Use spices to reduce risk of food poisoning: Rosemary and cloves found to be effective against microbial growth

09/20/2018 / By Jessica Dolores

Your head is spinning. Your mouth is watery and there’s blood in your stool. You can’t stand the pain in your stomach and you’re shaking from fever.

You wonder what happened – until you remember eating the leftover food that’s been sitting on the kitchen table for hours on end.

You rush to the doctor who tells you it’s food poisoning.

A new study shows that you could have spared yourself this agony had you included a generous amount of cloves and rosemary in your diet.

The study, funded by the Beijing Academy of Food Sciences, aimed to find out if these spices can keep the growth of micro bacteria in check and prevent cell-damaging lipid oxidation. In the testing phase, researchers applied rosemary and clove extracts on raw chicken meat and found that clove extracts contain ingredients that fight infection and disease. While rosemary is just as effective, the best health benefits occurred when these two spice extracts joined forces to beat the infection.

More on cloves and rosemary

Cloves are more than a staple in the diet of people living in the Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, and parts of East Africa. This healthy spice is the body’s ally in fighting disease. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, 100 g of cloves contains 56 g of carbohydrates, 6 g of protein, as well as lipids, energy, and dietary fiber. It is also rich in calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, sodium and zinc. You won’t go wrong with the amounts of Vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, vitamins B6, B12, A, E, D and K in this nutrient-rich extract.

Some of the ways cloves keep you strong and healthy include:

Improving digestion. Cloves promote the production of digestive enzymes that reduce flatulence, gastric irritability, dyspepsia, and dizziness.
Protect you from bacteria. Cloves are especially effective in fighting the spread of cholera.
Prevent cancer. Cloves have been known to keep lung cancer in check during its early stages.
Controls diabetes. Studies have shown that clove extracts mimic insulin. Diabetics either have no insulin or, if they do, have it in inadequate amounts. Clove extracts also control blood sugar levels.
Fights gum problems like gingivitis and periodontitis. Cloves can also help ease toothache pain.
Cures headaches. Get a few cloves, mix and add a dash of rock salt. Combine this with a glass of milk and feel your headache go away.

Rosemary is just as healthy. This herb not only smells and tastes good, but it also promotes health when consistently present in one’s diet. Here are some of the many benefits of rosemary.

Improves memory, sharpens intelligence and focus. Rosemary has been associated with the prevention of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease as well.
Puts you in a good mood by relieving anxiety and fighting stress. Rosemary is a common ingredient in aromatherapy, found to be an effective means to achieve well-being.
Promotes immunity. Rosemary has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic effects – some of which include caffeic acid, rosmaniric acid, betulic acid, and carnosol.
Fights bacteria. Rosemary is extra-powerful in preventing bacterial infections, especially those pertaining to the stomach. It is also associated with preventing the staph infection.
Cures constipation and diarrhea and prevents a bloated stomach. Rosemary’s anti-inflammation and stimulant properties make these happen.
Freshens breath. Drop rosemary leaves in a glass of hot water. Gargle with water in your mouth and odor-causing bacteria will disappear.
Eases pain. Rosemary has been recognized as a pain reliever for hundreds of years. It treats migraines when applied to the temples.