Cardamom ~ Elettaria cardamomum

Cardamom

Latin name: Elettaria cardamomum

Family: Zingiberaceae

Part used: fruits, seeds

Habitat: native toIndia andSri Lanka; widely cultivated in tropics

Main constituents: volatile oil

Energetics: hot, bitter, spicy, warming, drying

Main herbal actions: carminative, stomachic, stimulant

Minor herbal actions: anti-spasmodic

Main medicinal uses: flatulence, colic bronchitis, dyspepsia

Minor medicinal uses: hemorrhoids, flavoring in foods

Preparations: powder: 0.5-2 g qd; 1:3.5 tincture: 20-30 gtt qd-qid; infusion: 1 tsp/cup water, 1 cup qd-bid

Contraindications: none known

Toxicity: none known

Sources: Sharol Tilgner, N.D.: Herbal Medicine from the Heart of the Earth; Wren, R.C. Potter’s New Cyclopaedia of Botanical Drugs and Preparations; http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/eclectic/kings/elettaria-card.html