The super antioxidant of all super antioxidants. Ground cloves are the number one rated antioxidant by ORAC score. The score came from a study by the USDA. ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbency Capacity Report. In simple terms ground cloves has more antioxidant activity than any other food source.
You can get 1000mg of freshly ground cloves in two small capsules with an ORAC rank of 3,144. The USDA recommends that each person get 3,000 to 5,000 ORAC units per day for optimum health. That is daily antioxidant protection for less than.30 per day.
Cloves contain a variety of flavonoids (antioxidants). The main two are kaempferol and rhamnetin. Another primary nutrient component is Eugenol which functions as a strong anti-inflammatory. Ground cloves are classified as a nutrient dense food source, putting it in the antioxidant rich super food category. A unique feature of cloves is it’s high content of healthy omega 3 fatty acids.
Health Benefits of Cloves:
o Highest antioxidant power(free radical neutralizer)
o Pain relief especially in the dental field.
o Prevention of toxicity such as carbon tetrachloride.
o Helps prevent digestive tract cancers
o Helps with joint inflammation and pain.
o Anti-bacterial
o Anti Inflammatory
o Combined with other omega 3 fatty acids such as cod liver oil it can reduce inflammation by up to 30% more than cloves alone.
o Can be used as a mosquito repellent.
o Relieves gas and bloating
o Relieves nausea and vomiting during pregnancy
o Relieves nausea during chemotherapy
o Clean wounds, scratches and abrasions
o Mixed in water as an antiseptic mouthwash
1000mg of ground cloves has over twice the antioxidant activity as a cup of green tea or acai powder. It has more than twelve times the activity of 1000mg of goji powder or blueberry powder. It has been shown in study after study that antioxidants have a significant role in the prevention of heart disease, cancer and stroke. If you want to live a more disease free life consider changing your diet to more fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts and whole grains. The USDA has also said that whole food supplements can be as effective as the natural source.
