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Cloves

Syzygium aromaticum

Also known as clove, cloves, laung

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The dried flower buds of Syzygium aromaticum, one of the most aromatic spices in common use. The USDA entry is per 100 g of ground clove, an amount no one would eat — a whole clove weighs well under a gram.

Antioxidant & Oxidative StressBlood Sugar & Metabolic Health

Potential health benefits

Best supported: Limited

Ordered by how well the human research supports them — strongest first. A rating describes the state of the evidence, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Oxidative stress markers

Antioxidant & Oxidative Stress
Limited evidence

Cloves score at the top of laboratory polyphenol and antioxidant assays among common spices, and a small number of human studies report changes in antioxidant markers after clove intake. Laboratory antioxidant rankings say very little about what happens after digestion, and the human work is sparse.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

1 source

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Blood glucose response

Blood Sugar & Metabolic Health
Insufficient evidence

Clove extracts are promoted for blood sugar control largely on the basis of animal studies and one or two very small human studies. There is not enough human research to say anything useful.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

3 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Ask about Cloves

Ask about Cloves

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories274 kcal14%
Protein5.97 g12%
Total fat13 g17%
Carbohydrate65.5 g24%
Fibre33.9 g121%
Total sugars2.38 g—
Water9.87 g—
Fats
Saturated fat3.95 g20%
Monounsaturated fat1.39 g—
Polyunsaturated fat3.61 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
ALA (omega-3)0.585 g—
EPA (omega-3)0.0080 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0.184 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)2.66 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A8 µg1%
Vitamin C0.2 mg0%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E8.82 mg59%
Vitamin K142 µg118%
Thiamin (B1)0.158 mg13%
Riboflavin (B2)0.22 mg17%
Niacin (B3)1.56 mg10%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.509 mg10%
Vitamin B60.391 mg23%
Folate25 µg6%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Choline37.4 mg7%
Minerals
Calcium632 mg49%
Iron11.8 mg66%
Magnesium259 mg62%
Phosphorus104 mg8%
Potassium1020 mg22%
Sodium277 mg12%
Zinc2.32 mg21%
Copper0.368 mg41%
Manganese60.1 mg2614%
Selenium7.2 µg13%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene45 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin0 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash5.63 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Spices, cloves, ground (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 171321).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • groundReduces volatile eugenol

    Most of a clove’s character is volatile oil, which is lost steadily from pre-ground powder. Whole buds hold it far longer.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Too much

    Clove oil ingestion has caused acute liver injury

    Concentrated clove oil is not a food dose. Ingestion, particularly accidental ingestion by young children, has caused acute liver failure, seizures and coagulation disturbance, with cases documented at only a few millilitres. Clove oil should be stored like a medicine.

  • Interaction

    Eugenol inhibits platelet aggregation

    Eugenol has antiplatelet activity, so concentrated clove preparations are best discussed with a clinician before surgery or alongside anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs.

  • Allergy

    Contact stomatitis and eugenol sensitivity

    Eugenol is a recognised contact allergen, most often encountered through dental materials and clove-flavoured products, producing mouth irritation or localised dermatitis.