Cardamom

Cardamom – this herb is possibly a familiar flavor, due to its use as a spice in Indian chai as well as pastries, particularly from Sweden where this herb is used a lot.  This herb grows well in tropical regions, and it is grown most intensively in southern Indian and Guatamala.  A member of the Zingiberacea family that turmeric and ginger both also belong to, its Latin name is Elettaria cardamomum and the part that is used is the seed, either in the pod or removed from the pod.  This herb is a warming digestive aid with aromatic properties.

Primary properties: carminative, expectorant, lung tonic, circulatory stimulant, diaphoretic, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, antimicrobial (particularly the essential oil).

Cardamom is indicated for the digestive, respiratory, circulatory, and nervous systems.  For the digestive tract, this herb can help promote healthy digestion, help ease the discomfort of indigestion, and help dispel gas and bloating.  It is also useful if someone has a cool/damp digestive tract and excess mucus for its warming, drying effects.  If you don’t do well digesting raw vegetables or cold foods, chances are you have a cool/damp digestive system that thrives better on warm, soft foods.

For the lungs, cardamom can be useful for helping to relax coughs, to thin mucus, and for bronchitis for its drying, antispasmodic, and anti-inflammatory effects.  The essential oils has antimicrobial effects and is a strong antispasmodic.  It is also useful as a diaphoretic to help break fevers/chills during a cold/flu.As an aphrodisiac, it may be because of its warming, circulatory stimulating effects, and the euphoric effect some people (including myself) get just by inhaling its aromatic scent.

Recipe idea: poach or back a pear, sliced in half and cored, with cardamom seeds stuck in the pear skin throughout.  Pears are a lung tonic, and can help soothe a cough and break up mucus in the lungs, so paired with cardamom, they enhance each other’s actions.  Or just eat this for dessert – yummy!

We sell cardamom in the seed and powder forms in bulk.  We use it in our Herbal Chai Immuni-Tea, Feelin’ the Love Tea, and Holiday Joy Tea, as well as our Turmeric Golden Milk powder blend. 

Cardamom plant

Cardamom plant

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Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a very familiar spice/herb to most people.  Often, I find that people are surprised to see it in cut bark form for use in a tea, however, as it is most familiar in powder form.  It has a long history of medicinal use and was shipped from the Spice Islands to Europe, the Middle East, Africa, India, and China in earlier times as part of the spice trade.  The inner bark of the Cinnamomum spp. is used and is transported in rolls.

A sweet, spicy, warming herb, I often use the bark in tea blends for its flavor and also because of its beneficial effect on inflammation and blood sugar.  It increases insulin sensitivity of cells and can help decrease blood sugar spikes after a meal.

It is also a drying herb, so it can help decrease diarrhea and the associated fluid loss, as well as helping to slow or stop bleeding, and to help lessen mucus congestion of the lungs and sinuses.  A tincture (liquid extract) can be used to slow or stop postpartum hemorrhage, dosed frequently.  It can also help with sluggish or weak digestion, especially when the gastrointestinal tract tends to be more “cold and damp”.  One way to tell if someone has more of a “cold” digestive system is if they have a harder time digesting cold foods, such as raw vegetables versus cooked and warmed vegetables.

For these effects, Cinnamon can be taken in tea, tincture, capsule, or powder form, with dosing information ranging from 1 tsp in tea, to a 1/2-1 tsp powder, and 15-30 drops tincture.

The tincture and essential oil of Cinnamon are both very antimicrobial and antiparasitic. Cinnamon essential oil is only for external use in an essential oil diffuser or diluted a lot in an oil carrier for topical use, as it can cause damage to the skin and mucus membranes when used straight (neet), in a bath, or ingested. The tincture is safer for internal use, and is often best as a small part of a blend.

Cinnamon bark is in quite a few of our herbal preparations, including our Blood Sugar Balance Tea, Herbal Chai Immuni-Tea, Holiday Joy Tea, Tummy Tea, Sinus Support Drops, Blood Sugar Balance Drops, and our Stress Drops.

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