Tea profileCaffeine-freeherbal teaLast updated November 1, 2026

What is clove tea good for? Benefits, eugenol safety and who should avoid it

Syzygium aromaticum dried unopened flower buds

Clove tea is good for a sore mouth or toothache, for gas and sluggish digestion after a heavy meal, and for the raw throat of a cold, and the honest summary of the science is that almost all of it rests on eugenol, the compound that makes up most of clove oil, rather than on trials of the tea itself. Eugenol is a proven local anesthetic (clove gel numbed needle-stick pain as well as benzocaine in a 73-person trial), it is in the dental cement your dentist uses, and it has antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory activity in dozens of lab studies.

The same compound is why clove tea deserves more caution than most herbal teas. Eugenol thins the blood by blocking platelet aggregation, and concentrated clove oil is genuinely toxic: as little as 5 to 10 mL swallowed has caused liver failure, seizures and clotting disorders in toddlers. A cup brewed from a few whole cloves contains a tiny fraction of that and is safe for healthy adults, but it is the reason to never use clove oil in tea, to keep it mild, and to skip it on blood thinners or before surgery.

This page grades what clove tea is good for by the evidence, explains how much eugenol a cup actually delivers, shows how to brew it safely, and lists who should limit or avoid it: people on anticoagulants, anyone with liver disease, young children, and pregnant women beyond an occasional cup.

What clove tea is good for

  • Toothache and mouth pain — eugenol numbs tissue; clove gel matched benzocaine in a 73-person dental trial, and swishing warm clove tea gives a milder version
  • Gas and digestion — a traditional carminative; eugenol relaxes gut muscle in lab studies, but no human trial of the tea
  • Sore throat and cough — the warm liquid and mild numbing soothe; no trial shows it shortens a cold
  • Blood sugar — 1 to 3 g of cloves a day lowered glucose in one small 30-day study reported only as an abstract; animal data are stronger
  • Antioxidant and antimicrobial — cloves are among the richest spices in polyphenols and eugenol kills oral bacteria in the lab
  • Safety — eugenol thins blood and is liver-toxic in concentrated form; a few whole cloves per cup is the safe range, clove oil is never for drinking

Clove tea benefits, graded by the evidence

Strong = multiple human trials or a meta-analysis. Moderate = a few small trials. Preliminary = early, traditional or animal data.

  1. Numbs toothache and mouth pain

    Moderate evidence

    Eugenol is a well-established topical anesthetic. In a randomized trial of 73 adults, a clove gel applied to the gum reduced needle-insertion pain as effectively as 20% benzocaine and far more than placebo. Zinc-oxide-eugenol cement has been used in dentistry for over a century for the same reason. Clove tea is a weak, diluted version of this: holding warm clove tea against a sore tooth or ulcer gives a mild, short-lived numbing, useful until you can see a dentist, not a treatment for the underlying problem.

    Key evidenceAlqareer 2006, Journal of Dentistry (clove vs benzocaine vs placebo)

  2. Kills oral and gut bacteria

    Preliminary evidence

    Clove extract and eugenol inhibit Streptococcus mutans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Candida albicans, E. coli and Helicobacter pylori in laboratory studies at concentrations comparable to some antiseptics, and small trials of herbal mouthrinses containing clove reduced plaque and gingival bleeding. Whether drinking clove tea has any effect on gut or mouth bacteria has not been tested in people.

  3. Eases gas, bloating and indigestion

    Preliminary evidence

    Cloves are a classic carminative in Ayurvedic, Chinese and European herbal traditions, chewed or brewed after meals for gas and a heavy stomach. Eugenol relaxes smooth muscle and increases digestive secretions in animal and tissue studies, and the warm, aromatic liquid itself helps with the post-meal bloated feeling. No controlled trial has tested clove tea for dyspepsia or bloating, so this is tradition plus mechanism, not proof.

  4. Lowers blood sugar

    Preliminary evidence

    A 30-day study in 36 people with type 2 diabetes reported that 1 to 3 g of cloves a day lowered fasting glucose, total cholesterol and triglycerides, but it was published only as a conference abstract and never as a full peer-reviewed paper. A small 2019 trial of a polyphenol-rich clove extract (250 mg a day) reduced post-meal glucose in healthy adults. Animal studies consistently show eugenol improves insulin sensitivity. Interesting, thin.

  5. Provides antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds

    Preliminary evidence

    Gram for gram, cloves have one of the highest polyphenol and antioxidant capacities of any spice, driven by eugenol, gallic acid and flavonoids. Eugenol inhibits COX-2 and NF-kB signaling in cell studies, which is the same mechanism as many anti-inflammatory drugs. There are no human trials showing clove tea changes inflammatory markers or disease outcomes.

  6. Soothes a sore throat and cough

    Preliminary evidence

    The warm liquid relieves a sore throat for an hour or so, as any hot drink does in controlled studies, and the mild numbing from eugenol adds a little extra comfort when gargled or sipped slowly. Eugenol also has antitussive activity in animal studies. It does not shorten a cold; it makes one more bearable.

  7. May protect the liver in small amounts, but harms it in large ones

    Preliminary evidence

    Animal studies show low-dose eugenol reduces liver damage from toxins through its antioxidant action, which is where the 'clove tea for liver health' claim comes from. The same compound at high dose depletes glutathione and causes liver necrosis, and clove oil overdoses have required N-acetylcysteine treatment for liver failure. The dose makes the difference, and only the low end has any plausible benefit.

Is clove tea good for you?

  • Clove tea is good for you in modest amounts: a cup made from 3 to 6 whole cloves is a safe, caffeine-free, warming drink with real but mostly unproven benefits for mouth pain and digestion.
  • Its evidence is thinner than ginger's or cinnamon's. Apart from the dental-anesthetic trials of eugenol gel, there are no good human trials of clove tea, so drink it for comfort and taste rather than as a treatment.
  • Keep it mild and never add clove oil. Concentrated clove oil has caused liver failure and seizures in children at teaspoon doses; whole cloves in water are a different, much safer thing, but the margin shrinks with ground cloves by the spoonful.
  • Skip or limit it if you take warfarin, apixaban, aspirin, clopidogrel or regular NSAIDs, if you have liver disease, or in the 2 weeks before surgery, because eugenol reduces platelet clotting.
  • Children, pregnant and breastfeeding women should stick to an occasional cup at most; there is no safety data for regular use.

How to brew clove tea

Amount

4 to 6 whole cloves (about 0.5 g), lightly crushed, per 8 oz (240 mL) water; no more than 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves if that is all you have

Water

212°F / 100°C, boiling

Steep

Simmer 5 minutes then steep 5 more, covered; or steep whole cloves 10 to 15 minutes

  • Crush the cloves with the flat of a knife just before brewing; whole buds give up their oils slowly.
  • Clove is strong; most people prefer it blended with a cinnamon stick, a slice of ginger, or a black teabag (which is how it appears in chai).
  • Never add clove essential oil to tea. It is roughly 85% eugenol and a few milliliters is a toxic dose.

How much per day

One cup a day, two at most, each made from 4 to 6 whole cloves. That is roughly 0.5 to 1 g of cloves and well under the amounts that cause stomach irritation or meaningful blood thinning. Do not take it daily for months on end; the long-term safety of regular eugenol intake has not been studied.

Caffeine-free. Its warming, slightly numbing taste makes it a traditional after-dinner drink.

Side effects, interactions and who should limit it

Side effects

  • Numb, tingling or burning mouth and throat from eugenol, especially with strong brews
  • Stomach irritation, heartburn or nausea; ground cloves by the spoonful are rough on the stomach lining
  • Increased bleeding and bruising: eugenol inhibits platelet aggregation
  • Allergic contact reactions in the mouth and on the skin; eugenol is a recognized allergen
  • Liver toxicity and seizures from concentrated clove oil, which should never be swallowed; keep it away from children
  • Low blood sugar when combined with diabetes medication

Interactions

  • Anticoagulants and antiplatelets (warfarin, apixaban, rivaroxaban, aspirin, clopidogrel, regular NSAIDs): eugenol adds an antiplatelet effect; avoid regular clove tea or discuss it with your doctor.
  • Surgery and dental extractions: stop clove tea and clove products 2 weeks beforehand because of bleeding risk.
  • Diabetes medicines (insulin, sulfonylureas, metformin): cloves may lower glucose; monitor if you drink it daily.
  • Drugs that stress the liver (acetaminophen, methotrexate, isoniazid, heavy alcohol): avoid strong or frequent clove tea; eugenol is metabolized by the liver and is hepatotoxic at high doses.
  • Bleeding disorders (hemophilia, low platelets): avoid.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Cloves as a spice in food are fine in pregnancy and breastfeeding, and an occasional mild cup of clove tea is unlikely to cause harm, but there is no safety data for regular use and eugenol's blood-thinning and liver effects argue for caution. Avoid clove oil entirely, and do not drink clove tea daily in the third trimester, when bleeding risk around delivery matters most.

Frequently asked questions

Is clove tea safe to drink every day?

A mild cup a day from a few whole cloves is safe for most healthy adults, but it is not a tea with a long track record of daily medicinal use and nobody has studied months of regular intake. Rotate it with gentler teas, keep it to 4 to 6 cloves per cup, and skip it if you take blood thinners or have liver disease.

Does clove tea help a toothache?

A little, and briefly. Eugenol numbs tissue, and clove gel matched benzocaine in a dental trial. Holding warm clove tea over a sore tooth gives a mild version of that for 15 to 30 minutes. It is a bridge to the dentist, not a fix: pain from a cavity or abscess will come back and can get dangerous if ignored.

Does clove tea thin your blood?

Yes, mildly. Eugenol blocks platelet aggregation in a similar way to aspirin, and there are case reports of abnormal clotting after clove oil ingestion. A cup of weak tea is a small dose, but if you take warfarin, apixaban, aspirin or clopidogrel, or have surgery coming up, leave clove tea out.

Can clove tea be toxic?

The tea itself, made from a few whole cloves, is not. Clove essential oil is: swallowing 5 to 10 mL has caused liver failure, seizures and clotting failure in small children, and adults have been hospitalized after larger amounts. Never add clove oil to a drink, never give clove tea to young children, and keep clove oil out of reach.

Is clove tea good for the liver?

Not in any proven way. Animal studies show small amounts of eugenol protect liver cells from toxins, which is where the claim comes from, but the same compound in large amounts causes liver damage, and that part has been seen in real people after clove oil poisoning. There is no human trial of clove tea for liver health.

What does clove tea do for digestion?

It is a traditional after-dinner drink for gas and a heavy stomach, and eugenol relaxes gut muscle and stimulates digestive secretions in lab studies. There are no human trials, so the honest answer is that it is a pleasant, warming carminative that many people find helpful, not a proven remedy.

Can you drink clove tea while pregnant?

An occasional mild cup is unlikely to be a problem, but there is no safety data for regular use, and eugenol's effects on clotting and the liver are a reason for caution. Avoid clove oil completely, and avoid daily clove tea in late pregnancy.

References

  1. Alqareer A, Alyahya A, Andersson L. The effect of clove and benzocaine versus placebo as topical anesthetics. Journal of Dentistry (2006)
  2. Hartnoll G, Moore D, Douek D. Near fatal ingestion of oil of cloves. Archives of Disease in Childhood (1993)
  3. Eisen JS, Koren G, Juurlink DN, Ng VL. N-acetylcysteine for the treatment of clove oil-induced fulminant hepatic failure. Journal of Toxicology: Clinical Toxicology (2004)
  4. Lane BW, Ellenhorn MJ, Hulbert TV, McCarron M. Clove oil ingestion in an infant. Human and Experimental Toxicology (1991)
  5. Srivastava KC. Antiplatelet principles from a food spice clove (Syzygium aromaticum L). Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids (1993)
  6. Cortés-Rojas DF, de Souza CR, Oliveira WP. Clove (Syzygium aromaticum): a precious spice. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine (2014)
  7. Batiha GE, Alkazmi LM, Wasef LG, Beshbishy AM, Nadwa EH, Rashwan EK. Syzygium aromaticum L. (Myrtaceae): Traditional Uses, Bioactive Chemical Constituents, Pharmacological and Toxicological Activities. Biomolecules (2020)
  8. Pramod K, Ansari SH, Ali J. Eugenol: a natural compound with versatile pharmacological actions. Natural Product Communications (2010)
  9. Sanu A, Eccles R. The effects of a hot drink on nasal airflow and symptoms of common cold and flu. Rhinology (2008)
  10. MedlinePlus Herbs and Supplements, National Library of Medicine. Clove (2024)

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This page is educational and is not medical advice. Herbal teas can interact with prescription medicines. Talk with a clinician or pharmacist before relying on any of them, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have a chronic condition, or take medication.