Healthy food doesn’t need to mean bland food. Nutritionists, Dieticians, Health buffs, and most people interested in shaving off a few calories while keeping fit are constantly on the hunt for new healthy foods. After all, we can’t keep eating the same 5 items day in and out right? Variety is a must. Yet, most people seem to neglect spices and flavourings to use to spice up (pardon the pun) their cooking. Cardamom is one such “super-spice”. Although the facts below make it sound amazing, don’t consume it in high doses! Too much of anything cannot turn out well. Please also note that none of the following constitutes as medical advice, and consult a doctor before making any medical decisions based on the following research findings that we’ve collated.
So what are these super-spice health benefits? The following are all backed up by scientific research, visit the references for further info.
The health benefits of Cardamom
1. Digestion. Cardamom is related to Ginger, and can thus be used to alleviate the same problems that Ginger is used in home remedy settings: Nausea, bloating, loss of appetite, and constipation are a few such simple issues that Cardamom has been found to alleviate. Gastric ulcers were found to be reduced dramatically with even small levels of consumption of whole Cardamom.
2. Antioxidant effects against certain forms of skin cancer. Research conducted in 2012 suggested that cardamom has the potential to be the main agent to prevent skin cancer.
3. Healthy Heart and Liver. Consuming a few grams of Cardamom daily showed an increase in several key enzymes used by heart and liver functions, as well as others!
4. Anti-cancer. A remarkable finding that even liquid extracts from Cardamom enhanced the activity of killer cells in the body to fight off cancer.
5. A breath freshener. Cardamom is consumed all around India as a breath freshener, and in fact this freshness is given it’s own special name. Not just “minty fresh”, but “cardamom fresh breath!”
6. Dentistry. Further from the point above, Cardamom was also found to be great at strengthening teeth, due to it’s anti-bacterial properties. It has all the properties of chewing gum without any of the nuisance.
7. Diabetes. Cardamom contains a lot of properties which are potent inhibitors of tissue damage and inflammation caused by high levels of blood sugar.
8. Fat substitute. Milk was produced using cardamom as a fat substitute to provide the same filling-feeling while reducing calorie count by 43%. The “tastiness” factor varied slightly between all those participating in the tests, but overall there was no significant change, suggesting that Cardamom can be effectively used in this way.
9. Sugar substitute. Cardamom is often used as a traditional Indian flavouring ingredient in milk for replacing sugar entirely.
Buying Notes:
When buying Cardamom, always buy whole pods, not powder. Powders are often diluted, and low quality. All spices also lose their potency when they are turned to powdered form, and this difference becomes very dramatic over time. Indian Green Cardamom was also found to be the most superior variety, while White and Black Cardamom also exhibited effects to a small degree.
For your convenience, you can also directly order a 5g sample ($2) or purchase a 100g Green Cardamom Pod pack ($15) from us!
References
Antioxidative effects of the spice cardamom against non-melanoma skin cancer… by Das I, et. al.
Anti-oxidant effects of cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) bark and greater cardamom … by Dhuley J.N.
Investigation of the … anti-cancer activities … cardamom by Majdalawieh A.F., and Carr R.I.
Cardamom Comfort by Ratika Sharma.
Indian Spices for Healthy Heart – An Overview by Vasanthi H.R., and Parameswari R.P.
The Amazing and Mighty Ginger by Ann M. Bode and Zigang Dong.
Gastroprotective effect of cardamom, Elettaria cardamomum Maton. fruit… by A. Jamal, et. al.
Effect of fat and sugar substitution on the quality characteristics… by Shikha Mittal and Usha Bajwa.
