Clove

Syzygium aromaticum · 丁香

Spices. Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine.

Also called Laung, Lavanga, Clove buds

Pinyin: Dīng Xiāng

Spanish: Clavo de olor

Sanskrit: लवंग (Lavanga)

Oil dangerous if swallowed

Dried flower buds from an evergreen tree, used as a strong spice and as a folk toothache remedy.

Did you know? Clove oil is mostly eugenol, which is also an ingredient in some dental cements.

What it may help, and how strong the proof is

Mouth, gums & teeth. Small trials found clove oil eased tooth pain. Larger trials are lacking.
Early proof
Digestion & gut health. Used for gas, nausea and indigestion in tradition. Human studies are few.
Traditional proof
Infections. Eugenol kills many germs in lab tests. Human proof for infections is lacking.
Traditional proof

Parts of the body

Mouth & throat, Gut & intestines, Stomach, Immune system

Traditional use

Ayurveda and Chinese medicine use cloves to warm the stomach and ease pain. Western folk medicine has used clove oil on sore teeth for generations.

How it is classified

Herbal actions: Analgesic, Antimicrobial, Carminative. Energy: warming.
Chinese medicine: 丁香 Warm the interior. Nature: warm. Flavour: pungent. Enters the Spleen, Stomach, Lung and Kidney channels.

How people take it

Use whole buds in tea, spice blends or baked goods. For toothache, a small amount of diluted oil is dabbed on the sore spot, never placed neat on the gums or swallowed.

Food, essential oil and topical.

Where to get it

Grown in Indonesia, Madagascar, Tanzania and Sri Lanka. Buy whole buds in spice shops and essential oil in pharmacies, and choose labels that give dilution advice.

Be careful

Food amounts are safe. Clove oil is strong: it can burn the mouth and gums, and swallowing large amounts can damage the liver and cause seizures. Keep it away from young children and avoid medicine amounts in pregnancy.

Avoid if: children under 12; pregnancy; liver disease; bleeding disorders; before surgery.

Mixing with other things

Works well together
Both are old toothache remedies that numb the mouth. Clove oil has more study.
Works well together
Warm spice pair in baking and mulled drinks.
Works well together
Common warm spice pair in baking and chai.
Works well together
Part of Chinese five-spice powder.
Use caution
Blood thinners (warfarin, Eliquis, Xarelto, Plavix, daily aspirin)
Eugenol may slow blood clotting, so use caution with blood thinners.
Worth knowing
Diabetes medicine (metformin, insulin, glipizide, Ozempic)
May lower blood sugar in small studies. Check levels if you take diabetes medicine.

Adds up with others that may slow blood clotting: , , , , , , , , , , , , , and 40 more.

Found in these formulas

Masala chai (Ayurveda), Elderberry syrup (Western), Sorrel drink (Caribbean), Four Thieves vinegar (Folk)

The honest take

Clove is a safe spice in food amounts, and it has real but limited proof for toothache. Most other claims, such as germ killing and digestion, rest on lab work and tradition. Clove oil is strong and has caused serious harm, especially in children.