Posts Tagged ‘Cardamom’

Health benefits of various natural spices

Spice is the corner stone of life, even if it is about food, love, relationships or career. Nobody loves a bland, monotonous taste in life. Spices add the much needed zing to the ultimate product. It gives the color, flavor and taste to you daily dose of health. Apart from all this spices give you the boost much needed to combat those evil predators who wreak havoc with your immune system. Spices include a wide variety of herbs, roots, flowers and fruits. It has the humble ubiquitous cumin to the rare and costly Saffron, but ultimately all of them do the one thing, add the much needed zest to your taste buds and body.
Spices have antioxidant properties which helps you to combat Alzheimer, aging and heart disease. It has antimicrobial properties which helps to keep food safe and also kills many pathogens which cling to it. The anti-clotting and anti-inflammatory properties help to reduce the clumping of blood platelets and boost the circulatory system. Spices are also said to improve brain function. There are a great variety of spice which are the integral part of Indian, Chinese and Mediterranean cooking. The use of spice varies with respect to Indian, Chinese or Mediterranean cuisines.
To examine the health benefits of certain spices, we can begin with,

Cumin: It is one of the best sources of Iron and is used to improve digestion. Water boiled with cumin is used to control dysentery in infants.
Cardamom: The amazing cardamom tea is the best thing to lift your spirits. It is a breathe freshener and is used to cope with diabetics.
Coriander: Water boiled with coriander is a good kidney cleanser. It is good to combat rheumatism, sore throat, indigestion, allergies etc.
Curry Leaves: These are the friends of the diabetics. Curry leaves are chewed early in the morning to reduce blood sugar. It is used cleansing the body and also is a part of a host of herbal medicines.
Cinnamon: cholesterol can be considerably reduced by cinnamon. It also reduces the blood sugar levels and encourages the production of natural insulin.
Chilly: It contains Capsaicin which has antioxidant and anti-microbial properties which gives a boost to the immune system.
Clove: this humble flower was used from time immemorial to combat tooth and gum problems. It also fights digestive disorders, cough and cold.
Garlic: Reams of paper can be used to illustrate the uses of this wonder spice. It has strong antioxidant properties and is said to combat a simple cold to life threatening cancer.
Mustard: It contains omega three fatty acids an dis a wonderful source of Iron, calcium and Zinc. It is a great massage oil as it reduces aches and pains.
Pepper: Need to combat common cold then pepper is your answer. It also deals with muscle pains and digestive disorders.
Nutmeg: It is said to be a antidote for Asthma, digestive tract problems and even cancer.
Oregano: This Mediterranean spice calms digestive disorders and helps in curing respiratory illness.
Thyme: Just use it to counter you respiratory disorders and it also stimulates your immune system.
Rosemary: This was an air-freshener before the arrival of synthetic products. It is also soothes and improves the digestive system.
Saffron: This is one of the costliest spice in the world. Saffron is said to combat aging and reduce wrinkles. Continuous use is said to increase the skin tone. Saffron helps to cure a humble headache to the terrible tumors.
The list of the spices are endless and the continuous and judicious use helps in fighting diseases. Everything has a flip side and excessive use of the spices can play havoc with your digestion and circulatory systems. So go for the spice in your life but keep it under your thumb.

| More

If you found this post informative, why not sign up to receive new posts ?
It's simple, and free, and you can even opt to receive by email:
Subscribe in a reader
Subscribe to Good Health Tips by Email

Benefits of Cardamom – a spice that can benefit your health

Cardamom is widely grown in the tropics especially in Southern India, Srilanka and the East Asian countries. it is scientifically called as Ellettaria cardamomum and is used as an herbal spice due to its strong aroma and flavor. Cardamom is used in the form of seeds, powder and essential oils. This spice is one of the costliest next only to saffron and is found in Southern India. The flavored seed is used extensively in cooking especially sweet meats and of course who can forget the cardamom tea?
Cardamom is rich in calcium, phosphorous, Iron and Vitamins. According to Ayurveda, traditional Indian medicinal system, Cardamom is a stimulant and eases digestion. I remember chewing cardamom after eating a sumptuous lunch. It is supposed to prevent stomach cramps and improve the digestion. It also removes flatulence and gas.
Have you ever wondered why people chew cardamom after eating fish or meat? Yes, to get rid of that bad breath which lingers even after a thorough brushing. Cardamom not only dispels that bad mouth odor but also strengthens gums and teeth improving oral health.
Cardamom also cleanses and detoxifies your system. It gives warmth to the body and is used during the cold winter months in your morning cup of tea. It also prevents those viral attacks thus preventing those common colds during the really cold months. It is also given to asthmatic to alleviate their symptoms.
My mother used to carry cardamom and lemon for long bus journeys to prevent those nauseous traveling sickness. It is said to prevent nausea and is also a good mood lifter. Cardamom improves appetite and is a must for those convalescing to get back their energy. Just as it prevents that foul smell from your oral cavity, Cardamom prevents that pesky mouth ulcers. Try curd spiked with ground cardamom or nutmeg to get that ulcers off their roots. It also helps to prevent diarrhea if given in very small quantities in children.
Cardamom is used to treat fevers, spasms and even liver disorders. There is no much scientific research pointing to this but it can be tried as it has no side effects. Some south East Asian countries use cardamom for allergies and bites. Cardamom has a detoxifying effect and its antimicrobial action helps in controlling worm infestation in children. It is used to cleanse the kidneys and is said to prevent urinary tract infection.
Cardamom oil is a great cleanser and detoxifies the system. If used in your skin care routine along with rose water, it keeps the skin hydrated and supple. Last but not the least, cardamom is a great Aphrodisiac. It is said to cure erectile dysfunctions, loss of libido and sexual weakness.
Cardamom can be procured in the powdered form from the market. But it is better to buy the pods and grind it manually using a pestle and a mortar to preserve the flavor. Just remove the pods and grind the seeds, you can use the pods for flavoring your tea. But a word of caution, do not use cardamom in excess as it may cause stomach ailments and vomiting. Try using your cardamom in your tea, buttermilk, sweet meats and daily cooking to improve the taste and to get those health benefits.