Herbs & Herbal Remedies @ Green Papaya

Japanese researchers have discovered that like many spices, clove contains antioxidants. Antioxidants help prevent the cell damage that scientists believe eventually causes cancer.

On the other hand, in laboratory tests, the chemical eugenol, has been found to be a weak tumor promoter, making clove one of many healing herbs with both pro- and anticancer effects. At this point, scientists aren’t sure which way the balance tilts. Until they are, anyone with a history of cancer should not use medicinal amounts of clove.

For otherwise healthy non-pregnant, non-nursing adults, powdered clove is considered nontoxic. However, high doses of its oil may cause stomach upset when ingested and rash when used externally.

Clove or clove oil should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor. If clove or clove oil causes minor discomforts, such as stomach upset or diarrhea, use less or stop using it. Let your doctor know if you experience any unpleasant effects or if the symptoms for which the herb is being used do not improve significantly in two weeks.

Some smokers switch to clove cigarettes, believing they’re safer than tobacco. They aren’t. Most clove cigarettes are 50 to 60 percent tobacco. And when clove burns, it releases many carcinogens. The Journal of tne American Medical Association has reported many toxic reactions to clove cigarettes.

Grown in Far Places

Clove does not grow in the United States. The aromatic clove evergreen reaches’ 25 feet. Tanzania produces about 80 percent of the world’s supply. Clove also grows in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Brazil, and the West Indies.

Clove oil, like allspice, is 60 to 90 percent eugenol, which is the source of its anesthetic and antiseptic properties.

Toothache, Oral Hygiene - Dentists use clove oil as an oral anesthetic. They also use it to disinfect root canals.

Clove oil is the active ingredient in Lavoris mouthwash and a number of over-the-counter toothache pain-relief preparations, including Benzodent and Numzident.

Toothaches require professional care. Clove oil may provide temporary relief, but see a dentist promptly.

Digestive Aid - Like many culinary spices, clove may help relax the smooth muscle lining of the digestive tract, supporting its age-old use as a digestive aid.

Infection Fighter - Clove kills intestinal parasites and “exhibits broad antimicrobial properties against fungi and bacteria,” according to one of many reports supporting its traditional use as a treatment for diarrhea, intestinal worms, and other digestive ailments.

Rx for Clove

For temporary relief of toothache prior to professional care, dip a cotton swab in clove oil and apply it to the affected tooth and surrounding gum.

For a warm, pleasant-tasting infusion, use I teaspoon of powdered herb per cup of boiling water. Steep 10 to 20 minutes. Drink up to 3 cups a day.

Medicinal amounts of clove should not be given to children under age 2. For older children and people over 65, start with low-strength preparations and increase strength if necessary.

Your Dentist Loves It

Family: Myrtaceae; (includes Myrtle, Eucalyptus)

Genus and Species: Eugenia Caryophyilata or Syzygium Aromaticum

Also known as: Clavos, Caryophyllus

Parts used: Dried, powdered flower buds

Step into any spice shop, take a deep breath, and enjoy the rich, warm aroma that fills the air. Chances are the dominant fragrance is clove, one of the world’s most aromatic healing herbs.

Step into your dentist’s supply room, though, and things smell quite different. But chances are clove oil is one of the items on the shelf. It’s a dental anesthetic-and more.

Ancient Breath Freshener

Clove is the bud of a highly aromatic tropical evergreen tree. During the Han dynasty (207 BC to AD 220) those who addressed the Chinese emperor were required to hold cloves in their mouths to mask bad breath. Traditional Chinese physicians have long used the herb to treat indigestion, diarrhea, hernia, and ringworm, as well as athlete’s foot and other fungal infections.

India’s traditional Ayurvedic healers have used clove since ancient times to treat respiratory and digestive ailments.

Clove first arrived in Europe around the 4th century A.D. as a highly coveted luxury. The medieval German abbess/herbalist Hildegard of Bingen recommended the rare herb in her antigout mixture.

Magellan’s Voyage

Demand for clove (and other Asian herbs) helped launch the Age of Exploration. Magellan’s flotilla brought some back to Spain in 1512 when the explorers completed their first voy~ age around the world.

Once clove became easily available in Europe, it was prized as a treatment for indigestion, flatulence, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. It was also used to treat cough, infertility, warts, worms, wounds, and toothache.

America’s 19th-century Eclectic physicians used clove to treat digestive complaints and added it to bitter herb-medicine preparations to make them more palatable. The Eclectics were also the first to extract clove oil from the herbal buds They used it on the gums to relieve toothache.

Contemporary herbalists recommend clove for digestive complaints and its oil for toothache.