Cardamom is a flavorful spice that is native to Vietnam and China, but is also grown in India and Sri Lanka. Extracted from the seeds of the cardamom pod, this spice can be used in cooking or to make tea. Cardamom is the third most expensive spice in the world, note Kathleen Brown and Jeanine Pollak, authors of "Herbal Teas: 101 Nourishing Blends for Daily Health and Vitality," but it may offer you many health benefits that make it worth the high price.
Promotes Healthy Digestion
Drinking cardamom tea or adding cardamom to baked goods or traditional Indian dishes can help promote healthy digestion. The compounds in cardamom help relieve painful gas and reduce instances of flatulence, report Brown and Pollak. Eating cardamom or drinking cardamom tea also encourages your digestive and intestinal systems to work efficiently so that your body is able to digest food and absorb nutrients. Cardamom may also help treat constipation. A little bit of cardamom goes a long way in easing stomach complaints and helping you digest your food properly.
May Help Treat Tuberculosis
Cardamom has some antibacterial properties that may be useful in treating tuberculosis, reports Phyllis A. Balch in her book "Prescription for Herbal Healing." Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that affects the lungs and is easily passed among human beings. The bacteria that causes tuberculosis can produce symptoms like cough, fatigue, weight loss, fever and appetite loss, MayoClinic.com reports. Many strains of tuberculosis are resistant to prescription antibiotics, which makes cardamom a valuable spice for increasing the odds of a quick and successful recovery.
Increases Appetite
Cardamom can stimulate appetite in anorexic patients, Bharat B. Aggarwal and Ajaikumar B. Kunnumakkara report in their book "Molecular Targets and Therapeutic Uses of Spices." Anorexia is an eating disorder in which patients may lose a life-threatening amount of weight. Cardamom can encourage anorexic patients to eat enough food to begin the recovery process. Cardamom can also stimulate appetite in patients with other medical conditions that cause the loss of appetite.
Other Benefits
Cardamom has uses for many other health conditions, both minor and severe. Cardamom is useful in treating kidney problems, as well as urinary problems, including incontinence, note Aggarwal and Kunnumakkara. Cardamom can also treat infections of the teeth and gums, and cardamom tea helps ease symptoms of the common cold, including sore throat. Asthma, eye inflammation and food poisoning are other conditions potentially treated with cardamom.
References
- "Herbal Teas: 101 Nourishing Blends for Daily Health and Vitality"; Kathleen Brown and Jeanine Pollak; 1998
- "Prescription for Herbal Healing"; Phyllis A. Balch; 2002
- MayoClinic.com; Tuberculosis; January 2011
- "Molecular Targets and Therapeutic Uses of Spices"; Bharat B. Aggarwal and Ajaikumar B. Kunnumakkara; 2009
- MayoClinic.com; Anorexia Nervosa; December 2009
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