Cardamom

Names in Different Languages

English	Cardamom
Urdu	الائچی
Hindi	इलायची
Farsi	هل
Unani	Elaichi
French	Cardamome
German	Kardamom

Traditional Uses

In Ayurveda and Unani medicine, cardamom seed has long been used after meals for indigestion, bloating and gas, for cough and throat irritation, as a breath freshener, and as a warming spice in tea and cooking.

Modern Research

A handful of small randomized trials, pooled in meta-analyses, report modest improvements in blood pressure, inflammation markers (hs-CRP, IL-6, TNF-alpha) and serum insulin, mostly at about 3 g/day for 8-12 weeks. Evidence for digestive relief is largely traditional and laboratory-based, with few good human trials. Effects are modest, and cardamom is not a treatment for any disease.

Uses

• Digestive support (bloating, gas, indigestion)
• Blood-sugar support (traditional)
• Breath freshener (chewed pods)
• Cooking spice and tea

Benefits of Use

• Digestive support: carminative action may ease bloating, gas and indigestion after meals
• Blood-sugar support: meta-analyses report lower serum insulin with daily use in trials
• Heart support: trials report small reductions in blood pressure and inflammation markers
• Respiratory comfort: cineole-rich preparations traditionally used to ease cough and mucus

Safe Dose & Overdose (mg/g)

Side Effects

• Stomach upset and nausea at high doses
• Acid reflux in sensitive users
• Headache and dizziness at high doses
• Allergic rash or contact dermatitis in sensitive users
• Gallstone colic in people with gallstones

Interactions

• Blood thinners (warfarin, antiplatelet drugs): may increase bleeding risk
• Diabetes medicines: may add to blood-sugar-lowering effects
• Blood-pressure medicines: may add to blood-pressure-lowering effects
• Liver-processed drugs: cardamom may alter liver enzyme activity in theory

Sources

• Ask Ayurveda Elettaria cardamomum
• Cardamom Nectar Health Benefits
• JNFS Cardamom Meta-analysis