Known as the Queen of Spices, there is something extraordinary about cardamom. With a sharp taste and rejuvenating aroma, the world’s third-most expensive spice finds a place in almost every cuisine. Loved by people all across the globe, cardamom is the soul of numerous recipes, whether savory or sweet. Besides, its amazing flavor, the spice has much more to offer. This article shares with you the incredible Cardamom benefits that make it a must in your diet.
12 Benefits of Cardamon
- Digestive Health
- Cancer
- Depression
- Cardiovascular
- Detoxification
- Lowering Blood Sugar Levels
- Muscle Spasms and Joint Pain
- Weight Loss
- Oral Health
- Sore Throat
- Skin
- Hair Health
What is cardamom?
Cardamom is a popular spice native to India, Bhutan, Indonesia, and Nepal. It belongs to the family of Zingiberaceae. It has a sharp taste and is slightly sweet. It is not only used in food but also finds use in medicine. The oil and seeds of cardamom have medicinal properties.
Types of Cardamom
There are two varieties of cardamom:
Green Cardamom:
It belongs to genus Elettaria Cardamomum and is also known as true cardamom. It has green or greenish yellow skin.
Black Cardamom:
It belongs to the genus Amomum Subulatum. It is bigger than green cardamom and has dark brown colored skin.
Cardamom Nutrition Facts
Cardamom provides loads of health benefits owing to its incredible nutrition profile. It serves as a rich source of manganese and also provides you with an abundant amount of iron.
Besides, it also contains a good amount of minerals like potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and copper along with Vitamin C, B complex Vitamins, thiamine, niacin, pyridoxine, and riboflavin.
It also is an excellent reserve of essential oils that are great for your skin and hair. Also please note that cardamom has low amounts of sodium which makes it great for your heart.
What does Cardamom Taste like?
Cardamom has a sharp and distinct aroma. It has a complex taste which is citrusy, minty, herbal and spicy all at once. Green cardamom has an aromatic taste while black cardamom has a smoky flavor.
Health Benefits of Cardamom
Those who are serious about boosting their overall health can do it simply and easily by adding cardamom to their diet. This spice is much more than just a flavoring agent. Below mentioned are some of the fantastic ways in which cardamom benefits you:
1. Cardamom boosts your Digestive Health
Cardamom is well known for its potent ability to promote the functioning of your digestive system. It not only improves the flavor of your dishes but also enhances your digestion. It has potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and benefits you by stimulating metabolism, thus ensuring that the body adequately absorbs every nutrient and there is minimal deposition of fat.
Further, cardamom also aids in the secretion of bile acid in the stomach which plays a vital role in digestion. Consuming cardamom every day keeps your digestive system healthy and also prevents gastrointestinal troubles like heartburn and acid reflux.
2. Cardamom is known to prevent Cancer
Consumption of cardamom benefits you in the long run as it has potent properties against fatal diseases like cancer. Studies say that cardamom exhibits anticancer properties. It being anti-inflammatory and antioxidant prevents inflammation in your body and inhibits the growth of cancer cells.
The antioxidants present in it fight off the free radicals that may cause cancer, thus inhibiting their growth. The spice is known to treat forestomach cancer.
[ Read: Benefits of Horse Gram ]
3. Cardamom benefits in fighting depression
Stress is a part of your life but how you deal with it entirely depends on you. Excessive stress, whether emotional or mental may cause depression which has become a common condition nowadays. However, you can easily evade the state by including cardamom in your diet.
It exhibits wonderful properties that can help you out in fighting depression. Just add some powdered cardamom to the boiling water of your regular tea and consume it every day. You will witness incredible results soon. Cardamom dramatically enhances your mood and helps you in fighting off stress and anxiety.
4. Cardamom regulates your cardiovascular health
For a happy and healthy heart, include cardamom in your daily diet. It has incredible properties that work wonders for your heart. The high amount of fiber present in it helps in eliminating the cholesterol deposits in the blood vessels, thus enabling the smooth flow of blood and preventing any strain on the heart.
Drink the concoction of cardamom and coriander along with peach juice for a healthy heart. It helps in lowering blood pressure and preventing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Black cardamom is explicitly great for the health of your heart. Studies have shown that consuming black cardamom on a regular basis improves the antioxidant status and plasma lipid profiles in your body. Further, it also boosts the fibrinolytic activity which prevents the blood clots from growing.
5. Cardamom aids in detoxification
Cardamom has diuretic properties and thus benefits in cleansing your body. Being diuretic, it increases urination and helps in flushing out the toxins accumulated in the body. It eases the functioning of your kidneys and prevents the build-up bacteria in the urinary tract. In all, cardamom benefits in keeping urinary tract infections at bay and boosts the health of your excretory organ.
6. Cardamom helps in lowering blood sugar levels
Yes, this amazing spice can also manage your blood sugar level. Cardamom powder, if consumed on a regular basis can help in keeping your blood sugar level under check. It is because cardamom contains a high amount of manganese. It is an essential mineral required by your body that inhibits the immediate spike in glucose levels in the blood.
7. Cardamom relieves muscle spasms and joint pain
Muscle and joint pain can be easily treated by cardamom. It has strong anti-inflammatory properties that can ease the pain. Studies show that cardamom has anti-carcinogenic properties that alleviate the pain in joints and that caused due to muscle spasms.
8. Cardamom benefits in weight loss
Yes, those looking for effective ways for losing weight can rely on cardamom for its ability in aiding weight loss. Cardamom owing to its magical oil composition stimulates body metabolism, thus enabling better digestion and eliminating unnecessary fat deposit in the body. Further, it also improves the blood circulation and helps in removal of the toxins from the body. In all, cardamom is a healthy fat burning food that aids in the proper utilization of calories consumed by you and aids in losing weight.
9. Cardamom benefits your oral health
Bad, breath, dental cavities, etc., can be treated with cardamom. It has been used since ages to cure various oral problems. The unique cardamom taste and minty flavor are excellent for keeping your breath fresh; hence the spice is popularly used as a mouth freshener.
Further, some studies carried out on extracts of cardamom show that it is quite effective in fighting five types of bacteria that are known to cause dental cavities. Thus, cardamom is an excellent spice for your oral health.
10. Cardamom helps treat a sore throat
Have a sore throat? Try cardamom. It has remarkable properties that work magically in treating sore throat. It soothes the throat and reduces irritation. Boil some cardamom in water and use the water for rinsing your mouth and ease the soreness of throat. Studies have also shown that cardamom reduces nausea and prevents vomiting.
11. Cardamom benefits your skin and improves its complexion
Those wishing for healthy and beautiful skin can attain it with cardamom. Antioxidants present in cardamom help in fighting off free radicals that cause skin aging and prevent its pigmentation, dryness, and spots. Further, it detoxifies the skin and removes the harmful toxins from the body. Thus, it keeps your skin healthy, youthful and supple.
12. Cardamom nourishes your scalp and improves hair health
The antioxidant properties present in cardamom benefits your scalp and also boost the health of your hair. It strengthens your hair follicles thus eventually strengthening the strands of your hair and making them smooth and lustrous. Its antibacterial properties also prevent the build-up of microbes that may cause scalp infections. So what are you waiting for? Add cardamom to your daily diet and beautify your hair naturally.
Cardamom Uses
Cardamom owing to its vast array of health benefits is used in treating numerous ailments like:
- Oral infections
- A sore Throat
- Diabetes
- Detoxification
- Excessive weight
- Muscle spasms
- Sexual potency
- Urinary tract infections
- Gastrointestinal troubles
How to make Cardamom tea?
Cardamom tea is consumed all across the world for its numerous health benefits. It is an excellent remedy for boosting digestion. Here is an easy recipe for how to make cardamom tea.
What will you need?
- Four Cardamom pods
- Four Black Peppercorns
- Four Cloves
- Four slices of fresh Ginger
- One stick of cinnamon
- Half a cup of milk
- Two and a half cups of water
- Two tablespoons of honey or sugar
How to prepare?
- Add cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and peppercorns to water and heat it for half an hour. Do not boil.
- After that, strain the water
- Add to it honey and milk.
- Your delicious cardamom tea is ready to be savored.
Cardamom recipes
Here are some of the best methods to enjoy the vast array of cardamom benefits.
Cardamom Orange French Toast
The refreshing taste of this Cardamom Orange French Toast gives your morning a great start.
What will you need?
- Four eggs
- One and a half cup of whole milk
- Half a teaspoon of cardamom powder
- Half a teaspoon of vanilla extract
- One tablespoon of brown sugar
- Half a teaspoon of vanilla extract
- One teaspoon of orange zest
- Eight slices of bread
- Four tablespoons of unsalted butter
- One tablespoon of honey
- One pound of strawberries
- One-fourth cup of fresh orange juice
- Half vanilla bean with seed removed
How to prepare?
- Take a large bowl
- Add to it, eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla extract, orange zest, salt, and cardamom
- Whisk them to get a uniform mixture
- Soak three slices of bread in the mix. Turn them once
- Next, to a frying pan, add a tablespoon of butter and heat it over medium flame
- When the butter foams, add in the soaked slices of bread
- Cook them until they get light brown
- And take them out in a plate
- Next, combine vanilla bean, orange juice, and honey in a bowl
- To the mixture add strawberries and stir well so that they get coated
- Let it sit for some time at least five minutes until the berries give off their juice
- Stir them again and then pour them over the cooked bread slices
- Your delicious toast is ready.
Meyer lemon cardamom Crinkle cookies
Pamper your taste buds with some delicious cookies.
What will you need?
- Two Teaspoons of cardamom powder
- Nine ounces of all-purpose flour
- One and a half teaspoons of baking powder
- Two eggs
- Zest of four Meyer lemons
- Eight tablespoons of unsalted butter
- One cup of granulated sugar
- Half a cup of powdered sugar
- A three-fourths teaspoon of vanilla extract
- Sea salt
How to prepare?
- Preheat your oven to 350 F
- Take a bowl and add to it cardamom, flour, half a teaspoon of salt, baking powder and lemon zest.
- Mix them well
- Next, add granulated sugar and butter in an electric mixer and blend
- After that, add eggs and vanilla extract and blend again
- Then add the flour mixture, mix to get a soft dough
- Make small balls of the dough and roll them in powdered sugar
- Place the balls on the baking sheet and bake for around 15 minutes until the cookies have puffed up and browned.
- Cool the cookies and then serve.
Cardamom Honey Chicken
Try this delectable Cardamom Honey Chicken recipe and pamper your taste buds with some great flavors.
What will you need?
- One teaspoon of ground cardamom
- One teaspoon of ground peppercorn
- Two tablespoons of sherry
- Four tablespoons of honey
- One whole chicken
- One lemon (thinly sliced)
- Two tablespoons of olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
How to Prepare?
- Take honey in a pan and slightly warm it.
- To it, add sherry and stir well
- Next, add peppercorn and cardamom and keep on stirring
- Now place the chicken in a large bowl and marinate it with the honey mixture
- After that cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and keep it aside for at least thirty minutes
- Then preheat your oven at 390 F
- Take a frying pan and add to it, olive oil
- Next, add the chicken and cook it over medium heat for about thirty seconds. It will turn golden.
- After that, take a roasting pan and place lemon slices on it
- Over the top of lemon slices, lay chicken pieces
- Marinate them with the honey mixture using a brush and then season with salt and pepper
- Cover the chicken with a foil
- Place it in the oven and bake for thirty minutes
- After that remove the foil and then again cook it for about fifteen minutes
- Take it from the oven and leave for about ten minutes
- Your savory chicken is ready. Serve it with rice or mashed potatoes.
Side-effects of Cardamom
Though there is a vast list of cardamom benefits, it has a few side-effects too:
- It can cause allergic reactions if used in large amounts over a prolonged time.
- It is known to interact with some drugs like antidepressants, anticoagulants, etc. Hence if you are on any medication, then consult your doctor before including cardamom in your diet.
- Eating the whole cardamom can cause trouble for people suffering from gallstones. Eating excessive amount of cardamom can also lead to the formation of gallstones.
Cardamom vs. Coriander
Cardamom and coriander, both are popular spices with potent properties to treat various ailments like high blood pressure, digestive troubles, etc. However, there are some significant differences between them. Cardamom is a plant of the ginger family whereas coriander seeds come from the cilantro plant. Another major difference between the two spices is that the former one is a warming spice while the latter one is a cooling spice.
Cardamom is a popular spice with excellent medicinal properties. As such it is widely used in Ayurveda too. Whether you wish to improve your digestive health, oral health or cardiovascular health, include this amazing spice in your regular diet and see a visible difference.
Enjoy it in savory dishes or enhance the taste of your regular dessert to enjoy cardamom benefits. Drink cardamom tea is one of the best ways to include cardamom in your diet. Consume it in moderate quantity and enjoy excellent health.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What quantity of cardamom in a day is beneficial for an adult?
A typical dose of 1.5 gram of cardamom powder is recommended in a day. If you wish to consume cardamom tea, then tea made using a teaspoon of cardamom powder in a cup of boiled water is recommended in a day.
2. Can you take cardamom along with medications for lowering blood pressure?
Cardamom is known to lower blood pressure. Hence those taking medicines for reducing blood pressure must first consult their doctor.
3. Is too much of cardamom bad for health?
Consuming excessive amount of cardamom may pose severe health hazards. It may cause allergic reactions and gallbladder stones. It may also interact with other medications and herbs leading to severe complications.
