Cloves

We're taking a wild guess here, but we'd venture to say that when you were a kid, perhaps ham wasn't your favorite food. Cloves were the problem. You tried to pick the little devils out, but one would always slip by and set your entire mouth on fire.

It may have seemed like torture then, but Mom used cloves for a reason. "In addition to providing flavor, cloves are a powerful food preservative," says Ara H. DerMarderosian, Ph.D., professor of pharmacognosy and medicinal chemistry at the Philadelphia college of Pharmacy and Science. "You put cloves in ham and it lasts several days longer in the refrigerator."

Cloves (Caryophyllum aromaticus) are actually the dried buds of the clove tree. Used in China for more than two thousand years, legend has it that cloves are an aphrodisiac. Although there isn't any evidence to back up this claim, we do know that oil of clove is a time-honored remedy for toothache. Clove oil is highly antiseptic. It is also used to stop vomiting.

There are many proven benefits when using clove: it relieves tooth pain and has an anti-emetic action that helps control vomiting.

This herb keeps food fresh because the main active component of cloves is eugenol, which has long been known to help kill bacteria and viruses, says Gary Elmer, Ph.D., associate professor of medicinal chemistry at the University of Washington School of Pharmacy in Seattle. By killing bacteria, eugenol helps keep meat fresh-and prevents stomach upset, traveler' diarrhea and wound infections.

Healing with Clove:

Not limited to preserving food, this powerful herb can:

• Ease toothache pain: The eugenol in clove makes the herb effective as an antiseptic and painkiller, says Dr. DerMarderosian. You may have tasted the sweet-hot flavor of clove oil in over-the-counter toothache medicines. Try a drop of this healing oil (available at drugstores and health-food stores) to ease an aching tooth until you can see a dentist.

• Relieve indigestion: The herb's usefulness in combating intestinal problems has yet to be confirmed in humans, but laboratory studies indicate that it may be effective. To make clove tea, use 1 teaspoon of powdered cloves per cup of boiling water. Steep for 10 to 20 minutes before drinking.

• Control diarrhea: An ingredient in clove fights the bacteria responsible for diarrhea-the ailment you get from drinking the water in regions where health standards are substandard. If this gastrointestinal trouble strikes you, try clove tea, using the recipe described above.

• Heals cuts and bites: Studies show that the oil in cloves can help kill several strains of staphylococcus bacteria and one strain of pseudomonas-organisms that can cause skin infections. To treat cuts, make a poultice by grinding up several cloves and mixing in water to form a paste. Apply the poultice directly to the site of the cut. Cover it with a warm towel.

Safety Considerations:

Cloves and clove tea are both safe to ingest. Clove oil is also safe to use topically; follow package directions for proper use. (Note: Ingesting high doses of clove oil may cause stomach upset.) If a clove poultice causes skin reddening or a rash, discontinue use.

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