Cardamom is a spice with a rich aroma and taste that can add spice to any dish. The use of cardamom is recognized not only by culinary specialists, but also by doctors. In the Ayurvedic medicine of this spice is attributed the ability to clarify the mind, to give ease and calmness. From the point of view of folk medicine, cardamom is a deposit of useful substances and an indispensable helper for problems with digestion.
Cardamom composition
Seeds of cardamom contain essential oil, as well as:
- protein;
- fatty oil;
- starch;
- terpinylacetate;
- terpeneol;
- cineole.
The medicinal properties of cardamom are also due to the content of vitamins B1, B2 and B3 ; magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorus and zinc, which is more in cardamom than in any other spice.
What is useful cardamom?
Plant seeds are used as a carminative, antiseptic, strengthening and stimulant.
Cardamom eliminates emotional disorders and removes from the state of depression, calming the nervous system and beneficially influencing brain activity.
Strengthening the musculature of the digestive tract and stimulating the production of gastric juice, cardamom improves digestion. In some countries, a plate with the seeds of this spice is brought in restaurants along with the bill. The combination of notes of lemon, camphor and eucalyptus makes cardamom an excellent means for refreshing your breath. Antiseptic properties of seeds can clean the oral cavity of pathogenic flora, in addition, cardamom reduces tooth pain.
Spice has an antiemetic effect, helps with migraines, removes mucus from the body with bronchitis and asthma, removes stones from the kidneys and bladder.
Cardamom treatment
- From pharyngitis, rinse with infusion of cardamom seeds (half a spoonful), filled with a glass of boiling water, will help. It persists for 40 minutes, filters.
The throat is rinsed 4 times a day. - From the hiccoughs will save mint tea with a pinch of cardamom.
- In meteorism, cardamom seeds should be chewed.
- To improve digestion , a collection of cardamom and cumin (2 parts), fennel (1 part) is brewed. Spices (2 spoons) are steamed in a glass of water for 15 minutes. Aromatic infusion is taken at 100 ml per day.
- Improve your eyesight will help daily intake of honey (1 teaspoon) with cardamom seeds (4 - 5 pieces).
- From insomnia helps infusion of cardamom fruits (1 spoon), filled with a glass of boiling water. The drug is allowed to stand for 10 minutes, then immediately drink it. The procedure is shown half an hour before going to bed.
Cardamom for weight loss
Being quite caloric, this spice, oddly enough, has been used for many centuries in the treatment of obesity. It is important that the boxes of the plant are not yellow, but green.
The useful properties of green cardamom are the stimulation of metabolism. You can supplement the spice with cinnamon, which can reduce blood sugar. Ayurveda advises simply to sprinkle with seeds your favorite dishes. In Europe, for weight loss, they drink tea with cardamom, which can be prepared according to the following recipes:
- Green tea without additives (1 tablespoon) is combined with seeds of cardamom (half a spoonful), pour boiling water, leave in a thermos for the night. The next day, tea is taken before meals, diluted with boiled water.
- Green tea "ganpauder" and karkade (1 tablespoon) combine with ground ginger and cardamom (half a spoonful). The mixture is poured into 300 ml of boiling water, it is infused overnight. Tea is drunk before each meal.
- Lime blossom and grass of St. John's wort (1 spoonful), chamomile grass, cardamom and ginger (0.5 spoons each) to connect. Such a collection is brewed, like regular tea at a rate of 1.5 spoons per kettle. Drink not only stimulates metabolic processes, but also strengthens the immune system.
- As a tonic, coffee with cardamom is useful - the capsules of the plant are placed in a Turk and the drink is cooked according to the usual scheme. At the same spice neutralizes the negative effect of caffeine
.
Who is harmful cardamom?
People with high acidity of the stomach from cardamom is better to refuse, as hypertensive patients. It is not advisable to use this spice at the first time after acute pancreatitis.
Obligatory contraindications to cardamom administration:
- individual intolerance (spice is an allergen);
- period of pregnancy, lactation;
- an ulcer of the duodenum, stomach.