Take To This Green Spice For A Good Life

Cardamom is an essential part of the Indian spice box (khada masala) and you use it in a host of preparations—from adding it to your much-loved morning cup of tea to flavouring your favourite kheer and biryani. Cardamom or eliachi has many health benefits too. Here’s looking at what makes this spice truly special:

1. Like many other spices used for their medicinal value, cardamom too is known to have antioxidant and antibacterial properties. A 2009 study published in the Indian Journal of Biochemistry and Biophysics found that daily consumption of just half a teaspoon of cardamom powder reduced blood pressure in patients with stage 1 hypertension.

2. If you are frequently plagued with indigestion, acid reflux and flatulence, cardamom can be your go-to spice. You can chew on a whole cardamom or boil it in water, leave it overnight and then have the cardamom-infused water first thing in the morning.

3. Its antibacterial properties help fight bad breath and keep your gums and mouth healthy. Pop a cardamom pod after your meal to keep dental cavities at bay.

4. A good source of essential nutrients, cardamom contains potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron and phosphorus.

So, the next time you brew your cuppa, crush some fresh cardamom pods into it and enjoy the benefits of this earthy spice.