Cardamom Health Benefits & Side Effects

Cardamom (known as elaichi in India) is a highly fragrant spice from India and a must-have ingredient in the cuisine. Part of an ancient Indian tradition, Choti elaichi, as cardamom is usually called, has in its listing several health benefits. Cardamom is widely known to aid in weight loss, fight depression, help detoxify the body, boost the immune system, and relieve hypertension, among several other benefits.

Cardamom is a little seed pod, using a papery outside with small black seeds on the inside. It’s an expensive spice known around the world for its rich culinary and aromatic properties. It has a minty taste when consumed raw and is consequently Credited as an efficient way to handle with bad breath. Earlier utilized in Ayurveda as an herb, cardamom was proven to extensively cure tuberculosis, gastrointestinal ailments, and an antidote to poison.

Cardamom is known for antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. Cardamom is beneficial in preventing vomiting and nausea. It helps to handle indigestion, flatulence and provides relief from abdominal pain. Cardamom powder with honey has been used for centuries as an effective home remedy for cough accompanied by mucus. Cardamom tea acts with secret powers as an aphrodisiac and helps improve libido. Cardamom is also known as Ilaychi, Chhoti elachi, Upakunchika, Heel Khurd, Elettaria cardamomum, and many other names.

Cardamom is used to treat problems affecting the mouth and throat. It helps rid of oral diseases, ensures dental hygiene, and cures sore throat. It also aids in regulating the body’s blood glucose levels, helps in detoxification, enhances blood circulation, and enhances the body’s sexual potency. It’s helpful in weight loss, treating joint pain, the urinary tract’s problems, and the gastrointestinal tract.

Nutritional Facts of Cardamom

Cardamom is full of iron, fiber, manganese, calcium, potassium, magnesium, vitamin C, vitamin A, zinc, and riboflavin. Oils such as pinene,  terpinene, sabinene, phellandrene, and linalool also form a significant cardamom component. These oils are a significant element for various cardamom health benefits. These oils help improve digestion, stimulate metabolism, render antioxidant properties,  and discourage tumor development.

Nutritional facts per 100 Grams

311Calories

7 g Total Fat

18 mg Sodium

11 g Protein

1,119 mg potassium

68 g Total Carbohydrate

Vitamins and Minerals

38% Calcium

77 %Iron

10 %Vitamin B-6

57 %Magnesium

35 %Vitamin C

Health Benefits of Cardamom

Cardamom has many health benefits and is available in powder, cardamom oil, water, and tea forms. Cardamom offers Ayurvedic properties that help in balancing doshas. It is easy to find cardamom in your community market. Both green and black cardamom is used in many Indian dishes.

– Great for your heart.

Cardamom’s health benefits due to fiber and other micronutrients promote the upkeep of heart functions. Fiber helps reduce cholesterol levels, and since cardamom is also a fantastic natural antioxidant, more enzymes are working with fiber to control and manage your cholesterol levels.

Cardamom helps with other regions of the heart also. It can prevent hypertension and decrease your heartbeat into a more controlled rate. The Harvard Medical School once published a report asserting that heart experts typically ensure that you have cardamom in their dinners an integral ingredient.

–  Boosts digestive health.

Cardamom has methanolic extract inside it. This organic alcohol, which can act as an acid or a base depending on conditions, can help heal gastrointestinal disorders, such as stomach cramps,  heartburn, acid reflux, flatulence, diarrhea, and acidity. For people who need a little additional help regarding your digestive system, give cardamom a shot. Thinking about the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant health benefits of cardamom, integrating it in your diet can help the metabolism.

Cardamom has been used in Ayurvedic medication to treat gastrointestinal problems such as stomach cramps, acidity, etc.. The cardamom oils fortify the mucus lining in the stomach and raises the speed of saliva generation. The robust stomach lining contributes to an increase in saliva, and appetite production helps cool the stomach that prevents acidity.

The spice can also be precious in treating nausea and vomiting. It can decrease the duration of nausea and the frequency of nausea, which makes it quite the tonic.

– May help asthma

Cardamom may help combat asthma and its symptoms, like coughing, shortness of breath, and wheezing. Your respiratory system may benefit from the spice based on its own crude extracts and anti-inflammatory properties. Cardamom can help open windpipes, relax mucous membranes and tracheal tissues, and enhance blood flow for the lungs.

– Good for your scalp and hair

Cardamom has beauty secrets, as well. The antibacterial and antioxidant properties of cardamom are great for your scalp, nourishing the skin and healing any existing scalp infections. Additionally, it nourishes your hair follicles. All you’ve got to do is prepare cardamom-enhanced water (a combination of cardamom powder and water) and use it together with your shampoo or conditioner. Cardamom can help improve your hair strength and shine. 

– Helps detoxification

Our body releases toxins as a consequence of the metabolic activities occurring throughout the day. If one of these toxins remain in the body for a substantial period, they contribute to toxins. These include uric acid accumulation, premature aging, kidney stones, cancer, and other ailments. Cardamom detox tea or water acts as a detoxifying agent assisting in flushing out the body’s toxins.

This detoxifying agent can aid waste pass through the kidneys owing to the essential oils. Without appropriate detoxification, your body may have a poor balance of free radicals and toxins, which may cause the development of different ailments. Cardamom detoxifying properties can help benefit your skin too. The oils and biochemicals within cardamom assist your metabolism in removing toxins, which helps in preventing premature aging.

Part of why cardamom is such a wonderful detoxifying agent is due to its diuretic properties. Cardamom spice eliminates waste from salt, extra water, and waste from the bladder, urinary tract, and kidneys. 

– Breath freshener

Cardamom has been popularly used as a breath freshener. The seeds have been chewed on for the distinctive odor that the pods are distinguished with.

– May improve blood flow.

Cardamom is thought to help improve blood flow in the lungs. Thus, it has been commonly utilized in aromatherapy due to its capability to help alleviate symptoms and heal bronchitis and asthma. Cardamom also lowers stress and anxiety by boosting the flow of blood through the body.

– May heal urinary problems

Medical conditions of the urinary tract such as gonorrhea, cystitis, and nephritis have been healed using cardamom from the diet. Cardamom’s essential oil assists in imparting healthy blood circulation and improved body detox.  It consequently permits the body to maintain conditions stemming from the stated systems’ abnormal performance at bay.

– May help in weight loss

Cardamom oil composition in its pod boosts the body’s metabolism function aside from performing functions like improving blood flow and ridding unnecessary toxins. These factors combined lead to a healthier fat burning speed causing the body to shed weight. You can add cardamom on your weight loss diet in different forms. You may use black or green cardamom powder, tea, and water to decrease weight.

– May help sleep disorders

Applying a tiny quantity of cardamom oil around the nasal area helps sleep and reduces problems that result in minimum sleep and restlessness during the night. Cardamom is effective in treating ailments of sleeplessness and anxiety.

– Helps sore throat disease

Cardamom has been widely utilized to treat nausea, sore throat, and irritation in the throat. Cardamom can be boiled in water and used for gargling to treat sore throat and throat ailments.

This is another remedy that is worth a try for your sore throat. Cardamom’s health benefits can help to treat sore throats by naturally reducing irritation. For a more effective strategy, combine cardamom and cinnamon — cinnamon can help complete the job due to its antibacterial properties. Boil the spices together in water, and you have got a fantastic, non-artificial sore throat remedy.

– May alleviate joint pain.

Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, cardamom is exceptionally efficient in relieving muscle and joint pain. Studies have demonstrated that cardamom plays a pivotal role in preventing muscle contraction and relaxation that results in spasms. The anti-carcinogenic properties help alleviate joint and muscle pain, particularly in older adults.

– May boost libido.

Cardamom is thought to heal issues like premature ejaculation and impotence. Due to its aphrodisiac properties, cardamom’s distinctive aromatic and chemical composition makes it a perfect, low-risk choice to treat problems relating to sexual shortcomings.

– Good for dental health.

Cardamom has been used as a treatment for oral hygiene issues for centuries. Tooth pain, cavity, or a microbial disease, cardamom usage is a safe and highly effective process to reach oral hygiene.  Cardamom’s intense flavor and odor come from its essential oil. While the flavor itself can result in the stimulation of your salivary collection, preventing dental cavities. 

– May control blood glucose levels

Cardamom has been effective in controlling high blood glucose levels. This property, which helps equilibrium the body’s blood glucose level, is due to manganese’s high content within cardamom.

– May help fight cancer

Cardamom may help in fighting cancer. By helping reduce inflammation, cardamom offers excellent health benefits by helping to inhibit cancer cells’ growth. One particular kind of cancer which has seen astonishing results In the government of cardamom is colorectal cancer.  A study in the Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute in Kolkata demonstrated that dietary cardamom in patients reduced colorectal cancer rates to 48%. Similar studies suggest the spice’s ability to fight cancer cell growth and promote cancer cell destruction.

– Antidepressant properties.

Cardamom has antidepressant properties. All you do is to simply boil some of the cardamom seeds in water. Have that mixture with your tea daily, and it’s said to assist you in relaxing. Aromatherapy can combat many conditions that challenge the body: headaches, nervousness, pain, and the inability to sleep. The vital oils found in cardamom are among the most apparent oils used in the practice of aromatherapy. Using cardamom in aromatherapy can help improve digestion and lead to the prevention and cure for some stomach ailments.

Cardamom Precautions & Side-Effects

Despite its many health benefits, cardamom is advisable not to be consumed without consulting your doctor. Breastfeeding and pregnant women should always consult with their doctors. People experiencing infection are advised not to consume cardamom in its raw form. It is safe to eat in the kind of powdered spice in almost any cuisine.

Cultivation of Cardamom

Cardamom Is an ancient, highly aromatic spice native to India and sees large cultivations from Asia’s continent. It’s a papery pod black or green containing small black seeds inside. Nations such as Sri Lanka, Guatemala, Tanzania, and Malaysia also have emerged as major cultivators of cardamom. It typically grows in mountainous areas and forests and are spindle-shaped plants using its outgrowing as pods.

Cardamom is available as Green Cardamom, Cardamom Powder (Churna),  Cardamom Tablet, and Cardamom Capsule