CARDAMOM

Botanical: Elettaria cardamomum Family: Zingiberaceae (ginger) Other common names: Cardamon, Bastard Cardamom, Grains of Paradise, Pai-Tou, Sha-Ren, Elachi, Ela, Capalaga, Malabar Cardamom

Another delicious kitchen spice is very much at home in the medicine cabinet. Try Cardamom to prevent indigestion, relieve flatulence and help counter the effects of Celiac disease (gluten intolerance). It may even sweeten your breath!

History:
Cardamom is a spice that came to us from the Orient by way of ancient caravan routes finding their way to Europe. It is a perennial herb with large fleshy roots that grows wild in rich, moist, well-drained soil in partial shade and reaches an average height of ten feet. There are several species of Cardamom with similar culinary and medicinal applications (especially for gastrointestinal complaints). Some are native to tropical China and Vietnam and are closely related to the Cardamom grown in India and Sri Lanka. The Elettaria seeds are said to be the true Cardamom plants and are thought to have the most pleasant flavor, but the varieties are used interchangeably with similar effects. Harvesting the spice used to be a life-threatening endeavor because Cardamom usually grew and was hand-picked in areas that were home to the deadly king cobra and pit vipers. Today, Cardamom is frequently cultivated as a crop on plantations in many tropical areas of the world, including Africa and Central America. Cardamom was rumored to have been grown in the royal hanging gardens of Babylon over 700 B.C., and was considered a powerful aphrodisiac in ancient love potions. Ancient Egyptians used Cardamom to whiten their teeth and sweeten the breath, and the Greeks and Romans found it useful to counteract the effects of alcohol over-indulgence. It was first mentioned as a medicinal plant in China around 720 A.D., and its use in Ayurvedic medicine was recorded over two thousand years ago, where it continues to this day for the treatment of digestive and bronchial ailments. In addition to its powerful medicinal properties, the delicious seeds are often used to flavor bakery products, coffee, curries, fruit compotes and mulled wine. The essential oil is an important ingredient in the perfume and liquor industries.  Some of the constituents of Cardamom include essential oil, fixed oil, caprylic acid, potassium, starch, mucilage, fiber and resin.

Beneficial Uses:
Cardamom is well known as a digestive stimulant that improves the appetite and promotes circulation to the digestive system, helping to relieve nausea, vomiting, indigestion and colic.  It is also thought to ease irritable bowel syndrome. One of the oldest uses for Cardamom is for the relief of flatulence and the "griping" (grumbling and pain in the intestines and bowels) associated with gas.

Cardamom has been used to treat Celiac disease, the chronic diarrheal condition marked by intestinal malabsorption of virtually all nutrients and precipitated by eating gluten-containing foods (generally involving breads and cereals). The disease mostly affects young children and 60- and 65-year-olds, and Cardamom appears to help the body tolerate the gluten with no ill effects.

Cardamom is a warm, aromatic herb that has stimulating, tonic effects, especially on the lungs and is thought to improve circulation to the lungs. Cardamom is considered a fine expectorant and has long been used to relieve pulmonary disease that produces copious phlegm. Cardamom also seems to counteract the effects of mucus-forming foods, such as dairy products.

An age-old use for Cardamom has been as an aphrodisiac, and its benefits were even extolled in Arabian Nights. People in the Middle East still believe that this use is valid.

Cardamom reputedly detoxifies caffeine from the system.

Cardamom is said to be a tonic for the kidneys.

It is also said to normalize the elimination of stool and urine and is used in Ayurvedic medicine and traditional Chinese medicine to control urinary incontinence in both men and women.

The essential oil in Cardamom is considered antibacterial and antifungal, and Ayurvedic physicians use it to treat ulcers and malaria. It is also thought to increase the efficacy of the antibiotic, streptomycin, when used to treat tuberculosis.

Cardamom is thought to relax spasms and relieve headaches. There is some evidence that it also improves mental clarity.

Cardamom has been used for centuries as a breath freshener.

**Provided itself beneficial in research that involved people. Therapeutic use, endorsed by Germany’s Commission E for Bronchitis, Colds, Fever, Gallbladder Problems, Indigestion, Infections, Lack of Appetite, Liver Problems, Mouth Inflammation, Sore Throat.

*Provided itself beneficial in research that did not involve people. Therapeutic use, the study could have been done in a test tube, petri dish or animals for Bad Breath, Colic, Cramps, Fatigue, Gas, Stomachache.

Emphysema: 1 tsp of powdered seeds in juice or tea for relief.
Powder: 1/4 -3/4 tsp
Indigestion: 15 powdered seeds in 1/2 C of hot water with 1 oz fresh ginger root, 1 cinnamon stick, simmered 15 mins, then add 1/2 C milk and simmered 10 mins more, add 2 -3 drops of vanilla, sweetened with honey, 1 -2C a day.
Tincture: 1/2 to 1 tsp

Contraindications:
None

Return to Medicinal Tea   Bad Breath   /   Indigestion, Gas, Ulcers   /   Liver

Return to Bulk Herbs  Cardamom seed, pods




Disclaimer:The information presented herein by Organic Herbs Medicine Cabinet is intended for educational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent disease. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.