Clove Aphrodisiac

Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae, Syzygium aromaticum. They are native to the Maluku Islands in Indonesia, and are commonly used as a spice.

The use of the clove is very old. It is known that in the year 266 BC the Chinese army officers used this spice to combat halitosis or bad odor, especially prior to the interviews with the emperor. Probably the clove had already been used some 2500 years ago in the Han dynasty.

The Egyptians must have known it quite well since there have been found necklaces made with cloves in some sarcophagi.

It is known that the Greeks and Romans did not use it too much, and yet this spice was mentioned in the descriptions of Aegineta Paulus, a Greek physician of the seventh century, as food and medicine.

Clove contains significant amounts of an active component called eugenol, which has made it the subject of numerous health studies, including studies on the prevention of toxicity from environmental pollutants like carbon tetrachloride, digestive tract cancers, respiratory problems, and joint inflammation.

In the United States, eugenol extracts from clove have often been used in dentistry in conjunction with root canal therapy, temporary fillings, and general gum pain, since eugenol and other components of clove (including beta-caryophyllene) combine to make clove a mild anaesthetic as well as an anti-bacterial agent. For these beneficial effects, you'll also find clove oil in some over-the-counter sore throat sprays and mouth washes.

As an aphrodisiac, Clove is a widely used remedy to stimulate the libido in Oriental countries, especially in women who have lost sexual desire due to nervous reasons or eating disorders. It can be used in men when problems of erection or premature ejaculation appear.

Cloves are also aromatic in nature; its wealth in aroma makes it a very suitable ingredient in the perfume industry. This aromatic fragrance is also thought to enhance sexual feelings.

Cloves aphrodisiac qualities are also attributed to its form. Its flower bud and parts of its root, are vaguely phallic in form. Because of the level of joyful expectation—or immoderate optimism, depending on one’s vantage point—even a vague resemblance is, it seems, resemblance enough.