Cardamoms are an exotic spice native to the Indian subcontinent. After saffron and vanilla, cardamom is the third most expensive spice in the world. Belonging to the same family of plants as ginger, it has a warm and a uniquely pleasant fragrance. It is widely used in Indian cuisine and is often found in many Indian sweets. It has numerous uses in ayurveda because of its medicinal properties.
Types Of Cardamom
The two main types of cardamom are green cardamom and brown cardamom.
Green cardamom is considered to be superior and mostly preferred by culinary experts around the world for its more intense and floral-toned flavor. It is commonly used in many Indian foods including sweets, cakes, breads, and curries.
Brown cardamom’s flavor is slightly different from that of green cardamom and is more smoky with a subtle mint-like refreshing flavor. Brown cardamom is often used in preparing masalas and in biriyani.
Health Benefits Of Cardamom
1. Antioxidants
Many of the phytonutrients, vitamins and essential oils which are present in cardamom act as antioxidants. These properties help in fighting the free radicals and offer resistance against cellular aging. One specific study published in the British Journal of Nutrition suggests that because of its antioxidative properties, cardamom has the potential to become a pivotal chemopreventive agent to prevent papillomagenesis on the skin.1
2. Asthma
Cardamom is considered to be highly beneficial for asthma patients. It is widely used in folk medicine for the treatment of asthma. It also acts as a natural remedy for whooping cough and bronchitis. Study results indicate that cardamom exhibits bronchodilatory effect. The study also noted that the medicinal use of cardamom was effective in treating disorders of airways hyperactivity due to its relaxing quality.2
3. Infections
Many practitioners of ayurveda recommend that people having infections should consume cardamom, which has curative properties known to prevent infections. The various essential oils in cardamom suppress the growth of bacteria, viruses, mold, and fungus. In many studies, cardamom has proven to be effective in slowing the growth of various bacteria. In one such study, cardamom even impaired herpes viruses.
4. Immunity
Cardamom is known for its immunity boosting properties and people suffering from infections can consume cardamom, which is known to prevent infections. Many studies have shown that cardamom is effective in slowing the growth of various bacteria. The essential oils in cardamom inhibit the growth of bacteria, viruses, mold, and fungus. Its pungent odor helps in preventing and relieving cold and flu symptoms. Cardamom tea is an ancient remedy to treat common headaches and cold.3
5. Detoxification
Cardamoms are excellent in detoxifying the body. They are rich in minerals and vitamins like Vitamin A, B, C, niacin, and riboflavin. It is an effective blood purifier and removes excess urea, calcium and other toxins from the kidney. Cardamom is used to control various digestive problems like nausea, vomiting, indigestion, and flatulence making it particularly beneficial when detoxing, as it can help minimize many of the side effects. It is used commonly in liver cleansing. Cardamom improves the flow of bile from the liver and gallbladder and prevents viruses from multiplying.4 In some cultures, it is used as a home remedy post delivery.
6. Depression
Some studies show that cardamom has anti-depressant properties that can be useful in treating the psychological disorder. The study led researchers to determine that carbohydrates present in cardamom oil may be responsible for their mood elevating potential.5
7. Oral Hygiene
For centuries, especially in India, cardamom has been used to cure bad breath. It is also used to treat mouth ulcers and mouth infections. A study conducted to explore the antimicrobial effects of cardamom extracts on oral bacteria found that cardamom extracts are effective against oral pathogenic bacteria like Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans. Besides its antibacterial properties, its pungent but pleasant taste stimulates salivary flow and the fibrous outer coat of the seeds helps in cleansing of the teeth.6 Chewing a couple of cardamom seeds can prevent bad breath (halitosis).
8. Digestion
Cardamom seeds are great for treating indigestion, belching and flatulence problems. It not only helps improve digestion of food, but also improves your appetite by stimulating the secretion of digestive juices. It also helps in better absorption of food, and its relaxing effect on smooth muscles in the digestive tract can help settle the stomach. Cardamoms are veritably one of the best remedies for gas and they particularly aid the digestion of dairy produce.
9. Cardiac Health
Cardamom’s multiple therapeutic properties help prevent cardiac problems. The findings from a study report that cardamom significantly protects the myocardium and exerts cardioprotective effects by free radical scavenging and antioxidant activities. In an experiment conducted on rats, it was observed that cardamom exerts cardioprotection against ISO-induced Myocardial Infarction (MI). Results specify that cardamom has the ability and potential to safeguard against oxidative stress mediated cardiac dysfunction in experimental MI induced by ISO in rats.7
Cardamon In Ayurveda
In Ayurveda, spices play a crucial role in promoting health and overall digestion. The medicinal properties of cardamom are often mentioned in Ayurveda. Cardamom stimulates agni, the fire within us, without aggravating pitta dosha and clears excess kapha from the stomach. It is also useful in clearing cough associated with mucous. Cardamom refreshes the breath and is excellent to soothe sore throats and ease sinus infections.
Hair Benefits Of Cardamom
Cardamom has been used for treating problems related to the hair and scalp.
- Nourishes the scalp – Black cardamoms have anti-oxidative properties that provide nourishment to the scalp and hair follicles.
- Treats scalp infections – Cardamoms contain antibacterial properties that prevent the scalp from infections and irritation.
- Improves hair health – Cardamom helps in strengthening the roots, thereby helping you gain strong hair. It is also known to provide shine and luster to your hair.
Skin Benefits Of Cardamom
Apart from its various uses in food and drinks, cardamom is also used in cosmetics for its fragrance and therapeutic properties. Cardamom oil, extracted from cardamom seeds, has a warm and spicy smell and many skin health benefits.
- Improves complexion – Cardamom essential oil helps in removing blemishes and scars making your skin clear and improves complexion.
- Promotes blood circulation – Cardamom is rich in vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant. It promotes blood circulation throughout the body and improves skin complexion.
- Treats skin allergy – Black cardamom has antibacterial properties that are used as an antiseptic to treat skin allergies.
- Imparts fragrance – Cardamom is frequently used in cosmetics for its fragrance. Due to its distinct spicy, sweet scent, both cardamom and cardamom oil are used in perfumes, soaps, body wash, powders and other cosmetics. Oriental style perfumes and other fragrance products use cardamom as an ingredient.
- Aromatherapy – Cardamom can be mixed with skincare products for antiseptic and anti-inflammatory purposes to calm and soothe the skin. It can stimulate the senses and imparts a warming sensation on the skin. Its essential oil is commonly used in aromatherapy products.
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