Cardamom may just blow your mind because of how many health benefits it creates in your body. Cardamom is one of those spices you’ll find in every household, and it’s a staple in Eastern European and Indian cooking. Thanks to its intense, slightly sweet flavor, the spice is popular for adding a delicious spicy edge to all sorts of dishes, both sweet and savory.
But did you know that cardamom has been used in traditional medicine for hundreds of years? Below are some of the amazing things that the spice can do for you:
Provide Antioxidants
Cardamom, like all spices, has a fairly high ORAC count—which means it’s high in antioxidants! According to one study [1], taking cardamom increased antioxidant count in participants by as much as 90%!
The antioxidant effects of cardamom can lead to noticeable improvements in your health, in everything from free radical damage to your body to your blood pressure.
The antioxidant enzymes in cardamom may also help to fight cancer [2]. They are able to enhance your body’s natural killer cells, making them more effective at attacking and eliminating tumors.
Reduced Blood Pressure.
In the above-mentioned study, researchers noticed that participants taking cardamom had lower blood pressure. This was believed to be due to not only the high antioxidant content of the spice but also its diuretic effect. Cardamom can help your body to eliminate wastes more effectively via your urine, as well as stored water. This can prevent water retention and thereby reduce blood pressure.
Lower blood pressure can benefit your cardiovascular system, leading to improved heart health, higher energy levels, and decreased risk of health problems.
Fight Inflammation
Cardamom contains anti-inflammatory compounds that are effective at preventing and reducing inflammation in the body. This makes the spice good for not only dealing with acute swelling caused by injuries but also the low-grade chronic inflammation caused by diseases and internal health problems.
According to studies [3], the antioxidants in cardamom can help to reduce inflammation and decrease cellular damage. They can inhibit inflammatory compounds and decrease inflammation in the organs, specifically the liver.
Improve Oral Health
Cardamom is excellent for your oral health and can be used to treat bad breath. In fact, it’s even included in some Wrigley chewing gum products because it can kill off the bacteria that are commonly found in your mouth. By killing off these bacteria, cardamom stops them from producing the bad odors that you know as “bad breath”.
But that’s not all it can do! Cardamom is also able to kill off the bacteria that caus cavities and can decrease the number of bacteria in your saliva. Put it all together, and you’ll find it makes for a much healthier mouth!
Improve Digestive Health
Cardamom has been used as a digestive aid for centuries. It’s typically mixed with other medicinal spices and used to treat vomiting, nausea, and stomach upset.
Cardamom is particularly helpful for treating stomach ulcers. The anti-inflammatory properties of cardamom actually help to protect the stomach lining, preventing stomach ulcers from forming in the first place. And cardamom extract is also able to shrink the size of stomach ulcers by as much as 50%! It’s actually proven to be more effective than common anti-ulcer medications [4].
If your stomach is acting up, you’re definitely going to want to try cardamom!
Lower Blood Sugar Levels
Cardamom contains antioxidants and potent compounds that can help to lower your blood sugar levels naturally. While it’s not as effective as cinnamon (a spice with proven blood sugar-lowering benefits), it’s still a potentially useful way of preventing blood sugar spikes and keeping your glucose levels under control.
Improve Breathing
Cardamom contains compounds that can help to improve your breathing and open up your airways, allowing you to absorb more oxygen through your lungs and into your body.
The spice is often used for aromatherapy treatments, thanks to its ability to relax your respiratory muscles and enhance your body’s ability to use oxygen during exercise. It may be useful for treating asthma and can relax the muscles of your throat, allowing you to breathe more easily.
If you’re feeling all stuffed up, try making an infusion of cardamom, and breathe in the smoke to help relax your nose and airways to breathe better.
Enhance Sleep
Did you know that cardamom contains a surprisingly large dosage of melatonin? Melatonin is found in a lot of spices, and it has been proven to be an effective sleep aid.
Basically, melatonin is what regulates your sleep-wake cycle. Your body naturally produces it throughout the day, reducing production while it’s bright and increasing production when the sun sets. Consuming natural melatonin is a known sleep aid, and can do wonders to help combat insomnia.
That’s why we’ve included cardamom in our Sleep Slim Tea! Not only will it provide you with the above-mentioned health benefits, but it will infuse your body with melatonin that will make it easier for you to not only fall asleep but stay asleep.
And that’s not all our tea can do!
We’ve formulated Sleep Slim Tea to be a weight-loss tool, one that works while you sleep. The combination of natural ingredients will help your body burn more calories and fats overnight, helping you to lose weight 24 hours a day.
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20361714
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22404574
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8862535
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16298093
Use left/right arrows to navigate the slideshow or swipe left/right if using a mobile device
