Thursday 22 May 2014

AMAZING HEALTH BENEFITS OF CARDAMOM



Cardamom is a common and powerful spice amongst all the different Indian spices that are available. It plays a pivotal role in the Indian cuisine. It has many health benefits attached to it apart from its use as a mouth freshener. What is cardamom and why is it so important? They come from cardamom plants in India and has been mentioned in the ancient texts of Veda. It has even been mentioned in Ayurveda and captured the fancy of other civilizations like Romans, Greek and Egyptians since centuries.  Let us discuss its health benefits on the human body here.
cardamom
Health Benefits of Cardamom:

1. Blood Pressure:


As cardamom is a diuretic fiber and potassium rich spice, it is very good for people with high blood pressure as it lower downs the elevated blood pressure level in the body.

2. Digestion:


It helps in improving the digestion, by making the saliva secretion better and also rouses the nervous system to stimulate digestion. Cardamom is very much related to ginger and is used in the same way to deal with digestive problems. It can be used to combat nausea, loss of appetite, acidity, gas, heartburn, bloating, constipation and other digestive problems.

3. Love potion / aphrodisiac:


It is also used in love potions because of its aphrodisiac qualities. A catalyst for romance comes from its oil contents like borneol, camphor and eucalyptol which are volatile oils.

4. Hiccups:


Cardamom is an anti-spasmodic spice which can help you in getting rid of hiccups. This anti-spasmodic trait of cardamom provides relief from involuntary muscle spasms, like intestinal and stomach cramps.

5. Detoxification:


Cardamoms are known to detoxify the body. They cleanse and remove all the waste from the body through the kidneys.

6. Anti-Oxidants:



Many of the phytonutrients, vitamins and essential oils which are present in cardamom act as antioxidants. This magical spice helps in cleaning up the free radicals and tendsto r

7. Depression:


Though the real science behind the anti-depressant qualities of this spice has not been studied yet, Ayurveda swears that the cardamom tea is a perfect way to fight depression. It has a natural ingredient which tends to detoxify the body and rejuvenate the cells which altogether help in fighting depression.esist cellular aging.

Though the real science behind the anti-depressant qualities of this spice has not been studied yet, Ayurveda swears that the cardamom tea is a perfect way to fight depression. It has a natural ingredient which tends to detoxify the body and rejuvenate the cells which altogether help in fighting depression.

8. Cold & Flu:

Cardamom is a pungent spice which tends to help in preventing and relieving cold and flu symptoms. Cardamom is a good home remedy for cold and flu.

9. Pathogens:


People having infections are suggested to consume cardamom which is known to prevent infections due to its therapeutic properties. The various essential oils in cardamom inhibit the growth of bacteria, viruses, mold and fungus. 

10. Bad breath / Oral Health:


Cardamom is a cure for bad breath. Apart from its trait that helps in curing bad breath, cardamom is also used for mouth ulcers and mouth infections.

11. Asthma:


Cardamom is considered to be highly beneficial for asthma patients. It also acts as a natural remedy for whooping cough and bronchitis.

Cardamom is an important ingredient in cooking dishes all around the world today. Belonging to the ginger family, this spice is used in desserts, tea, coffee and many more delicious dishes.

health benefits of cardamom

Green Cardamom: Mostly grown in South India, this variety comprises of fat green pods and is the most superior quality of cardamom available. It is available in pod as well as in powder form. The whole pod has a good shelf life 

and can retain the aroma of the seeds. It is used to flavor both savory and sweet dishes. This fragrant spice is added to rich curries and milk based preparations. Tea and coffee are also spiked with cardamom. It is even used in spiced cakes and breads.

Brown Cardamom: This variety is characterized by pods that are larger in size than the green cardamom and have a hairy texture. They resemble tiny fibrous coconuts. It is used only in savory dishes like biryani and curries. They are 

also an essential ingredient in garam masala (blend of spices). The dark brown seeds are known for their medicinal value, particularly due to the presence of carbohydrates, protein, moisture, volatile oil, crude fiber, phosphorus, calcium and iron. The volatile oil comprises of cineol, terpinene, limonene, sabinene and terpineol in the form of formic and acetic acid.

Ground Cardamom: This is obtained by crushing the cardamom using a mortar and pestle to form cardamom powder. It is used as a flavoring in several dishes. It has lesser flavor than the whole pods and is readily available at grocery stores.

Cardamom: Skin Benefits
Besides its application in food and drinks, this aromatic spice is also used in cosmetics to impart its fragrance. Cardamom oil, extracted from cardamom seeds, has a warm and spicy smell and great therapeutic effects. Some of the benefits of cardamom in skincare are as follows.

12. Fair Complexion:
One of the benefits of cardamom is that it can provide you with fair skin. Cardamom essential oil helps in removing blemishes, thus giving you a fairer complexion.

13. Improves Blood Circulation:
Cardamom contains vitamin C which is a powerful antioxidant. It improves blood circulation throughout the body, thus improving skin complexion as well.

14. Treatment of Skin Allergy:
Black cardamom has anti-bacterial properties. It can be used as an antiseptic to treat skin allergies.

15. Imparts Fragrance:
Cardamom is often used in cosmetics to impart fragrance. Due to their distinct spicy, sweet scent, both cardamom and cardamom oil are used in perfumes, soaps, body wash, powders and other cosmetics. Oriental style perfumes and other scented products often use cardamom as an ingredient in addition to other essential oils.

16. Therapeutic Properties:
Cardamom can be mixed into skincare products for antiseptic and anti-inflammatory purposes to calm and soothe the skin, thanks to its therapeutic effects. When added to perfumes, it can stimulate the senses. Facial soaps use cardamom to impart a warming sensation on the skin. These cosmetics using cardamom for therapeutic reasons are known as aromatherapy products.

17. Great Masking Agent:
The strong scent of cardamom can ward off unpleasant smells. This makes it a great addition to cosmetic products such as toners which serve a specific function but smell unappealing due to the inclusion of certain ingredients. Cardamom is added to these products to mask the unpleasant scent while retaining the benefit of the cosmetic.

18. Lip Care:
Cardamom essential oil is often added to cosmetics that are applied to the lips such as lip balms to impart the taste of the oil and make them smooth.

19. Clear Skin:
Black cardamoms help in flushing out the toxins, free radicals and dangerous fluids those are harmful to the body including your skin. Therefore, chewing on some black cardamom detoxifies your body, thus providing you with a clearer skin.
Cardamom: Hair Benefits

We all crave for long and lustrous hair. Just like the rest of our body, our hair follicles require adequate supply of nutrients for their optimal growth and maintenance. Cardamoms can be beneficial for your hair in the following ways.

20. Nourishes The Scalp:
Black cardamoms have anti-oxidative properties that provide nourishment to the scalp and hair follicles.

21. Treatment of Scalp Infections:
Cardamoms possess anti-bacterial properties which prevent the scalp from infections and irritation.
 How To Select And Store?

Selection: Both ground and loose seeds of cardamom are available in the spice section of the supermarkets while whole pods are available in specialty stores. When buying cardamom, always prefer the green one as it has a complex flavor that is 

suitable for both sweet and savory dishes. Moreover, whole cardamom pods should be chosen over ground ones. Look for small football shaped pods having a green tint. They should smell like a combination of pine and flowers.  Though the pods are generally 

green in color, they are sometimes found in a mild bleached form. Black cardamoms having larger brownish pods as well as the bleached ones should be avoided. This is because they have a less dynamic taste. You can also buy ground cardamom but the 

quality is not as good as the seeds from a whole pod. If ground cardamom is needed, it is advisable to grind the seeds from a whole pod with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. However, ground cardamom loses its flavor rapidly while the whole spice stays potent for a year or even longer.

Cardamom is an expensive spice and so other spices are often added to ground cardamom to reduce the cost. The opening of the pods or the grinding of the seeds causes a quick loss of the flavor and aroma of the cardamom due to the rapid loss of the essential oils.
Storage:

 Proper storage of cardamom is of prime importance to retain its taste and aroma as well as extend its shelf life. The best way is to store cardamom in the form of pods because once the seeds are exposed or ground, they lose their flavor and aroma 

rapidly. Cardamom pods can last up to a year when stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Dry cardamom capsules should be kept in moisture proof containers away from direct sunlight. For bulk storage on long term basis, the pods should be kept 

in polythene lined gunny bags inside wooden boxes. This will preserve the green color of the pods. Before placing the capsule in the gunny bags for storage, ensure that they are fully dry. Any moisture in the bag will cause them to rot. Moreover, they should be inspected regularly for signs of moisture or spoilage.

The storage room should be dark, dry, clean, cool and free from pests. To protect the pods from pests and insects, mosquito nettings should be fitted on the windows. They should be kept away from strong smelling food, detergents and paints as they will spoil the delicate aroma of cardamom.
Tips for Usage (Cooking/Eating)

Cardamom is one of the most prized spices all over the world. It can be used in whole as well as ground form in a variety of dishes ranging from curry powders, dals and masalas to desserts and drinks. While cooking the seeds, they should be bruised with the back of a knife or ground with other spices before frying. Given below are the tips for the usage of cardamom as an ingredient.

1. In India, cardamom is one of the main constituents of garam masala, a combination of spices used in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. It is also an important ingredient in the preparation of curry powder commonly used in Indian cooking.

2. Cardamom can be added to tea or coffee to impart its pleasant and refreshing aroma. You can add some cardamom to your ground coffee before brewing, then sweeten and top with cream.

3. Whole green cardamom pods are added to pulaos, curries and hot dishes. As the shell integrates while cooking, it infuses the dish with its essence and refreshing aroma. Thus, it is often used to impart aroma to biryanis, pulaos and kebabs.

4. Besides the savory dishes, cardamom can be used in desserts like kheer and firni as well as sweets like gulab jamun, gajar ka halwa etc to impart its distinctive flavor. In Scandiavian countries it is used in flavoring all types of sweet pastry and bread dishes instead of cinnamon.

5. Ground cardamom seeds can be used to flavor foods like soups, pates, stews, purees and rice dishes. You can try adding some seeds to your home made rice pudding, ice cream, custard or sprinkle them over a fresh fruit salad.

6. Chicken can be marinated in honey, cardamom and pepper. It can then be roasted on the stove top and then baked to prepare the delicious cardamom honey chicken.

7. You can prepare a citrus fruit salad comprising of citrus fruits such as grapefruit and oranges, sweeten it with honey and season it with lime juice and cardamom.

8. Swedish coffee bread is slightly sweet yeast bread. It is generally flavored with cardamom and braided or made into a wreath shaped pastry.

9. Lemons can be preserved in cardamom. These can be then used in a variety of dishes. For this purpose, cut the lemons lengthwise into quarters, leaving the stem attached. Rub their flesh on some kosher salt and put one 

tablespoon of salt at the bottom of a glass jar. Place these lemon quarters in this jar alternating with salt, cardamom pods and bay leaves. Pour in some juice that is enough to cover the lemons and cover tightly. Allow the mixture to 

stand for about 3 weeks. Keep shaking the jar daily to mix the salt. These preserved lemons can be refrigerated for up to 6 months covered with lemon juice.

10. Lassi is a refreshing drink rather popular in India. Cardamom powder can be added to lassi to provide it with a distinct taste. You can prepare it by combining curd, full fat milk, powdered sugar and cardamom powder, and 

blending these ingredients in a mixer for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve it in glasses after adding sugar cubes. You can also garnish lassi with cardamom powder and chopped dry fruits.

11. Indian style basmati rice is a savory dish that is flavored with whole spices including cardamom. All you need to do is put some rice in a bowl, adding enough water to cover it. Then heat some oil in a sauce pan on medium heat 

and add cinnamon sticks, cardamom  pods, cloves and cumin seeds. After cooking for about a minute, add some chopped onion. Saute it until golden brown for about 10 minutes. Drain the water from the rice, and cook and stir 

into the pot for a few minutes. Add salt and water. Simmer for about 15 minutes at low heat until all the water has been absorbed. Allow it to stand for 5 minutes and fluff with a fork before serving. It can be served with curry or dal (lentils).

Hope you like this article. The above benefits are just a tip of a really huge ice-berg. Get ready to make cardamom a part of your culinary world and eating lifestyle! You can notice the change yourself.

Cardamom Nutrition Chart (USDA)

Principle
Nutrient Value
Percentage of RDA
Energy311 Kcal15.5%
Carbohydrates68.47 g52.5%
Protein10.76 g19%
Total Fat6.7 g23%
Cholesterol0 mg0%
Dietary Fiber28 g70%
Vitamins
Niacin1.102 mg7%
Pyridoxine0.230 mg18%
Riboflavin0.182 mg14%
Thiamin0.198 mg16.5%
Vitamin A0 IU0%
Vitamin C21 mg35%
Electrolytes
Sodium18 mg1%
Potassium1119 mg24%
Minerals
Calcium383 mg38%
Copper0.383 mg42.5%
Iron13.97 mg175%
Magnesium229 mg57%
Manganese28 mg1217%
Phosphorus178 mg25%
Zinc7.47 mg68%

Cardamom, Nutritional value per 100 g.
One table spoon of cardamom, that is about 6 grams, contains 18 calories, 0 mg cholesterol, 1 gram of protein and 4 grams of carbohydrates. The proportion of daily 
values provided by basic nutrients such as calcium, iron and Vitamin C are 2%, 4% and 2% respectively. Dietary fiber content is about 4 grams in this quantity of cardamom. The fat content provides about 3 calories. It is mildly inflammatory and contains about 
0.6 grams of proteins. Other portions of calories come from the contribution of carbohydrates-12.6, fat-3.2 and protein-2.1. Minerals such as calcium, iron, 
magnesium, potassium and phosphorous are also provided in 22mg, 0.8mg, 13.2mg, 64.3mg and 10.2 mg proportions respectively. The percentage daily values are based on a 2000 calorie intake reference diet for all these values. Cardamom must be consumed in a daily basis as it provides sufficient dietary fiber, iron and manganese.

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