Cardamom
Botanical Description & Habitat
Elettaria cardomomum
Family
Zingiberaceae
Common Names
Bastard cardamom
Cardamom seeds
Malabar
Habitat
Southern India; cultivated in other tropical areas.
Medicinal Parts
Seed
Historical Properties & Uses
Cardamom is one of the curry herbs, and is therefore used for culinary purposes as well as medicinal purposes. As with most curry herbs, these two purposes usually coincide.
By including cardamom and other curry herbs in the regular diet, one can experience both the culinary pleasure as well as the medicinal actions, which include appetite stimulation, carminative, stimulant and stomachic actions. Flatulent dyspepsia is avoided, foods are better digested and assimilated, the blood is thinned, the heart and digestive tract mildly stimulated and so forth.
A good combination of curry herbs for appetite stimulation and carminative action, while retaining an extremely pleasant flavor would be cardamom, caraway, fennel and a touch of cayenne.
This herb is approved by the German Commission E for dyspepsia.
References:
Blumenthal, M (Ed.): The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. American Botanical Council. Austin, TX. 1998.
Method of Action
The Pharmacology of Cardamom
Cardamom contains liberal amounts of aromatic oil with alpha-terpene acetate, cineole, etc. Terpenes components prevail. These substances definitely stimulate the appetite, and should act as carminative, stimulant and stomachic agents also.
Cardamom oil has been found to have relaxing effect on tracheal and ileal smooth muscles, specifically the ileal myenteric plexus-longitudinal muscle.
Cardamom has Cholinergic Action
Cardamon has cholinomimetic effects when tested on rat blood pressure, rat jejunum and frog rectus abdominous preparations. The presence of acetylcholine and choline in cardamom has been verified, but role this might play in the carminative, nutritional and pharmacological action of the plant is currently unknown.
Drug Interactions & Precautions
Possible Interactions
The antiarrhythmic agent, quinidine, may increase the hypoprothrombinemic effect of cardamom.
The cholinergic action of this herb may be antagonized by antihistamines, anticholinergics (atropine), nitrites, nitrates, pentaerythritol tetranitrate and tetraethylammonium chloride.
The cholinergic action of this herb may potentiate depolarizing muscle relaxants like decamethonium. If the interaction is severe, respiratory paralysis may result. Adrenocortical responsiveness to this herb may be impaired by the use amphotericin b.
Comments
Due to the presence of blood serum platelet aggregation inhibitors, such as linolenic acid, this herb may potentiate the effects of anticoagulant drugs such as heparin.
To the extent that cardamom's action depends on the presence of cholinergic substances, to that extent its action will be affected by the decrease in cholinergic-receptor stimulation produced by anticholinergics.
Safety Factors & Toxicity
No side effects if used according to manufacturer's recommendations, as a condiment or tincture.
Cardamom seed has approval status by the German Commission E.
References:
Blumenthal, M (Ed.): The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. American Botanical Council. Austin, TX. 1998.
Preparation & Administration
Use three times daily
Infusion
Use 1-2g of dried seeds
This herb has approval status by the German Commission E.
Average daily dosages in Germany are as follows:
1.5 g herb daily.
1 - 2 g tincture daily.
References:
Blumenthal, M (Ed.): The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. American Botanical Council. Austin, TX. 1998.
References
Blumenthal, M (Ed.): The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. American Botanical Council. Austin, TX. 1998.
Haranath, P.S.R.K., M.H. Akther & S.I. Sharif. Acetylcholine and choline in common spices. Phytotherapy Research, 1(2), 91-92, 1987.
Mowrey, Daniel B., Ph.D. Exper. Psych., Brigham Young University. Director of Nebo Institute of Herbal Sciences. Director of Behavior Change Agent Training Institute. Director of Research, Nova Corp.
Reiter, M. & W. Brandt. Relaxant effects on tracheal and illeal smooth muscles of the guninea pig. Arzneimittel-forshung, 35(I), Nr. 1a, 404-414, 1985.
Essential Oil
See Cardamom Essence under Aromatherapy
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