If Black pepper is the king of spices then Cardamom is hailed as the undisputed queen of spices. It is a capsular fruit, consisting of a number of aromatic seeds covered in a pod, of the plants from the Elettaria and Amomum genera, and belongs to the Ginger family. Originally cultivated in India, Bhutan and Nepal, this spice since ancient times have held excellent culinary and medicinal value. Guatemala is the largest producer of cardamoms currently. There are two commonly available forms of cardamom namely green cardamom and black or brown cardamom.
Brown cardamom is lager in size than the green variety that is generally available in the market. It is obtained by drying the pod over heated flames and this process is responsible for rendering the smoky flavour and aroma to brown cardamom which makes this variety a very desirable spice, typically for Indo Asian and African cooking. Brown cardamom is packed with essential nutrients, fibre and oils which render it with medicinal properties to help cure and prevent diseases and ensure better health and well being. It is also used essentially in aromatherapy because of its strong fragrance.
This spice helps cure respiratory diseases like asthma, pulmonary tuberculosis, bronchitis, lung congestion etc by having a warming effect on the respiratory tracts and thereby easing and improving the air circulation through the lungs. It also helps to treat cough, cold, flu and sore throat. Diuretic fibre and potassium present in this variety of cardamom helps to lower high blood pressure, prevent heart attacks, strokes, blood clots and other cardiovascular problems.
Brown cardamoms helps to cure stomach problems, dysentery, constipation and other digestion related issues by improving saliva secretion and rousing the nervous system thereby stimulating better digestion. With its ginger like characteristics, this fibre and essential nutrient rich spice helps to resolve problems like nausea, loss of appetite, stomach cramps, heart burns, gastroenteritis, acidity, etc. Since this spice is a diuretic, it helps to improve urination and maintain proper renal health. Brown Cardamom also helps to flush out toxins from the body and decrease the effect of alkaloids effectively thereby completely detoxifying the body and maintaining proper health.
The strong aroma of this spice makes it a perfect way to help cure bad breath and halitosis. This cardamom is also useful for treating dental issues like tooth and gum infection, mouth ulcers etc.
The essential oils present in brown cardamom have sedative or anaesthetic properties which are helpful in curing severe headaches, stress and fatigue. The phytonutrients and essential oils present in this spice make the body resilient against inflammations like asthma.
It is a pathogen which, with its antibacterial and antiviral properties, aids in curing and prevent viral, bacterial, fungal and other infections thereby boosting and strengthening the immune system of the body.
The anti carcinogenic properties of brown cardamom are helpful in naturally preventing and treating breast, colon, prostate and ovarian cancer by raising the amount of glutathione, an antioxidant, present in the body to inhibit the growth of cancerous cells.
The natural antioxidants like vitamin C, potassium, etc present in this spice help to detoxify the body, improve blood circulation and protect the skin from harmful free radicals thereby ensuring healthy and flawless skin. The moisturising effect of this nutrient and essential oil rich brown cardamom helps to revitalise and rejuvenate the skin to help it look smooth and soft while the antibacterial properties prevent skin allergies. The presence of phytonutrients enhances skin elasticity and improves skin tone to create a healthy, radiant and younger looking skin.
The high antioxidant and vitamin content of brown cardamom, helps to increase the blood circulation in the scalp and provide vital nourishment to the hair strands to make them strong, dense and shiny. The anti bacterial properties of this spice help to treat infection and irritation of the scalp to promote healthy hair growth.