Amazing Health And Beauty Benefits of Cardamom / Elaichi

Elaichi is a common yet one of the most popular spices in India. It is the finishing touch to every Indian sweet and even a child is synonymous with it’s out of the world smell. Even though we have always included this spice is our daily meals and life, very few people would know about the actual benefits of eating cardamom. The uses of Elaichi are many but here we are enlisting the most beneficial ones.

Cardamom is a spice with a tiny pod, either green or black, containing multiple seeds inside. In India, it is most commonly called as Elaichi. This is a native Indian spice and amusingly the third most expensive spice in the world only behind saffron and vanilla. The most common usage of cardamom is in food and sweet preparation but it is also recently been widely used in medicinal Tea, because of the following benefits it imparts.

Types Of Cardamom/ Elaichi

1. Green Cardamom-

The green Cardamom has a green outer shell and seeds clustered together that are black in colour. It is a Tropical spice with a refreshing fragrance and a flavour that no other spice can match. These green pods grow at the bottom of the Elaichi tree and they are harvested at an earlier stage before achieving full maturity. This prevents the seeds from losing the sweet flavour and aroma. They are dried up before selling and the pods remain closed. Because of the numerous Green Cardamom benefits, they sell at higher prices and are considered superior than any other variety.

Uses-

• Most common of all the Elaichi uses, is flavouring Indian Sweets.
• It is used in herbal teas.
• It is also used in medicines and oral medications.
• Fragrant enhancer in essence factories.

2. Black Cardamom-

This spice is an also of the same structure with a slightly larger pod but with black colour covering and tiny hair like fibres outside. The aroma of this spice changes as it matures in size and colour. It is a very peculiar smell strikingly different from its green cousin. This cardamom loses the sweetness in the seeds after maturity and gets camphor like flavour because of the generation of formic acid and acetic acid during its later growth phase.

Uses-

• Most commonly used as an integral ingredient of the famous Indian Garam Masala.
• It is used in biryani as it imparts a hypnotising aroma to the preparation.
• Used in a lot of Indian curries and vegetable recipes.
• It is used extensively in Ayurvedic medicines.

Health Benefits Of Cardamom-

Of the numerous cardamom health benefits we have made the list of 11 most effective ones.

1. Bad Breath-

The best remedy for curing bad breath is eating one cardamom pod. This helps in reducing Halitosis or bad breath problem. It is packed with antibacterial qualities and reduces the growth of bacteria in your mouth.

2. Improves Oral Health-

It improves oral health as it can be an effective cure for mouth ulcers and infections of the Buccal cavity.

3. Increases Appetite-

Green cardamom is known as a way to increase appetite in children and adults alike. Just add a few seeds to your food and it will increase your appetite over time.

4. Detoxification of Body-

Because Black cardamoms are rich in vitamins and minerals like Manganese, it helps to great extent in detoxifying your body . It aids the kidney in the removal of urea and other ammonia products. It scours for free radicals in your body and kills them

5. Treats Depression-

Ayurveda advocates the use of elaichi for depression patients. Cardamom is known to rejuvenate body cells and help in relieving tensions of mind in general.

6. Treats Cold and Flu-

One of the most famous Indian home remedy is a tea with elaichi and ginger juice added as a cure for cold and flu. It is known to help in quick healing during Flu.

7. Improves digestion-

This spice is known to improve digestion. It reduces any inflammation of the stomach lining and increases digestion. It soothes the mucous membrane thus, easing out the entire process.

8. Cure for Acidity-

Cardamom releases essential oils when you chew it in your mouth, these essential oils are known to stimulates more production of saliva that helps to soothe the mucous and gives a cooling effect to it. Thus, preventing burning sensation of acidity to form.

9. Regularises heart rate-

Packed with Riboflavin, Vit. C, Niacin, Copper and Iron, It is of immense importance in healthy production of red blood cells. This improves your cellular metabolism and Niacin with Vitamin and Iron helps in fighting Anemia.

10. Anti- Carcinogenic-

A lot of studies over a period of time have established the anti carcinogenic abilities of this spice. Cardamom prevents the growth and spread of cancerous cells and stops the growth of cancer. The presence of GST’s prohibits the growth of cancerous cells and prevents it altogether.

11. Cures Asthma-

Chewing on black cardamom can help in opening up of the passage to lungs. It is used as a cure for asthma in Ayurveda. It treats not just asthma but also Respiratory problems like Bronchitis, whopping cough and lung congestion.

Benefits Of Cardamom For Hair And Beauty-

1. With antioxidants packed in these, elaichi benefits in the detoxifying skin and giving it a natural glow.
2. Green cardamom is a natural anti ageing product. Regular usage through oral consumption or adding in food will reduce fine lines wrinkles and dark spots of the skin.
3. Reduces skin infections as it improves the functioning and health of the liver.
4. The antioxidants in black cardamom have skin lightening properties. It can help in improving the skin complexion over time.
5. Green Cardamom has weight loss properties. Adding a pinch of ground elaichi seeds in green tea will help reduce weight.
6. As mentioned there are abundant antioxidants present is elaichi, these can help improve scalp health and reduce dandruff.
7. The essential oils present in Cardamom are known to strengthen the roots of hair, thus reducing hair fall.

With all these great Cardamom benefits to its credit, this small little Indian spice definitely has some great value. It can very easily be brought into daily eating habits and the abundant advantages will only make your life healthier.

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By Kalyani