One of the most known and widespread spices cardamom — a tropical evergreen plant is considered. Most often cardamom is meant as the seeds of this plant having special aroma and properties. In this article the advantage and harm of these seeds for human health, their chemical composition and the principles of use in cosmetology and cookery will be considered.
Caloric content and chemical composition
This spice has the difficult chemical composition and quite high caloric content.
The following values are specified at the rate on 100 g of a product:
- Caloric content is 315 kcal. Such high value is caused by high content of carbohydrates and proteins in this spice.
- Content of feedstuffs in this product the following: proteins — 10.83 g, fats — 6.9 g, carbohydrates — 40.51 g, water — 8.63 g, food fibers — 29 g.
- Vitamin structure of a product is as follows: vitamin C — 23 mg, RR vitamin — 1.1 mg, B1 vitamin — 0.19 mg, B2 vitamin — 0.183 mg.
- Macrocells in cardamom are presented by potassium — 1121 mg, calcium — 379 mg, magnesium — 231 mg, phosphorus — 179 mg and sodium — 19 mg.
- Macrocells contain in this spice the following: manganese — 26 mg, iron — 14.03 mg, zinc — 7.53 mg.
- Fatty acids are presented the Omega-3 and the Omega-6 by fatty acids in number of 0.14 and 0.33 g according to.
- Saturated fatty acids are presented by palmitic acid — 0.59 g, and nonsaturated — the Omega-9 acid in number of 0.85 g.
It is important! If you plan to buy cardamom in the crude look, check integrity of its boxes. Quality boxes and seeds in them have to have pure saturated green color without spots and damages. Cracks in boxes promote evaporation of essential oils and decrease in usefulness of this spice.
Than cardamom is useful to an organism
This product contains specific substances which differently influence a female and male body.
Zhenshchin
If you often use coffee, then begin to add to it this spice — positive changes in an organism will become notable in one or one and a half weeks:
- First of all this product accelerates metabolism and promotes splitting of fat stocks. It stimulates production of gastric juice and saliva therefore drinks with its contents are often taken after plentiful meal.
- This spice reduces thirst for eating of sweet due to serotonin secretion strengthening — happiness hormone, and high content of carbohydrates in it.
- Saves from excess gas generation, removes spasms in intestines and eliminates a hiccups. For this purpose spicy seeds need to be chewed.
- The regular use of this product promotes urine alkalization. At the expense of it infections of urinary tract are destroyed, work of kidneys returns to normal.
- Special substance diindolmethane saves women from new growths in mammary glands and connects the free radicals provoking early aging.
Muzhchin
Cardamom is especially useful to those men who want to strengthen the sexual function, but can help also at other problems:
- Regular consumption of spice promotes improvement of blood circulation in bronchial tubes and lungs, stimulates an expectoration at catarrhal diseases. For treatment often use essential oil of this spice for what it is added to hot water.
- Aromatic substances which are a part of this product possess antibacterial action. They refresh breath, promote healing of small wounds in a mouth.
- This spice stimulates cogitative activity, strengthens nervous system and increases resilience at stresses.
- Potassium and magnesium strengthen a cardiovascular system and normalize blood pressure.
- Zinc which in this product there is a lot of, prevents appearance of prostatitis, saves from cancer of testicles and improves quality of sperm.
Whether you know? For the first time this spice is mentioned in works of the Ancient Greek philosopher Platon in the 80th years of the 4th century BC. He pointed to advantage of cardamom for male health and recommended to a thicket to use it at cardiac pains.
Advantage and harm for health
Despite the obvious advantage, this spice has also certain contraindications to application.
Seeds
It is the most common form of spice which costs rather not much and differs in such signs:
- The seeds crushed in the coffee grinder add to bathtubs for decrease in fatigue and the general relaxation of muscles.
- If regularly to chew spice, then it will destroy pathogenic microflora in a mouth.
- People with ulcer diseases are not recommended to use this product.
Important! The period of storage of this product is defined by its extent of crushing. Powder of cardamom does not lose the properties within half a year on condition of storage in tight packing. The purified grains can be stored from a year to one and a half years, and integral boxes — more than three years.
Seasoning
Ground cardamom is an often used flavoring additive in drinks, meat dishes and pastries and having the following features:
- As ground spice is acquired best of all, it makes salutary impact on digestion — stimulating secretion of gastric juice, prevents developments of stagnation in intestines.
- The abundance of iron and magnesium in cardamom helps to get rid of anemia at its easy stages.
- Being added to hot drink, this product promotes improvement of cogitative activity.
- At the same time, people with individual intolerance are not recommended to use cardamom.
Essential oil
The characteristic spicy smell of essential oil of cardamom enriches aromatic compositions of soap and perfumery. Its application:
- This product is recognized antidepressant. It is used in aromatic lamps, pendants and censers.
- Inhalations with use of this air save from congestion of a nose, irritation and a sore throat. Possessing antiseptic action, essential oil destroys bacteria, viruses and accelerates recovery at catarrhal diseases.
- At external use this product will not do harm. With care it should be used to people with sensitive skin and thin vessels.
As antidepressant also use essential oil of a camomile, cocoa, an incense, vanilla and tangerine.
Coffee with cardamom
It is recommended to add no more than 1 g of spice to one cup of drink. Besides the known toning action, this drink has medicinal properties:
- Cardamom neutralizes milk protein casein therefore coffee with milk and this spice is much easier acquired.
- This drink promotes removal of surplus of calcium from an organism that becomes prevention of an urolithic disease.
- It has the anesthetizing properties, saves from inflammations in a mouth.
- At night it is not recommended to take this drink as it stimulates nervous activity and will not allow to fall asleep quietly.
Whether you know? There is only one type of the real cardamom — green. Black spice cardamom is not, despite the name, and grows mainly in East Asia and Australia. The Ancient Greek scientist Feofrast inspired by Platon's researches pointed to a difference in curative properties of green and black spice in the 4th century BC.
Tea with cardamom
To tea this spice is added much less often, but it has less useful properties, than at coffee drink:
- The main advantage consists in weight loss process stimulation. Its regular use stimulates metabolism, improves a vermicular movement of intestines and reduces attachment to carbohydrate products.
- Soft poslablyayushchy action helps to get rid of chronic locks.
- Its gipertenzivny influence well affects in public with the lowered blood pressure.
- This drink is categorically contraindicated to those who suffers from a hypertension as it will only aggravate a state.
Milk with cardamom
Drink has the following properties:
- Its soft enveloping action is capable to remove a hiccups and intestinal gripes.
- Regular consumption of the concentrated drink strengthens an erection, improves quality of the eyakulyat, prevents inflammation of a prostate.
- Consumption of this drink in the period of PMS will weaken unpleasant symptoms and will save from panic states.
- Milk fat has the warming-up properties therefore in a warm look this drink is taken at a sore throat, irritation and the "sat-down" voice.
- It is not recommended to use it to people who do not transfer milk sugar lactose.
Important! In drinks the largest number of this spice is used. In cookery it is recommended to be applied in the minimum quantities. For example, on kilogram of beef meat it is recommended to use no more than three grains, and in portion pastries to put up to five grams of powder of cardamom.
How to make
There is a set of recipes of drinks with cardamom, but the greatest benefit will be brought by use of classical compounding.
Tea
Tea with addition of spice is known for the ability to burn fatty tissue. Ingredients:
- water — 750 ml;
- cardamom seeds — 20 pieces;
- black tea — 10 g;
- lemon dried peel — 3 g.
Way of preparation:
- Bring water to boiling in the enameled saucepan. Add seeds of cardamom and on slow gas boil thoroughly them within three minutes.
- Pour black tea, boil thoroughly drink two more minutes, put a dried peel.
- Remove a saucepan from fire. Cover it and set aside tea to infuse within fifteen minutes.
- Filter ready drink through a strainer and give warm.
Learn whether there is an advantage and whether harm at consumption of tea with ginger, a thyme, a melissa and a sage is possible.
Coffee
Best of all ground coffee is suitable for this purpose. Soluble often contains synthetic flavoring additives which will spoil taste of spice.
Ingredients:
- water — 200 ml;
- cardamom seeds — 10 pieces;
- coffee beans — 10 g.
Whether you know? The original recipe of coffee with cardamom belongs to bedouins. Arab nomads cook this drink since Mesopotamia, and it is the VII millennium BC.
Way of preparation:
- Mix seeds of coffee and cardamom, crush them in the coffee grinder in the thinnest powder.
- Pour water in the Turk, add the received mix of grains and deliver to the Turk on slow fire.
- Bring drink to boiling, but do not allow it to begin to boil — at emergence of the first vials of foam remove from fire.
- Remove the received foam a spoon and shift it in a cup, and then pour in ready coffee. If desired add a sugar teaspoon.
Video: coffee with cardamom
How to use for weight loss
The ability of this spice to burn fatty tissue is based on stimulation of digestion by it. Cardamom for weight loss as a part of hot drinks — tea, by coffee, broths is used. For strengthening of effect it is accepted to combine cardamom with cinnamon and red pepper in identical proportions. It is recommended to take spicy drinks after a breakfast as the use them on a hungry stomach irritates him a mucous membrane.
Application in cosmetology
The rejuvenating properties of this noble spice are used in cosmetology. The compounding of face packs and hair joins essential oil. Spice in a dry form is practically not used in view of the activity.
Often in cosmetology also use essential oil of a cedar, an anise, rosemary and an eucalyptus.
For hair
That hair were thick and brilliant, daily comb them with use of essential oil. On a wooden hairbrush it is necessary to drip six drops of oil of cardamom, to evenly distribute it on teeth and beginning to brush the hair within five minutes from roots and carrying out on all length of hair. The following compounding is considered optimum for hair, fat and inclined to formation of dandruff.
Ingredients:
- kefir — 100 ml;
- ginger ground — 5 g;
- cardamom ground — 5 g;
- ground turmeric — 5 g;
- water — 20 ml.
Way of preparation:
- Mix spices and part them in water. Warm up on a water bath kefir to room temperature.
- Pour in the received mix in kefir, slowly stir.
- Evenly apply a ready mask on the moistened hair, turn off them into a bunch and tie the head a towel.
- You hold a mask within fifteen minutes, then wash away its water acidified by lemon juice.
For face skin
The following recipe is used for pulling up of the withering skin and elimination of small mimic wrinkles.
Ingredients:
- essential oil of cardamom — 3 drops;
- essential oil of almonds — 5 drops;
- rose essential oil — 3 drops;
- tea tree oil — 2 drops.
Way of preparation:
- Mix oils. Heat them on a water bath to room temperature.
- Apply oils to previously cleaned skin on massage lines. Sustain it within ten minutes, then wipe tissues.
- Rinse a face with warm broth of a camomile.
Whether you know? At the time of the Classical Middle Ages and Modern Times the court doctors registered rare east spice for treatment of male powerlessness in Europe. To them strengthened stomachs of royal and notable persons, recommended as effective carminative means. With cardamom the Swedish king Adolf Frederik who nevertheless died of overeating in 1771 liked to use coffee.
Cardamom is a useful spice which is used both in cookery, and in cosmetology. Its properties are caused by the high content of aromatic substances, fatty acids and vitamins, and contraindications this spice has practically no.
Regular consumption of cardamom strengthens male and female health, promotes the general improvement of an organism. To gain the maximum effect of it, it is necessary to use only quality products and whenever possible to buy cardamom seeds in boxes.