Medically reviewed by Dr. Unsa Mohsin.
Living in a desi household, it’s close to impossible that your spice cabinet does not contain a jar of cardamom or as we like to call it ‘elaichi’. While some people like to munch on it like candies, others can’t even stand it in their biryani. Its complex nutty, woody and weirdly minty taste has made it pretty controversial.
However, whether you like it or not, in this article, you will get to know why adding cardamom to your food is the best idea ever. Moreover, maybe we will clear out the controversy based on our taste buds and join hands to appreciate desi food full of elaichi based on its amazing benefits.
Let’s read ahead to find out!
Say Hi to Cardamom and bye to inflammation
Inflammation is our body’s response to injury. While its symptoms are apparent when it comes to outer injuries, chronic internal inflammation can lead to many diseases. To name a few, heart diseases, strokes and autoimmune diseases are a result of chronic inflammation.
Therefore, incorporating this spice in your diet is a great idea to combat inflammation. By increasing Th2 cytokine release and decreasing Th1 cytokine release, cardamom makes sure your body doesn’t react to unhealthy weight and diet.
Manage Hypertension naturally!
According to a study conducted on 12 patients, it was found that taking cardamom powder for 12 weeks can bring down high blood pressure to normal. It’s important to note that cardamom powder in this experiment was used without the antihypertensive medications.
So, if you have mild hypertension, cardamom might be a really good idea!
Relieve that sore throat with cardamom
Do you know why your mom emphasizes on ‘elaichi wali chai’ whenever the flu strikes? That’s because the major active component of cardamom contains an antiseptic, which is super! It relieves sore and dry throat. And most importantly, if you drink it at night, peaceful sleep will not leave your way.
Soothe the stomaches!
It has been used to treat digestive problems for thousands of years. A mixture of elaichi with other medicinal spices helps with nausea, vomiting and general discomfort.
But the one property that has been researched upon is its possible ability to heal stomach ulcers. A test tube research suggests that cardamom protects your body against the bacteria helicobacter pylori, which is solely responsible for stomach ulcers.
So, don’t hate it in your biryani just yet, and munch on it sometimes. Because while your unhealthy cannot be on hold, cardamom will definitely soothe the killer stomach ache!
Towards the Carda-end
Cardamom being the queen of spices is an essential part of our desi kitchens. Almost all of our daily food items contain cardamom and that, my friend is a blessing! Whether you like eating it or not, adding it to your food is exemplary for your health. Moreover, using cardamom powder, essential oils and extracts can also be beneficial in a lot of ways.
So, next time you don’t like accidently munching on elaichi, remember these amazing benefits and feel better!
