So, a few months ago my mother decided to buy some cardamom and told me to start adding it my coffee and/or herbal tea, I didn't really know why but I trust her and began adding them to my tea and sometimes coffee. It was only until recently that I was curious about what exactly it does to the body and was quite shocked about all the goodies it does to the body!
Firstly, cardamom, or as known scientifically, Elettaria cardamomum, originated from Nepal, Bhutan and India. There are a few varieties of this seed such as the Malabar, Mysore, Vazhukka, and the Njallani. Cardamom is in the form of a small pod with black seeds inside, so I usually remove the pod and crush the seeds to get more of the flavour out of it, the aroma of it is just amazing!! Cardamom has many goodies in it such as:
vitamin C
vitamin B6
phosphorus
calcium
potassium
magnesium
zinc
niacin
riboflavin
sodium
iron
pyridoxine
thiamine.
All the amazing stuff it does to the body:
If you work out a lot or have muscle and joint pain then cardamom will help you, it has anti-inflammatory properties in it. It can also help with muscle spasms, if you do suffer from those.
Feeling down and depressed? You should probably get a small bottle of cardamom essential oil, it's actually used in aromatherapy.
Headaches
By boiling the seeds and gargling with it, you can treat a sore throat.
Cardamom is great for cardiovascular health, it helps to control the rhythm of your heart and your cholesterol levels.
Constipation
If you're feeling nauseated and/or vomiting, cardamom can be great at calming all that.
Some people have found that when you have hiccups, all you need to do is pour boiling water over some cardamom seeds and drink it. The hiccups will be gone soon after that.
Detoxifies the body
Cardamom is able to improve blood circulation to the lungs, which will be helpful for people who suffer from either bronchitis and asthma.
Urinary tract infections
Diarrhea
Cardamom can help control gastrointestinal disorders. Whether it be regular stomach cramps or flatulence, it will help get rid of them.
