Cloves

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By Nikola · Precision Nutrition L1 · Updated 5 November 2026

Cloves are the dried flower buds of the clove tree (Syzygium aromaticum), a strong, warm and slightly numbing spice used whole or ground. They give mulled wine, gingerbread, compotes and garam masala their typical aroma. Per gram, cloves have more manganese than cinnamon, cardamom ou black pepper: a teaspoon of ground cloves gives about 1.3 mg. Clove oil has an EU monograph as a traditional remedy for toothache and minor mouth inflammation, but the concentrated oil can be poisonous if swallowed, especially for children.

Clove nutrition per 100 g and per teaspoon

Nutritif	Per 100 g (ground)	Per teaspoon, ground (2.1 g)
Énergie	274 kcal	6 kcal
Protéine	6.0 g	0.1 g
Fat	13.0 g	0.3 g
Carbohydrate	65.5 g	1.4 g
of which fibre	33.9 g	0.7 g
of which sugars	2.4 g	0.05 g
Manganese	60.1 mg	1.26 mg
Vitamine K	142 µg	3.0 µg
Vitamine E	8.8 mg	0.19 mg
Calcium	632 mg	13 mg
Magnésium	259 mg	5.4 mg
Potassium	1020 mg	21 mg
Fer	11.8 mg	0.25 mg

Source: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, “Spices, cloves, ground” (FDC 171321), checked 5 November 2026. Portions from the same record: 1 teaspoon ground = 2.1 g, 1 tablespoon = 6.5 g. Values rounded.

Cloves are so strong that a teaspoon of ground cloves is enough for a large batch of gingerbread, and a pot of mulled wine or compote takes a handful of whole buds that are removed before serving. So the calories and fibre do not matter. Manganese does: a full teaspoon of ground cloves has about 1.26 mg, compared with an adequate intake of 1.8 mg a day for women and 2.3 mg for men. The tolerable upper limit for adults is 11 mg a day from all sources, far above anything you would get from cloves in cooking (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements).

Glycemic index

Cloves are not listed in the international GI tables (Atkinson 2008). A teaspoon contains about 1.4 g of carbohydrate, half of it fibre, so cloves have no meaningful effect on blood sugar. Sweet dishes with cloves, like gingerbread or sweetened compote, are a different story because of their sugar.

Health benefits: what the evidence says

• Manganese. Cloves are a concentrated source of manganese, as shown above. Even a quarter of a teaspoon in a dish adds a noticeable amount.
• Clove oil for the mouth: a traditional EU remedy. The European Medicines Agency’s herbal committee (HMPC) adopted an EU monograph on clove oil in 2011. It recognises clove oil as a traditional herbal medicine for the symptomatic treatment of minor inflammations in the mouth or throat and for the temporary relief of toothache caused by a dental cavity. “Traditional use” means acceptance based on long use, not proof from clinical trials. It relieves pain for a while but does not treat the cavity: you still need a dentist.
• Flavour in place of sugar. Cloves, together with cinnamon and cardamom, make baked fruit, compotes and tea taste rich and sweet, which can help you use less sugar.
• What is not proven. Claims that whole cloves “kill parasites”, “detox” or cure infections are not supported by the sources reviewed for this entry.

How to eat it

• Use very little. Two to four whole cloves flavour a pot of compote, soup or rice for four. A pinch of ground cloves is enough for a cake.
• Drinks. Whole cloves with cinnamon, orange peel and cardamom in mulled wine, hot apple juice or spiced tea.
• Fruit. Poached pears, baked apples, plum jam and dried fruit compote all suit cloves.
• Savoury. Stick two or three cloves into a peeled oignon and simmer it in bean soup, stock or a meat stew; it is easy to lift out at the end. Cloves also go into pickling brine for vegetables, rice pilaf and garam masala.
• Baking. Ground cloves belong to gingerbread, spiced biscuits and citrouille pie spice along with cinnamon, gingembre and nutmeg.
• Freshness test. Good whole cloves are dark brown, slightly oily and very fragrant when pressed with a fingernail. Dry, dusty cloves have lost most of their aroma.
• Storage. Whole cloves keep their aroma far longer than ground cloves. Keep both in a closed jar, away from light and heat.

Who should be careful

• Clove oil and children. Clove oil is rich in eugenol. MedlinePlus warns that as little as 10 ml in adults, or smaller amounts in children, can have serious effects, and that the main symptoms of clove oil overdose are nervous system problems, breathing problems and liver failure, the last especially likely in children. Keep clove oil out of children’s reach and never give it by mouth. The EMA monograph does not recommend clove oil for anyone under 18 because safety data are lacking.
• Using clove oil for toothache. Apply it only to the painful tooth as directed on the product, do not swallow it, and see a dentist soon.
• Allergy to Peru balsam. The EMA monograph lists hypersensitivity to clove or to Peru balsam as a contraindication for clove oil. People with this allergy should avoid clove oil and ask their doctor about other products that contain cloves.
• Cloves in food. The serious warnings concern the concentrated oil, not the small amounts of whole or ground cloves used in cooking.

Traditional view (Ayurveda)

In Usha and Vasant Lad’s food guidelines cloves are listed as good for Vata and Kapha and best avoided by Pitta. This is a traditional view, not a clinical finding.

Related entries and articles

• Cinnamon et cardamom – the warm spices that go with cloves
• Gingembre – for spiced tea and gingerbread
• Pommes – baked or in compote with cloves
• Black pepper et cumin – other spices in garam masala
• Ginger tea
• Which foods reduce inflammation naturally?

FAQ

Does clove oil help with toothache?

It can relieve pain for a short time. The EU herbal monograph accepts clove oil as a traditional remedy for the temporary relief of toothache caused by a cavity, based on long use. It does not fix the problem, so see a dentist, and never swallow the oil.

Are cloves a good source of manganese?

Yes. Per 100 g, ground cloves contain about 60 mg of manganese, and a teaspoon has about 1.26 mg, more than half the adequate intake for adult women. In practice you use less than a teaspoon, but cloves still add a real amount.

Is clove oil safe for children?

No, not by mouth. Even small amounts of clove oil can cause serious poisoning in children, including liver failure (MedlinePlus), and the EMA does not recommend clove oil under 18 years. Store it out of reach. Cloves in ordinary food are a different matter.

Sources

1. USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy: Spices, cloves, ground (FDC 171321). fdc.nal.usda.gov
2. European Medicines Agency, HMPC: Community herbal monograph on Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merill et L. M. Perry, floris aetheroleum (clove oil), adopted 13 September 2011. ema.europa.eu
3. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Eugenol oil overdose, reviewed October 2025. medlineplus.gov
4. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Manganese, Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. ods.od.nih.gov
5. Atkinson FS, Foster-Powell K, Brand-Miller JC. International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values: 2008. Diabetes Care. 2008;31(12):2281-2283. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
6. Lad U, Lad V. Food Guidelines for Basic Constitutional Types, from Ayurvedic Cooking for Self-Healing, 2nd ed. The Ayurvedic Institute. ayurveda.com

This page is for information only and is not medical or dietary advice.