Properties: Pungent, warm
Meridans Entered:
Primary: Spleen, Stomach, Lung and Kidney
Extraordinary Vessels: Ren
Traditional Actions/Indications:
- Warms the Middle Jiao, relieves pain and descends Qi
Stomach Cold with vomiting, hiccup, abdominal pain and diarrhoea
Spleen and Stomach Deficiency Cold with anorexia, vomiting and diarrhoea
Bad breath (chew whole clove), toothache (apply oil to gum)
- Warms the Kidneys and assists Yang
Impotence or clear vaginal discharge from Cold in the Womb (usually accompanied by weak legs) due to Kidney Yang Deficiency
- Kills Parasites and expels Demons
Gu Sydnrome (Fruehauf, 1998)
Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)
Can also be used as an insect repellent.
Suggested Daily Dosage: 1-3g in decoction.
Cautions: It is incompatible with Yu Jin (nineteen incompatibilities). It should be used with cautions for heat syndrome and yin deficiency with interior heat.
Interactions:
Notable Constituents:
- Eugenol
Anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, antipyretic, antioxidant, antifungal and analgesic phenolic molecule suggested to be responsible for its toothache controlling properties. Its exact mechanism of action is unknown, however, it has been shown to interfere with action potential conduction.
Notes:
Cloves have been chewed to freshen the breath since 3rd century BCE where it was required before addressing the emperor.
Appears in 14 formulae listed on this site: (click to display)
Research Links & References: (click to display)
Research Links:
Reference Notes:
Individual herb information has sourced mainly from TCM Wiki and American Dragon for basic data and then updated manually with my own notes. Zhou, Xie and Yan (2011): Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Vol. 5, and A+ Medical Encyclopaedia have been used for entries not available from those sources with additional material searched for and filled in where available. Western herbs not appearing in the Chinese literature have used Ross (2010): Combining Western Herbs and Chinese Medicine: A Clinical Materia Medica, White Rabbit Institute of Healing and therapeutika.ch. Choices of which source to use or combine have been my own.
These pages are intended to assist clinicians and are not intended for self-diagnosis or treatment for which a qualified professional should be consulted. Actions and indications are taken from traditional uses and do not necessarily reflect the evidence base which should be researched independently. Dosages are for guidance only and will vary dependening on the potency of the batch and the tolerance of the individual so should be evaluated by a professional based on individual needs.
