The benefits of cardamom are well known in the culinary world. However, apart from being used as a cooking spice, cardamom is also believed to be able to treat certain health problems. What are some?
Cardamom is a type of spice from India that has a savory and slightly sweet taste. This spice is often used as a flavor enhancer and aroma of dishes.
Cardamom contains many minerals in it, including manganese, calcium, and potassium. Not only in the form of seeds, cardamom can also be used in powder form, essential oils, and even herbal supplements.
Various Benefits of Cardamom
The following are some of the health benefits of cardamom that you need to know:
1. Lowers blood pressure
Cardamom has long been known as one of the herbal medicines for people with hypertension. Research has found that cardamom is rich in antioxidant compounds that have blood pressure lowering properties. In addition, researchers also suspect this spice has a diuretic effect such as blood pressure-lowering drugs.
2. Prevent chronic disease
The antioxidants in cardamom are useful for protecting body cells from free radical damage. Not only that, cardamom also has anti-inflammatory compounds that can fight inflammation. Both of these ingredients can reduce the risk of chronic disease if consumed regularly.
3. Overcoming digestive problems
A study states that cardamom extract mixed with other herbs is considered to be able to help overcome digestive problems, ranging from dyspepsia, nausea and vomiting, to stomach ulcers. However, this benefit needs to be proven by further research.
4. Treating bacterial infections
A study shows that cardamom essential oil and extract contain compounds that can fight several types of bacteria, such as E coli,Staphylococcus, Salmonella, and Campylobacter.
However, this study was only conducted in test tubes and not in humans. Therefore, further research is needed to determine the effectiveness of cardamom as an antibacterial in humans.
5. Prevent bad breath and cavities
Chewing cardamom can eliminate bad breath and make your breath fresh. This is thought to be thanks to the antibacterial compounds in it. Apart from freshening your breath, cardamom is also thought to be effective in preventing cavities.
6. Fight cancer cells
Compounds in cardamom are thought to activate enzymes and immune cells that are useful for fighting cancer cells. So far, the experiments have only been done on animals or test tubes, but the results shown are convincing.
Apart from those mentioned above, there are several other health benefits of cardamom. Cardamom is also believed to help lose weight, lower blood sugar levels, and reduce the risk of fatty liver.
Although more research is still needed to uncover the benefits of cardamom, we now know that this deliciously flavored spice has a lot of potential for good health. So, there is nothing wrong if you start to involve cardamom in processing your daily diet.
However, if you want to take the benefits of cardamom from supplements to treat certain diseases, you should first consult with your doctor for advice regarding its effectiveness and safety for your condition.