despite the numerous health benefits of cloves soaked in water, you are advised not to take it in excess amounts. Pregnant women are also not advised to eat cloves. In addition, you should always be reminded to buy fresh and organic cloves since they are free from pesticides and other toxic chemicals. The benefits you can get will be increased by a multiple or ten when you choose to buy organic cloves for soaking.
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Collins Nwokolo is a human physiologist, writer and health enthusiast. He loves writing helpful articles on health and fitness, which he enjoys sharing with everyone.