Clove Benefits For Good Health
Updated Aug. 11th, 2026 | Read Time: 2 Minutes | What You Will Learn:
- What Is Clove?
- Exploring The Key Health Benefits of Clove
- Shopping For Quality Clove Supplements
- Cautions & Considerations To The Benefits of Clove
- Nutritional Information
- Reader Comments (6)
What Is Clove?
People traditionally used clove to preserve food before refrigeration became available. It keeps food from going bad and reduces food-borne illnesses because it has antiseptic and anti-parasitic properties. People later discovered clove's medicinal properties and began using it to support healthy digestion and reduce gas and bloating. They also use clove oil as a topical pain reliever and antiseptic.
What Are The Key Health Benefits of Clove?
As mentioned, clove is beneficial to digestive health. It helps to keep things circulating and is packed with fibre which helps decrease gas build up and bloating. Clove tea can make for a nice digestif after meals. Food-grade clove products are also beneficial to dental health and oral hygiene. On a nutrient level, cloves contain manganese, this mineral helps manage the enzymes responsible for repairing bones and making hormones. This mineral also has antioxidant benefits which can further protect your body from free radical damage and help with anti-aging. Cloves are also an excellent source of vitamin K.
In addition to providing beneficial nutrients, cloves contain active compounds with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. These compounds may provide benefits when people consume cloves or apply clove oil topically.
Shopping For Quality Clove Supplements
You can purchase clove as a loose herb, a ground spice, or an essential oil. People can prepare the loose herb as a tea for internal use or topical application. You may also see clove combined with other herbs in a tea to soothe digestion. Clove essential oil is highly concentrated. Before applying it to the skin, test a small amount on a small area to check for sensitivity. Always dilute clove essential oil with a carrier oil before topical use, especially on sensitive areas. It's important to note that essential oils aren't safe for internal use.
Cautions & Considerations To The Benefits of Clove
Essential oils are toxic when taken internally, so never ingest clove oil or other essential oils. Prolonged use of topical clove oil may lead to gum damage. Clove may cause an allergic reaction when used topically or internally.
Who knew? What a wonderfully informative article, I have bought Clove essential oil, 100% pure from nationalnutrition.ca and found this article a source of important information, like: Essential oils are toxic when taken internally. That is necessary information to know. Of course clove, the article goes on to mention: Clove can be purchased as a loose herb, spice or essential oil. The loose herb can be made into a tea for topical application or internal use. So after reading this article, I realized that if you need clove for digestion, tea is the product to buy. Essential oil is for another purpose.
Hello Valerie-Jean,
Yes, it's important to note that essential oils are for diffusing, topical or home cleaning DIY's only. Teas, dried herbs or food grade oils are often used for internal applications. Clove essential oil does offer a pleasant scent and has many benefits including its antibacterial and warming/stimulation support. If you'd like to learn more about it as an essential oil, check out this article as well:
https://www.nationalnutrition.ca/articles/essential-oils/clove-essential-oil/
Have a healthy day
We have used clove essential oil for toothaches with much success. If you apply the oil to a small piece of gauze and put it in your mouth, it can help alleviate the pain of the toothache.
Hello Stephanie,
Clove is great for pain relief; however our essential oils aren't meant to be ingested or go in the mouth so it's best to ensure the oil being used for oral health concerns is food grade. Otherwise it can lead to stomach issues because the oil is too strong.
Stay safe & healthy!
I didn't know that clove, due to harboring both antiseptic and anti-parasitic properties, was traditionally used as a food preserver pre the advent of refrigeration. This said, I've learned to be cautious of clove after discovering that a pumpkin spice blend high in clove seemed to have demineralizing effects on my teeth!: I think this was because clove is rather acidic. I did not know that clove could be bad for oral hygiene also because prolonged use of topical clove oil can lead to gum damage. And, I never knew about clove allergy being a more common issue as well. I guess one should use caution with clove!
Hello Rachel,
Thanks for sharing. Everything in moderation is key!
Have a healthy day