Clove

Clove contains the highest antioxidant value of any spice. It is also a local anaesthetic that dentistry still uses. Most people use it for mulled wine and nothing else.

The tradition

Cloves originate from the Maluku Islands (the original Spice Islands) in Indonesia and were among the most valuable commodities in the medieval spice trade. Arab traders brought them to Europe as early as the Roman period. In Chinese medicine, cloves have been used for over two thousand years for digestive disorders and to sweeten the breath before audiences with the Emperor. In Ayurvedic medicine, cloves are used for respiratory conditions, dental pain, digestive issues, and as a warming herb for cold constitutions.

In European folk medicine, cloves were used to preserve food, as a dental analgesic, and as a fumigant against plague. The antimicrobial properties that made them effective for preservation also made them genuinely useful against infection. The tradition was scientifically sound.

What the research shows

Eugenol, clove's primary active compound, is a well-characterised local anaesthetic and antimicrobial. It is still used in dentistry as a component of dental cement and as a topical analgesic for exposed dental nerves. Its mechanism of anaesthesia involves blocking sodium channels in nerve tissue, the same mechanism as synthetic local anaesthetics.

ORAC value, the measure of antioxidant capacity per weight of food, is higher in cloves than in any other spice by a significant margin. A single gram of cloves has an ORAC value approximately 20 times that of blueberries. This does not mean eating large amounts of cloves is safe or advisable, they are extremely concentrated, but it does indicate remarkable antioxidant density.

Eugenol has demonstrated significant anti-inflammatory activity through inhibition of NF-kB and COX-2 pathways. It has potent antifungal activity against Candida and antimicrobial activity against a wide range of bacteria including H. pylori. Animal studies suggest it has hepatoprotective (liver-protecting) effects.

The chakra connection

Clove's intense, concentrated quality is the root chakra's essence in spice form. The root chakra is about foundational strength, the deep immune reserve and physical resilience that protects the whole system. Clove's extraordinary antioxidant density, antimicrobial potency, and anti-inflammatory capacity all serve this foundational function.

Its use as a dental analgesic connects it to the root chakra through an interesting pathway. Dental health and the health of the jaw are strongly associated with the root chakra in Ayurvedic tradition. Jaw tension, teeth grinding during sleep, and dental sensitivity are all root chakra signals in this framework. Clove is the spice that traditional medicine uses for all of these.

The emotional layer of the root chakra is the sense of being protected. Clove, with its antimicrobial, antifungal, and immune-supporting properties, is the spice of protection. Used in small, regular amounts, it contributes to the body's capacity to defend its boundaries against microbial challenge.

How to use it

Clove is powerful and concentrated. Use small amounts: one to two whole cloves or an eighth to a quarter teaspoon of ground clove per dish. Overuse creates an overwhelming medicinal flavour that dominates everything else.

Whole cloves in soups, stews, and rice dishes release their compounds slowly during cooking and can be removed before eating. They belong in bone broth, mulled drinks, and slow-cooked preparations where their intensity is diluted by long cooking times and large volumes.

Ground clove in warm water with honey and ginger is an effective home remedy for throat infections and early colds. Clove oil applied topically with a cotton swab is the traditional dental pain relief, available in any pharmacy.