Cardamom

Considered to be the queen of the spices, cardamom is widely used in pungent and sweet dishes to provide a strong aroma and flavour. Cardamom is a seed pod, known since antiquity for its culinary and medicinal properties. Botanically, it belongs to the family of Zingiberaceae and consists of two genera: Elettaria and Amomum. This evergreen plant is known to have originated in India and grows in the rich moist forest of Mysore, Wayanad, Coorg, Cochin and Travancore. Its cultivations are limited to a few countries including India, Sri Lanka and Guatemala. It contains carbohydrates, proteins, crude fiber, Vitamin C, niacin, pyridoxine, riboflavin and thiamine. It also contains minerals such as phosphorus, copper, iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese and zinc. Ayurveda considers cardamom to be a very effective medicine for digestion and blood circulation. It’s a very good medicine for respiratory allergies and gastric problems in stomach. It has a strong aroma for which it is used as a mouth freshener too.

HEALTH BENEFITS

♦ Cardamom fights against gas. It helps relieve gas and heart burn. It gives instant relief from headache. (Applying the paste over forehead gives relief.)

♦ Cardamom is useful for the protection against heat stroke. One should chew a cardamom while going outside home in sun.

♦ Aromatic cardamom acts as breath freshener because of its fragrance. It is very good refinement spice against caffeine. (detoxifies caffeine).

♦ Helpful in balancing all the three doshas that’s why it is termed as “tridoshic”. Little quantity of cardamom is beneficial in balancing kapha.

♦ It is useful in various kinds of respiratory disorders. In sore throat it is beneficial too. Cardamom also helps in asthma and whooping-cough—make a paste by adding cardamom powder and honey. Regular use of this mixture will give you relief from asthma and whooping-cough.

♦ Cardamom has very good anti-spasmodic abilities so it is very helpful in stopping spasms and tremors.

♦ Cardamom helps in the stimulation and regulation process of discharge of gastric juices and balances stomach acids.

♦ Cardamom helps cure teeth gum and tooth infections.

♦ Cardamom supports the detoxification process of the body and helps filter the entire body.

♦ Cardamom is useful in the problems of urinating. You just have to eat cardamom added into amla, curd, or honey.

♦ Cardamom warms the respiratory tract and by doing this, it increases the circulation to the lungs.

♦ Sexual dysfunctions such as premature ejaculation and impotency can be easily remedied using the elaichi herb. Boiling the cardamom seeds in a mixture of honey and milk and then ingesting the concoction every night has been shown to yield superb results.

By Sudhanshu Jain