9 ways cardamom, the ‘queen of spices’, can boost your health, from better sex to fresher breath to weight loss
- Traditional Indian medicine has used cardamom for centuries to remedy digestive issues, bolster the immune system and much more
- Here are nine ways this spice could benefit your health, based on research, with tips on how to buy and use it
Cardamom, consisting of the seeds of a plant in the ginger family, is one of the oldest known spices. Ancient Egyptians used it in medicine and as a breath freshener, and employed cardamom oil to mummify their dead.
It has a rich aroma and flavour, and is the third most expensive spice in the world after saffron and vanilla. Sometimes called ela, cardamom is known as the “queen of spices” because it – along with black pepper, the “king of spices” – was a vital part of the early spice trade.
Dixa Bhavsar, an Ayurvedic practitioner in Gujarat in India, says spices generally “heat” the body and help to stimulate digestion. Cardamom, however, “helps in balancing thirst and hunger”.
“Most of the times when I consult patients with [an] hormonal imbalance and [a] compromised gut, they have excessive thirst. Cardamom is my go-to spice for [treating] this,” she says.