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Herb Profile
Clove
Syzygium aromaticum
Botanical profile with evidence, safety, and practical fit.
Last reviewed: •3 sources citedReport a correctionProfile-wide ·C Limited
Use extra caution — Clove oil can irritate skin/mucosa and high doses may be toxic; caution with anticoagulants/antiplatelets, liver disease, surgery, children, pregnancy, and concentrated essential oil ingestion. Details
- Evidence
- Limited Evidence
- Typical onset
- Varies by prep
- Safety rating
- High caution
- Best for
- Anti Inflammatory, Skin Support, Inflammatory signaling
- Avoid / review if
- Bleeding Disorder, Liver Disease, Children For Clove Oil Ingestion
At a glance
From this profile's structured data- Evidence
- Grade C
- Safety
- Clove oil can irritate skin/mucosa and high doses may be toxic; caution with anticoagulants/antiplatelets, liver disease, surgery, children, pregnancy, and concentrated essential oil ingestion.
- Profile context
- anti-inflammatory, skin-support
Next stepsWhere to go next — guides & comparisons
Continue reading
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Safety
Safety & Cautions
Clove oil can irritate skin/mucosa and high doses may be toxic; caution with anticoagulants/antiplatelets, liver disease, surgery, children, pregnancy, and concentrated essential oil ingestion.
High caution
Caution level: High. Multiple caution categories apply, or the record uses avoid/contraindication language.
- Liver-SensitiveLiver-related caution language appears in the profile.
- Anticoagulant CautionBleeding or anticoagulant-adjacent caution language is present.
Detailed safety fields
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and contraindications
- Bleeding Disorder
- Liver Disease
- Children For Clove Oil Ingestion
- Pregnancy Supplement Dosing Without Guidance
- May Increase Bleeding Risk With Anticoagulants/Antiplatelets
- Caution With Hepatotoxic Drugs.
Safety classifications
- Liver-Sensitive: Liver-related caution language appears in the profile.
- Anticoagulant Caution: Bleeding or anticoagulant-adjacent caution language is present.
Full safety note
- Clove oil can irritate skin/mucosa and high doses may be toxic; caution with anticoagulants/antiplatelets, liver disease, surgery, children, pregnancy, and concentrated essential oil ingestion.
Safety labels
- Liver-Sensitive
- Anticoagulant Caution
Evidence-based safety
Caution when combined
Severity and certainty are shown separately. A high-priority caution can still be theoretical: these pairings are screened from shared contraindication mechanisms and are not automatically documented clinical interactions. Provenance identifies the source fields that produced each flag; it does not upgrade the certainty of the pairwise claim.
High-Priority Caution
147 flagged pairingsBleeding / anticoagulant risk
High-Priority Caution
147 flagged pairingsBleeding / anticoagulant risk
Representative pairings are shown below. Large mechanism groups are intentionally summarized to keep profiles focused and crawl-efficient.
Bleeding / anticoagulant riskCertainty: Theoretical
Data provenance recorded for 147 of 147 pairings in this mechanism group.
- aescin — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Aged Garlic Extract — Theoretical interaction certainty
- ajoene — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Ajwain — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Allicin — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Garlic — Theoretical interaction certainty
- American Ginseng Extract — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Andrographis — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Angelica Archangelica — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Angelica Dahurica — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Angelica Pubescens — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Angelica Root — Theoretical interaction certainty
+135 more pairings share this mechanism. Use the Safety Checker to review a specific combination.
Evidence
Evidence Summary
Evidence lens
Read as directional context, not settled clinical proof.
LimitedLimited Evidence
Human clinical evidence: Not the primary signal
Mechanistic / preclinical: Mechanism mapped — Inflammatory Signaling Modulation
Research maturity: Theoretical / mechanistic research — Mechanistic or unresolved evidence is kept separate from established human outcomes.
Safety boundary: Safety note available — Clove oil can irritate skin/mucosa and high doses may be toxic; caution with anticoagulants/antiplatelets, liver disease, surgery, children, pregnancy, and concentrated essential oil ingestion.
This profile cites 3 human studies.
Study design details
Evidence Grade
Grade C: Limited Evidence
Evaluation of methodological rigor, population reach, and evidence alignment.
- Design Match
- Narrative review
- Risk of Bias
- High
- Consistency
- Not assessed
Strongest recorded design is a narrative review, drawn from 3 recorded studies, none of which measured an outcome in people.
How evidence grades work
Each grade reflects the strength and consistency of published human evidence — not marketing claims. Grades are based on study count, design quality, effect size, consistency, and recency.
- Strong
- Multiple RCTs, consistent direction, adequate effect size
- Moderate
- Some RCTs or consistent observational data in humans
- Preliminary / Mixed
- Animal or in-vitro only, or conflicting human data
- Traditional / Theoretical
- Traditional use only; no controlled human trials
Clinical Study Summaries (3)0 human evidence sources · 0 human trials · Participant totals not consistently reported · Consistency not yet classifiable
What the evidence actually shows
This table contains 3 structured sources, including 0 human evidence sources; 0 are human trials.
| Study | Design | N | Dose | Duration | Population | Outcome | Result & magnitude | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Antibacterial and Antifungal Activities of Spices Liu Q et al. · Int J Mol Sci · 2017 Background | Narrative review Summarizes selected literature without the full prespecified search and selection methods of a systematic review. | — | — | — | — | — | — | PubMed → |
Haro-González JN et al. · Molecules · 2021 Background | Narrative review Summarizes selected literature without the full prespecified search and selection methods of a systematic review. | — | — | — | — | — | — | PubMed → |
Biological Properties and Prospects for the Application of Eugenol-A Review Ulanowska M et al. · Int J Mol Sci · 2021 Background | Narrative review Summarizes selected literature without the full prespecified search and selection methods of a systematic review. | — | — | — | — | — | — | PubMed → |
Dosing & Timing
- No standardized dose
- Preparation specific; use standardized product label for Culinary buds and require source backed dosage review before therapeutic claims.
How Clove works
Simplified mechanism pathway based on preclinical and pharmacological evidence. Does not confirm clinical efficacy.
Mechanism Pathway — How Clove Works
CompoundTarget / ReceptorMechanismEffect / Outcome
Mechanisms & biological pathways (preclinical)
- Inflammatory Signaling Modulation
Active Compounds
Key constituents studied in Clove, with full pharmacology and safety profiles.
Compare related active botanicals
Explore botanicals with similar chemistry, effects, or safety considerations in the Botanical Activity Atlas.
Guides that use Clove
Condition guides
Compare & Sourcing
Compare side-by-side tradeoffs or verify active marker guidelines.
Safety first · Harm reduction
This information is educational and not medical advice. Start low, avoid risky combinations, and consult a licensed clinician before making health decisions—especially if you use medications, have diagnosed conditions, or are pregnant/breastfeeding.
Learn how we evaluate confidence, safety, and intensity on the methodology page.
Editorial Review
Checked against primary sources, cited evidence, and contraindication language before publication. Evidence claims, safety language, and affiliate modules are reviewed independently. Not personal medical advice.
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