Clove
Profile
| Latin Name | Syzygium aromaticum / Eugenia caryophyllata |
| Chinese Name | Ding Xiang |
| Family | Myrtaceae |
| Note | Top |
| Aroma | <Strong> Spicy |
| Color | Dark Brown |
| Parts Distilled | Flowers or Leaves with Stems |
| Regions | Madagascar, Indonesia, Tanzania, Philippines Taste: Spicy |
| Nature | Hot |
| Affinity | SP/ST/KD |
| Major Chemical Constituents | Phenols (eugenol ~60-90%), Esters (~20-25%) |
| Skin Type | Irritates skin and can cause bums |
| Dosage | 1-2% dilution (begin with the lesser dosage); short-term use only |
TCM Categories
Functions
- Warm the interior to expel cold in the Stomach and Spleen resulting in deficiencies - indigestion, diarrhea, abdominal pain/spasm
- Warm the Kidneys and its manifestations - bone (bi-obstruction), teeth, impotence, low energy, low motivation
- Promote release of latent cold - opportunistic infections
- Destroy intestinal parasites and pestilent qi (1-2 drops internally emulsified into honey and added to warm water)
Indications
- Deficient Spleen and Kidney Qi with fatigue, poor appetite and digestion, weak limbs, damp-cold phlegm, low back pain, memory loss, loose stools, frequent urination (CV-6, CV-4, KI-3, BL-23, BL-20, SP- 6, SP-3)
- For loss of Ming Men fire
- Improves thyroid and immune function
- Parasites, esp. amoeba
Topical Applications
- Apply 1% dilution to gums and teeth for toothaches due to cold
- Apply 2% dilution for athlete's foot or scabies.
- Apply 2% dilution as friction rub for SLE.
- Apply 2% dilution of Clove (50%) and Thyme Thujanol (50%) on warts
- For teeth in powder or paste
Specific Protocols
- Release latent heat with 5% dilution (50% Clove and 50% Terebinth) at CV-17, CV-15, CV-3, LU-2, LU-5, LI-11
- Apply 5% dilution for Deficient Kidney Qi manifesting as mild impotence at GV-4, BL-23, and CV-6, CV-4, and KI-3.
- Apply 1% dilution on BL-67 for difficult labor
- Apply 1% dilution on GB-8 for mid-brain treatment
Actions
- Anti-viral (prevent and treat)
- Anti-parasitic
- Anti-infectious
- Anti-fungal
- Analgesic
- Carminative (prevents or relieves flatulence)
Contraindications & Cautions
- Deficient Yin
- Not used during pregnancy it is too warming
- Not for pre-pubescent children
Notes
- Clove is like Fu Zi
- For someone who has lost the ability to interact due to cold; warms them up and gets them interacting again
- Can absorb the heat of a fire epidemic; like attracts like, drawing that heat to it
- For someone whose boundaries are not strong
- Welcomes individuation: for someone who wants to be noticed but not stared at, giving them the comfort to just be in the world, noticed or not (combined with ylang ylang)
- Divergent function of bringing toxicity out from the bone (in sesame carrier oil)
Additional Comments
- Clove contains caryophyllene (10%), which has been found to have anti-tumor and antihistamine effects.
- Clove has been found to work synergistically with savory
- Always begin with the lower dose
- For short term use only
From Class
- Divergent channel oils: oakmoss, cumin, clove, terebinth (turpentine): Basic divergent blend; add ravensara or hyssop for superficial-deep-superficial (releasing). (Yuen)
- Grapefruit / Clove: Grapefruit (top note) breaks up keloids/scar tissue; 10 drops each clove and grapefruit with 20 helichrysum in 1 oz tamanu oil. Apply twice daily, 3 days on/3 days off (children's skin sensitive). (Yuen)
- Helichrysum: Treats fire toxins; 20 drops in a scar blend. (Yuen)
- Helichrysum / clove / grapefruit / turmeric oil: The scar blend can help the knee; clove is analgesic but for acute use only; turmeric (Jiang Huang) oil moves blood but stains, so use a notoginseng/Yunnan Bai Yao paste instead. (Yuen)
- Phenol oils (eugenol) — clove, bay laurel, cinnamon: Phenols (e.g., eugenol) stimulate methylation; found in clove, bay laurel and cinnamon (leaf or bark). Cinnamon bark oil is much more powerful than the herb Rou Gui used for Kidney yang. (Yuen)