1. Contain important nutrients

Cloves contain fiber, vitamins, and minerals, so using whole or ground cloves to add flavor to your food can provide some important nutrients.

One teaspoonTrusted Source

(tsp) (2 grams (g)) of ground cloves contains:

Calories: 6

Carbs: 1 g

Fiber: 1 g

Manganese: 55% of the Daily Value (DV)

Vitamin K: 2% of the DV

Manganese is an essential mineral Trusted Source for maintaining brain function and building strong bones.

Apart from being a rich source of manganese, cloves are only used in small amounts and do not provide significant amounts of nutrients.

2. High in antioxidants

IT contains several important vitamins and minerals, cloves are rich in antioxidants.Trusted Source

Antioxidants are compounds that reduce oxidative stress, which can contribute to the development of chronic disease.

Cloves also contain a compound called eugenol, which has been shown to act as a natural antioxidant. Therefore, including cloves in your diet, along with other antioxidant-rich foods, can help improve your overall health.

3. May improve liver health

A 2022 animal studyTrusted Source found that clove extract improved liver damage caused by the toxic substance thioacetamide. In particular, the compound eugenol may beTrusted Source especially beneficial for the liver.

However, there isn’t enough research showing the benefit of cloves for liver health in humans, and high doses can actually damage the liver.

4. May help protect against cancer

5. Can kill bacteria, Cloves   have antimicrobial properties, meaning they can help stop the growth of microorganisms like bacteria.

6. May help regulate blood sugar

7. May promote bone health

8. May reduce stomach ulcers

What are the side effects of clove?

These are the things to keep in mind in terms of the safety of clove:

Eating clove:

Eating small amounts is not likely to cause you harm. In fact, The 

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved clove buds and clove oil as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) for use as an additive in food. That said, there isn’t enough evidence on the effect of ingesting clove in large amounts, especially for people who are pregnant or nursing. Stay on the safe side and stick to the amount recommended in the recipe.

Ingestion of clove oil: 

While both clove and clove oil contain eugenol, the compound is in much higher concentrationsTrusted Source when clove is distilled into oil. For this reason, clove oil is unsafe to take by mouth, especially for children. Even small amounts of clove oil can cause severe side effects such as seizures, liver damage, and fluid imbalances. It can also lead to bleeding in people with bleeding disorders or during surgery.

Topical: Clove oil or cream from clove flowers is generally safeTrusted Source for skin application. However, using clove oil on the gums can lead to irritation and damage.

Drug interactions: 

Be careful if you’re taking any medications to manage blood clotting or manage your blood sugar, such as for diabetes, as the eugenol in clove may interfere with these drugs.