CLOVE (Eugenia caryophyllata, E. aromaticum, Syzygium aromaticum) Family: Myrtaceae Also called: caryophylli or ding xian (Chinese) Parts used: flower bud Energy and flavors: warm, acrid, aromoatic Organs and channels affected: Stomach, Spleen, Kidney Chemical constituents: essential oils, especially eugenol, tannins, phenolic acids, methyl salicylate (painkiller), the flavonoids eugenin, kaempferol, rhamnetin, and eugenitin, triterpenoids such as oleanolic acid, stigmasterol, and campesterol, and several sesquiterpenes Properties: stimulant, carminative, antiemetic, anthelmintic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, analgesicDosage: 1-3g Contraindications for clove: Do not use if there’s Internal heat; caution with Deficient Yin, hypertension, or pregnancy; do not give the essential oil internally to children or pregnancy women as eugenol is toxic in relatively small quantities.

When many people think of cloves, they might remember it in sachets to scent closets or drawers, or stuck in hams and baked to imbue flavor. Today, clove is mainly used as a spice, especially for holiday meals. Still, it has many valuable uses outside the spice cabinet, some of which may even be the perfect remedy for you.

Clove is an evergreen tree that grows to about 30 feet and is native to Indonesia and the Malacca Islands (the Spice Islands). It is commercially harvested primarily in Indonesia, India, Madagascar, Zanzibar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania. Very important in the spice trade, it was – and sill is – used in perfumes, mulled wines and liqueurs, dental products, and insect repellents.

Not too long ago, oranges were littered with cloves to create the Victorian English pomander, used for not only for its scent but to indicate “warmth of feeling.” And many may remember clove cigarettes where cloves were blended with tobacco (the Indonesian kretek) and smoked throughout Asia, Europe, and the United States until 2009 when they were banned in the U.S. (and sold as “cigars” ever since).

Despite all of this historical use as a spice, clove has also been widely used in Chinese and Ayurvedic traditional medicine.

In Chinese medicine, clove is classified as an internal warming herb, helping to dispel Cold and warm the body. It is especially used as a digestive aid and for sexual problems. Because it “brings the Qi down,” it alleviates uprising energy with symptoms of hiccough, vomiting, reflux or nausea. As well, it treats cholera, diarrhea, abdominal pain, poor appetite, stomachache, hernia pain in the uterus, chronic indigestion, and fullness in the stomach and intestines. It is also given for morning sickness (often with ginseng and pogosteme, or patchouli) and for vomiting and diarrhea due to Cold in the Spleen and Stomach.

The Chinese also use cloves for painful abdominal masses, impotence and clear vaginal discharge due to Coldness (Deficient Kidney Yang). One may actually feel coldness in the “womb” (uterus) or vagina and weakness in the legs when clove is indicated. Ayurvedic medicine uses the dried flower buds as an energizer, carminative, expectorant, analgesic, and aphrodisiac to treat colds, cough, asthma, indigestion, vomiting, toothache, laryngitis, pharyngitis, low blood pressure and impotence. As well, it promotes the flow of fluids in the lymphatic system. For bronchitis and asthma, it is used as an inhalant. Further, clove in animal studies has been shown to lower triglycerides and blood sugar. Western herbalists use clove as a carminative to increase hydrochloric acid in the stomach and to improve peristalsis. It is also a natural anthelmintic and is applied externally to treat scabies and fungal infections. It is taken for inflammatory and spastic conditions of the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts, cramps, gas, diarrhea, ulcers, nausea, bronchitis, hoarseness, colds, flu, vomiting,  hypotension, hiccups, colic, and parasites.

Eugeneol, the compound oil in clove, is responsible for most of its aroma. Used in its essential oil form, clove oil may either inhaled for asthma and cough or else a couple of drops topically rubbed over the stomach or abdomen to alleviate pain and indigestion. It also helps muscle fibers contract, making it useful to relieve muscle pain, arthritis, rheumatism and muscle numbness. As a mouthwash, gargle (or else the clove itself chewed), it treats toothache, laryngitis, pharyngitis and halitosis. It is used in dentistry as a topical anesthesia and antiseptic.

And if that’s not enough, clove may be used as an ant repellent!

Avipatakar

Despite all these great applications for cloves, I discovered another fabulous use the last several years – as a powerful remedy tor acid regurgitation (GERD). I’ve treated many cases of acid reflux and while most responded well, there were some cases that I found to be particularly stubborn. Yet, even these responded to the use of clove in the Ayurvedic formula, Avipatikar. This formula is hands down the best remedy I found for the treatment of GERD.

Avipatikar churna is a traditional Ayurvedic formula used to  treat digestion. This blend both balances the digestive fire and detoxifies. It soothes the stomach tissues and promotes normal, comfortable levels of acidity during digestion. It also helps direct energy downwards helping to promote post-meal esophageal comfort and healthy elimination.

Avipatikar contains the following herbs: Triphala:

amla (Emblica officinalis)

• behada (Terminalia belerica)
• haritaki (Terminalia chebula)

Trikatu:

• black pepper (Piper nigrum)
• ginger (Zingiber officinale)
• long pepper (Piper longum)

green cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum)

clove (Syzygium aromatica)

Indian bay leaf (Cinnamomum tamala) – patra

nut grass (Cyperus rotundus) – musta

turpeth (Operculina turpethum) – trivrit

sugar

Avipatikar helps many other conditions than heartburn, acid reflux, or GERD; it also treats constipation, diarrhea, gastritis, indigestion and ulcers.

In fact, one study published in the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research in 2013 suggests that Avipatikar shows promise in the treatment of peptic ulcers (a condition marked by sores in the lining of the stomach or the first part of the small intestine). In tests on rats, the study’s authors determined that Avipatikar helped thwart the development of peptic ulcers by reducing secretion of gastric acid. According to the study’s authors, Avipatikar’s ulcer-fighting effects may be similar to those of ranitidine (a medication commonly used in the treatment of ulcers).

Of course you’ve got all the benefits of Triphala added into the formula and that’s an entire blog on its own! (See Michael’s blog on Triphala for more details.)

One Ayurvedic doctor told me that clove was the main ingredient in Avipatikar, which got me thinking about using just clove power and sugar together as a simple acute remedy if one didn’t have the formula on hand. Make it by mixing honey or barley malt with clove powder and eating in small 1/8 – ¼  tsp. doses with meals.

Note that the honey, or sugar, is an important part of this remedy. This makes sense to me because in Chinese medicine small amounts of sugar (mainly barley malt or maltose) tonifies the Spleen and Stomach, helping digestion and increasing energy. The same goes here with its addition to clove as a simple remedy.

Another great way to take Avipatikar is the Planetary Formula, Avi-Pro, which is Avipatikar in tablet form! Take the indicated dose on the bottle with a teaspoon of honey or barley malt to enhance its effectiveness.

Cook with Clove

As you prepare your meals, remember to include clove in some form or another. Pinches added to pumpkin or apple pies or given after meals as a digestive electuary (mixed with a little honey and taken in 1/8 – ¼ tsp. doses), will definitely help alleviate the indigestion, reflux, gas, bloating, burping, and fullness so often experienced after big meals.