Cardamom & It’s Health Benefits

Hello and Welcome to My World!  Hope you’re doing well in your world!  It’s a lovely day here! We are definitely having a “Chamber of Commerce” Day!  And, we don’t have many of them here in southeast Texas, so must enjoy them when they’re here;   But, as they say, if you don’t like it one day, you can rest assured that it will change the next.  Rain is in the forecast. I prefer the sun…

Today I found some good information about cardamom that I want to share with you. Beyond knowing it is used in Indian food, I knew little about this spice before I began reading. Now I may try it one day soon.

Health Benefits of Cardamom

Cardamon is most commonly known for its use in both traditional Indian cooking as well as traditional Swedish baking. It is also absolutely delicious when substituted for cinnamon in homemade apple pie!

However, cardamom’s vast array of health benefits don’t get enough credit. Like many other spices, cardamom has powerful, health promoting effects on the body. Here are a few scientifically backed reasons you should consider adding it into your spice arsenal:

Halitosis.

Got bad breath? Cardamom may help yo7u. The simple act of chewing on a few cardamom seeds can help to eliminate your unpleasant mouth odors, due in part to the antimicrobial qualities inherent to cardamom. Additionally, cineole, a major component of cardamom oil, is powerfully antiseptic with the power to kill your bad breath bacteria. Cineole can also kill bacteria which may cause tooth & gum decay,  like Streptococcus mutans.

Digestive benefits.

If you dabble in Ayurvedic medicine, you may already be familiar with cardamom. That is because it’s often used to treat  stomach ailments like stomach aches in Ayurvedic tradition. In fact, the spice is uniquely powerful when it comes to assisting your digestion & promoting digestive balance. What’s interesting is that cardamom is actually a member of the ginger family—another digestive powerhouse.

Blood pressure.

Cardamom has huge potential in assisting you with high blood pressure. According to a published study, participants (with stage 1 hypertension) who took 3 grams of cardamom powder over 12 weeks, experienced a significant reduction in their mean, systolic & diastolic blood pressure.

Cancer research.

Cardamom has exhibited the potential to treat cancer in studies. A 2012 study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food showed cardamom to be a potential chemopreventive agent against stage 2 skin cancer. Cardamom is hugely anti-inflammatory & has been shown to act as a deterrent to cancer by encouraging a healthy immune response in numerous studies.

Diabetes.

For those with diabetes, the disease is often accompanied by low levels of the mineral manganese. Cardamom has an incredibly high level of manganese, making it a smart choice for anyone worried about their blood sugar levels. Pairing it with cinnamon, a hugely diabetic-friendly spice, in an unsweetened chai tea is practically a healthy blood sugar tonic.

Looking for ideas on how to use cardamom in your daily diet? Start by trying out with a homemade Masala chai tea, or maybe this tasty smoothie:

Tahini Cardamom Smoothie  

1 cup non-dairy milk
1 frozen banana, peeled
2 pitted meejool dates, fresh or soaked
2 Tablespoons sesame tahini
1/4 tsp. cardamom, freshly ground
pinch of salt

Blend well in a high-speed blender. Enjoy!

Sounds like a spice worth using to me! If you use, please let me know how you use it. I’d like to learn more…

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MY BLOGGING JOURNEY

I also want to talk a bit about my journey here in blog world… I’ve been blogging for nearly 3 years now and there are times when I feel not much further along than I was when beginning. I am just no good at the tech stuff so I make very little money from blogging. I can only hope that the info I share is helping someone out there.

Writing is enjoyable to me so I keep at it, but not as often as before. When I started I wrote daily; then it was every other day. After that it was twice a week;  and now it is about once a week.

Life is never dull as there is always something for me to learn.  I hope all that I’m learning will lead to making a bit of money.  Learning so much certainly makes my day fly by. I’m not sure where all the hours go?

Well, I like to write so I will continue…

Lastly, as usual, please check out my website where I have many interesting items for sale:

http://www.bonanza.com/booths/allix999

Have a great healthy day!