Elettaria cardamomum
Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) is a perennial plant native to the evergreen forests of southern India with glabrous leaves neatly arranged along thick fleshy stems and its flowers develop in small green, white or brown capsules, each containing several seeds. Since ancient times it has been highly valued for its exotic flavor and aroma characteristics. The aroma of cardamom essential oil is warm-spicy, sweet, somewhat floral and camphorated, almost intoxicating. Its nature is to fractionally eliminate tension, calming the mind, creating a peaceful situation in which to take thought and meditate. Cardamom can also have a rejuvenating effect on those who feel exhausted by life's challenges.
In Ayurvedic medicine, cardamom, Ela in Sanskrit, is used to stimulate digestion, relieve intestinal spasms and pain, quell coughs, increase sexual potency, relieve hiccups, prevent nausea, and redirect the flow of vata downward. It regulates the flow of Prana in the digestive tract, which also means that it regulates the flow of Prana in how we digest our perceptions of the world and how we assimilate them. It has always been used as a carminative, digestive, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antiemetic.
In TCM, cardamom is indicated for damp conditions that affect assimilation functions (represented by the Spleen), such as abdominal and chest congestion (sometimes associated with coughing and dyspnea) and loss of appetite.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Pole, S. (2006). Ayurvedic Medicine. Philadelphia, PA: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier.
Lad V and Frawley D. (1986). The Yoga of Herbs. Lotus Press.
Wood, M. (2008). The Earthwise Herbal: A complete guide to old world medicinal plants. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books.
