LA ESPECIA CLAVOS que usamos sólo en Navidades y en jamones,o algún té
The Miracle of Cloves and Clove Oil
by Gaye Levy
Here’s the deal. It’s the weekend (or, like me, you are on vacation in
the middle of the ocean) and your tooth starts to hurt. The pain has
become so bad you can not eat, can not concentrate and whoa! you can not
even enjoy yourself and have fun. What’s a gal or guy to do?
Let me let you in on a secret: you can temporarily mitigate the pain and
suffering with oil of clove, an inexpensive and readily available
essential oil. Here is what you do:
Put a few drops of clove oil on a cotton ball, place the ball on your
sore tooth and bite down. Keep you mouth shut for about 5 minutes as the
oil numbs the pain and kills the bacteria.
Afterward, remove the cotton ball and mix a bit of the clove oil (6 to 8
drops will do it), water, and salt into a cup. Swish this around in
your mouth for about a minute and spit out. You should feel a whole lot
better!
Note: Undiluted clove oil can cause burning and even nerve damage, so
be sure to dilute it if you are applying it to sensitive skin tissue.
You can still use it directly on a tooth by applying it to a cotton ball
or cotton swab first.
So back to my little episode on the ship. Turns out I needed a root
canal (which by the way, these days is a piece of cake except for the
pain to the wallet). The dentist had one word of advice for me: when in
pain, use clove oil. As as matter of fact, he told me that it was a
bit of clove oil on a cotton swab that provided preliminary numbing
prior to my procedure.
History of Cloves
The use of clove dates back to the Han dynasty (207B.C to 220 A.D.)
where it was used to hide bad breath. It was required that those who
approached the Chinese emperor hold a clove in their mouth for this
purpose. Over the years, traditional Chinese medicine has used cloves to
treat indigestion, diarrhea, hernias, ringworm and also athletes foot
and other fungal infections.
Cloves arrived in Europe in the 4th century A.D. They were considered a
luxury and were used as a part of a mixture it was used to treat gout.
Once cloves became readily available in Europe, they were used in a
manner similar to traditional Chinese medicine. Europeans used cloves
to treat indigestion, flatulence, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. It also
treated cough, infertility, warts, worms, wounds and toothaches.
In America, cloves have been used to treat digestive disorders and have
been used in bitter herb medicine preparations to make them more
tasteful.
Factoid: Americans were the first to extract the oil from the clove and it was used on gums to relieve toothaches.
The active component of cloves is eugenol oil. This oil makes up 60-90%
of each clove and has long been thought to kill bacteria, viruses and
fungi. This oil also acts as an antiseptic, anesthetic, digestive
stimulant expectorant, aromatic, antispasmodic, astringent and accounts
for its various uses.
Proven Uses of Cloves and Clove Oil
Instant air freshener: Make an atomizer in a spray
bottle mixing clove oil with water. Be sure to shake well before each
use as oil and water do not stay mixed. If your household is smelling
especially bad or is really stale, simmer some cloves, cinnamon and
orange peel on the stove for awhile – the smell will be heavenly.
Got Doggie Destructo? You can discourage puppy chewing
by dabbing the most likely targets (wood moldings, your slippers) with a
bit of clove oil. One sniff and one taste and your pup will move on to
something else – hopefully his dog food or doggie toys (try KONG toys
The Miracle of Cloves and Clove Oil – they are great).
Non-toxic Insect Repellent: Did you know that many
insect repellent companies use Clove essential oil The Miracle of Cloves
and Clove Oil as one of the active ingredients in their spray products?
If you have some clove leaves or oils, you can simply use these
instead of spending money on bug spray. Another thing you can do is
plant cloves around the perimeter of your yard to replace the number of
bugs that cross into your yard. You can also put some of the oils on
your body so bugs and mosquitoes won’t come near you.
What else? Are there other benefits to cloves and clove oils?
As much as I tried, I could only find anecdotal information about the
benefits of cloves. There seems to be little or no scientific research
into the medicinal uses of cloves which frankly, I find baffling given
the huge sums that are devoted to the research of toxic pharmacy
products.
That said, here are some of the reported therapeutic uses of cloves and oil of clove:
Anti-bacterial and Anti-fungal: Effectively aid for
food poisoning, clove oil effectively kills many forms of bacterial
infections. Clove is also effective in reducing fungal infections such
as athlete’s foot.
Anti-inflammatory: Clove oil clears the respiratory
passages, acting as an expectorant for treating many upper-respiratory
conditions including colds, eye sties, bronchitis, sinus conditions,
cough and asthma.
Antiseptic: Clove oil can be used to reduce infections, wounds, insect bites and stings.
Cancer Prevention: Preliminary studies suggest that
clove oil may play a chemo preventative role, particularly in cases of
lung, skin and digestive cancers. The American Cancer Society states
that more carefully controlled research is needed to determine the role
of Chinese herbal medicine, including cloves, in cancer treatment and
prevention.
Cardiovascular Health: The active essential oil in clove, eugenol, has been shown to act as a an effective platelet inhibitor, preventing blood clots.
Energy booster: When used for aromatherapy purposes,
clove oil helps to stimulate the brain. The scent makes you more
attentive and can even make you feel more energetic than you normally
would.
The Miracle of Cloves and Clove Oil
Improve blood circulation: Clove bud oil is one of the
ingredients used in Tiger Balm, which is an herbal formulation that
dates back to the times of the Chinese emperors. It is used to sooth
muscle aches and pains and is though to do so by increasing the blood
flow in the affected area.
Indigestion: Clove oil offers a powerful action against
gas and bloating. It reduces gas pressure in the stomach, aiding in the
proper elimination of food and toxins. It also relieves the discomfort
of peptic ulcers. Effective for stomach related conditions including
nausea, hiccups, motion sickness and vomiting.
Infections: Due to its antiseptic properties, clove oil
is useful for wound, cuts, scabies, athlete’s foot, fungal infections,
bruises, prickly heat, scabies, etc. It can also be used for treating
insect bites and stings.
Powerful germicidal properties: Gargling with clove oil can aids in sore throat conditions and bad breath.
Premature Ejaculation: Some research has shown that clove may be useful as a aid for premature ejaculation.
Relieve flatulence: A tea made of cloves can relieve
the foof’s. Try steeping 5 cloves in a cup of boiling water for 10
minutes. Drink it when it cools and repeat two of three times daily.
Relieve headaches: Clove oil is useful for reducing the
pain and discomfort associated with tension headaches. Apply a rag
soaked in clove oils to the forehead or temples to get help open the
blood vessels and rid yourself of the headache.
Skin: An aid for skin disorders, such as acne.
Stress reliever: Clove oil stimulates the circulatory
system, clearing the mind and reducing mental exhaustion and fatigue. It
is also used to aid insomnia, memory loss, anxiety and depression.
Prevention from toxic exposure: Some studies show that clove oil can prevent toxicity related to exposure to environmental pollution.
Make Your Own Clove Oil
Clove oil is easy to make at home.
Take 1/8 cup whole clove and cover with 1/2 cup of vegetable oil. Let
sit overnight or for as long as 24 hours then strain and you are all
set.
The Final Word
Remember that clove oil is very strong in nature and hence should be
used in diluted form. Further, it should not be used on sensitive skin.
That said, cloves and clove oil are inexpensive and useful for a
variety of purposes and ailments. And for a tooth ache? Well in my
view it sure beats strong pain relievers that require a prescription.
Source:
Backdoor Survival
Un spa de un hotel, y película exterior
