We’ve written before about the therapeutic potential of essential oils. Like most “folk remedies,” essential oils are often regarded as ineffectual at best, and quackery at worst.
Maybe aromatherapy can offer a sense of enjoyment that improves quality of life for patients, says mainstream medicine, but surely essential oils shouldn’t be considered on par with “real” medicines.
An increasing body of research is revealing that essential oils are powerful and sophisticated medicines capable of healing feats that outshine even those of allopathic medicine.
But the tide is turning, and an increasing body of research is revealing that essential oils are powerful and sophisticated medicines capable of healing feats that outshine even those of allopathic medicine.
For example, lavender essential oil kills MRSA and other antibiotic-resistant bacteria, lemon essential oil perfectly balances digestion and metabolism, and citronella and mint essential oils (as well as many other) act as powerful and toxin-free insect repellants.
That’s just a small taste of the full-spectrum healing that all of these oils have to offer. After all, essential oils are the distilled essence of Nature’s most medicinal plants, so the sophistication of their healing qualities should come as no surprise.
The art of essential oil distillation also dates back to over 5,000 years ago, so it’s fair to say that the practice has been refined to perfection (imagine the potential of some modern medical practices if they were given thousands of years to evolve).
Another essential oil that’s picking up steam in the medical community is clove essential oil.
In another article, we wrote about the many health benefits of cloves—the primary among which being their potent cancer-fighting ability. So if raw cloves are that powerful on their own, just imagine how this potency is amplified when they’re made into an essential oil.
Amplifying the power of cloves
Researchers have discovered that cloves contain a plethora of highly medicinal compounds (eugenol being the one that is of greatest interest to scientists)—and all of these healing chemicals are present in high concentrations in the essential oil of cloves. Here’s a sampling of this oil’s healing wonders, as revealed by recent studies.
The high levels of eugenol and oleanolic acid in cloves fight cancer on every level
Revolutionary cancer treatment. The high levels of eugenol and oleanolic acid in cloves fight cancer on every level. They exert a direct causative effect upon cancer cells (by increasing apoptosis and even by directly attacking the cells), inhibit tumor growth, and support the body in the process (by boosting the immune system rather than suppressing it, like chemotherapy and radiation).
Clove extracts appear to be near universal anti-cancer agents, meaning that they’ve been successfully used to treat a wide variety of cancers[1]—and clove essential oil was found to be the most successful of all, when compared against clove extracts using water or ethanol (there’s that ancient distillation technique hard at work).
Fight pathogens naturally. Clove essential oil also exhibits remarkable efficacy as an anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal agent. Big Pharma has a hard time formulating products that adequately address even one of these mechanisms, let alone all three at once. And unlike antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals, clove oil works without disrupting beneficial bacteria or compromising immune function.
It even works against antibiotic-resistant bacteria,[2] as well as supposedly incurable and hard-to-treat viruses and fungi, such as Herpes simplex[3] (applying it as a diluted solution to cold cores will instantly inhibit the replication of the virus) and Candida[4] (take a few drops of the oil in a gel capsule).
You can also apply it to teeth and gums for fast healing of abscesses and relief from the pain of toothaches (this is why clove oil is often used in mouthwashes, and why it’s been a staple of the dental industry for decades).
Full-spectrum microbiome and digestion support. Clove oil has been used for centuries as a natural remedy for disorders of the stomach, spleen, and kidneys. By soothing these organs and balancing the microbiome and overall gastrointestinal system, it provides powerful relief from indigestion, gas, diarrhea, and other stomach ailments.[5]
You can mix clove oil with warm coconut oil and rub it on the abdomen, or take it in a gel capsule for even stronger relief. And this soothing quality isn’t limited to the stomach either—applying it to areas affected by arthritic pain can also work wonders.
How to use clove essential oil
While clove essential oil is free of the many worrying side effects that accompany traditional cancer treatments, antibiotics, and other pharmaceuticals, it should still be considered a strong medicine and used with care.
Dosage is key—because of its incredible potency, too much can be harmful. A little goes a long way; in most cases, a few drops is plenty. When using internally, drop the undiluted oil into a gel capsule (just be sure to obtain medicine-grade oil).
It can also be irritating to the skin, so don’t apply it directly to the face or other sensitive areas (and always dilute it with a carrier oil like almond, jojoba, or coconut). Lastly, it acts as a natural anti-coagulant, so be very careful if you’re taking blood thinners.
As long as you follow these simple precautions, you’ll find clove essential oil to be a safe but powerful addition to your medicine cabinet.
References
[1] http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cog/or/2013/00000021/00000005/art00003
[2] http://www.ijppsjournal.com/Vol5Issue1/4863.pdf
[3] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279710777_Effect_of_essential_oils_on_the_enveloped_viruses_Antiviral_activity_of_oregano_and_clove_oils_on_herpes_simplex_virus_type_1_and_Newcastle_disease_virus
[4] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19589904
