7 Incredible Benefits Of Cardamom Tea And Its Side Effects

antiproliferativeⁱ  A property or drug type that prevents the further growth of malignant cell divisions and keeps cancer from spreading to other tissues. Be it black tea, lemon and ginger tea, or milk tea with sugar – tea is loved by all of us. Many of us add cardamom to enhance its taste. But did you know that cardamom tea benefits you in multiple ways? Yes, this simple ingredient has many health-promoting effects.

Cardamom tea is a popular drink in South Asia and the Middle East, often shared with guests as a sign of hospitality. Its strong flavor and fragrance have also made it a common ingredient in traditional health treatments. Whether you are a tea addict or a seasonal tea drinker, you can enjoy this unique and aroma-filled beverage to reap the cardamom benefits it offers.

Learn more about what makes cardamom tea healthy and what its research-backed benefits are below. Scroll down!

Know Your Ingredient: Cardamom Tea

What Is It?
Aroma-filled tea made with cardamoms.

What Are Its Benefits?
May improve digestion, enhance skin health, and boosts heart health.

Who Can Consume It?
It is safe to consume in moderation for all adults except people with gallstones or people allergic to cardamom.

How Often?
It can be consumed daily in moderation.

Caution
It is not recommended for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

What Is Cardamom Tea?

Cardamom spiced tea is prepared by boiling crushed cardamom seeds in water, sometimes along with tea leaves.

These seeds release their bioactive ingredients into the water, which gives this infusion a high therapeutic value.

Cardamom is a traditional aromatic spice grown widely in countries such as Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Indonesia, Guatemala, and Tanzania. Cardamom pods and seeds are used extensively in Indian and Lebanese cuisines. Most commonly, it is used as a flavoring agent in bakery products and cold or hot beverages – like cardamom tea with milk.

You might wonder what the Indians or the Lebanese see in these cardamom seeds to incorporate them in their cuisine and beverages.

Trivia

Ancient Egyptians frequently used cardamom as a spice in their food. They also used it in traditional medicine to deal with digestive disorders and ease flatulence.

What Does Cardamom Tea Contain?

The aromatic tea has essential phenolic acids and sterols that have potent antioxidant properties.

Other biological metabolites of cardamom include pinene, sabinene, limonene, cineole, linalool, terpinolene, and myrcene, which have anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, antihypertensiveⁱ  A property or drug type that helps treat hypertension or high blood pressure and brings it to the normal range. , and diuretic effects on your body.

Read on to understand what this simplistic tea can do to your body.

What Are The Benefits Of Drinking Cardamom Tea?

There is a reason specific spices like cardamom find their place in cookbooks and traditional recipes.

Scroll down to go through the spectrum of benefits cardamom tea has to offer, and you’ll understand why I say that!

1. Is A Digestive Aid

Having a small cup of herbal tea post meals is a good habit. Adding cardamom seeds to this brew makes it even better!

Drinking cardamom tea for digestion helps in the complete assimilation of ingested food. It prevents indigestion and flatulence after you have had a heavy meal by stimulating gastric acid secretion.

Barbara Kovalenko, a nutrition consultant, says, “Cardamom has been used as a digestive aid, with some people using it to treat constipation or other digestive issues. However, it is not universally known as a laxative.”

If you feel nauseous, cardamom tea can give you quick relief. It can also treat constipation and the acute stomach cramps that accompany it quite effectively (1).

2. Enhances Heart Health And Blood Circulation

Cardamom tea is rich in antioxidants like pinene, linalool, limonene, and other phenolic compounds that can reduce the free radicals causing hypertension

(2).

The flavonoids in this tea prevent the accumulation of cholesterol in the blood vessels without altering HDL (good cholesterol) levels in the serum. Certain components also modify or block the calcium transport across blood vessels so that they remain dilated (3).

As a result, blood circulates freely through the vessels and exerts less stress on your heart and vessel walls. This helps in maintaining heart health and protects you from cardiovascular diseases (4).

Kovalenko adds, “Cardamom has been used in traditional medicine to support heart health, but it is not a blood thinner. More research is needed to determine its effects on blood coagulation.”

3. Is Effective Against Flu

High levels of sterols, polyalcohols, and vitamins A and C give cardamom tea antiviral, antifungal, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatoryⁱ  A property of a substance that stimulates the immune system to treat diseases like cancer, influenza A, and multiple sclerosis. properties.

Cardamom tea can treat a sore throat and dry cough and clear excessive phlegm generated due to microbial infections (e.g., flu) or hypersensitivity (e.g., pollen allergy) by enhancing your immunity.

Fifi Leigh, a blogger, shared her experience of using bay leaf and cardamom tea to help manage her flu. She said,” So, I decided to use bay leaves to make tea. I added cardamom. I feel better today because the sore throat is slight and I don’t have a debilitating headache (i).”

It can also reduce the severity of inflammation in the lungs and associated organs in conditions like asthma, bronchitis, and pneumonia by triggering the production of anti-inflammatory enzymes like COX-inhibitors.

4. Treats Bad Breath And Dental Issues

Having cardamom seeds, either in the tea or directly, can help fight bad breath (halitosis). Bad breath can be caused by bad oral hygiene, chewing or smoking tobacco, diseases leading to dry mouth, crash diets, etc.

Usually, food stuck in your teeth and gums is broken down by certain bacteria to produce sulfur compounds, which give the foul smell to your breath. But some fungal or bacterial infections in your gums and teeth pockets also cause halitosis.

The antiseptic and antimicrobial components of cardamom seeds, such as cineole and pinene, kill these bacteria and heal bleeding and infected gums (5).

What a way to start your mornings, I say!

5. Is A Complete Detox Drink

The active components of tea leaves and cardamom seeds, together, flush out all the wastes circulating in your bloodstream. Cardamom tea has essential terpenesⁱ  Natural chemical compounds present in plants with antiviral and anticancer properties that help remove toxins from the body. like myrcene, sabinene, carene, limonene, eudesmene, cedrene, and terpinolene, along with polyalcohols like linalool, geraniol, verbeneol, terpinyl acetate, and their derivatives in abundance.

These components eliminate free radicals, toxic intermediates, and heavy metal ions from your blood by discharging them into the urine.

You can try cardamom for weight loss due to its mild diuretic and lipolytic activity. It helps to reduce bloating and water retention in your tissues and joints, prevents cholesterol build-up in the body, and ultimately leads to weight loss.

6. Is A Skin Care Expert

Impure or deoxygenated blood with free radicals gives rise to

pimples, acne, psoriasis, uneven skin tone, rashes, pigmentation, and many other skin woes.

Adding powdered cardamom seeds to your regular tea enhances its flavonoid and glutathione levels. Flavonoids are potent antioxidants that scavenge the free radicals in your blood.

Cardamom tea also has anti-inflammatory and growth stimulating properties. Hence, it can cure rashes, wounds, bites, scars, and bruises.

7. Is A Powerful Anti-inflammatory Agent

Inflammation is either the cause or the result of many diseases – be it the extremely painful and chronic arthritis or the nagging and acute common cold.

Including cardamom tea for cold and flu in your diet is the simplest precaution you can take against such conditions. I say this because the tea is packed with anti-inflammatory compounds like phenolic acids, terpenoids, phytosteroids, vitamins, and minerals.

These phytochemicals can prevent and cure various chronic and acute inflammatory diseases like arthritis, type 2 diabetes, asthma, hypersensitivity, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), muscle cramps, dementia, Alzheimer’s, stomach ulcers, and dermatitis with minimal side effects.

Alright. That’s quite a lot of science. Now, let’s come to the surprise.

I have collected some simple, fun, and refreshing recipes for cardamom tea for you. Try these out and see the ‘queen of spices’ get to work!

Let’s get started!

Trivia

There are two types of cardamom, green and black. Black cardamom originated from the eastern Himalayas and has a relatively smoky, mint-like flavor.

4 Fun Ways To Make Cardamom Tea

Cardamom tea is both tasty and nutritious, as it is filled with antioxidants, vitamins A and C, and other beneficial ingredients that support good health. Here are four enjoyable ways to savor this flavorful drink:

1. Cardamom Powder Tea – Simple And Quintessential

What You Need

• Cardamom powder: 1 tablespoon
• Water: 4 cups
• Honey or sugar or sweetener
• Teapot or small saucepan

Let’s Make It!

1. Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan or a teapot.
2. While the water boils, peel the cardamom pods and collect the seeds.
3. Grind them into a fine powder or crush them using mortar and pestle for coarse powder.
4. Add this powder to the boiling water.
5. Lower the heat to simmer for 15 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and let it steep for 1-2 minutes.
7. Strain the mixture into a teacup.
8. Add honey or your regular sweetener.
9. Sit back and enjoy this warm and comforting digestive tea.

2. Cardamom Ginger Tea (Indian Style) – Energizing And Powerful

What You Need

• Teapot or small saucepan
• Water: 3 cups
• Assam tea leaves
• Milk: 1-2 cups
• Cardamom seeds (crushed)
• Small-sized ginger slice (crushed)
• Sugar or honey or any sweetener

Let’s Make It!

1. In a saucepan or teapot, add water, cardamom seeds, crushed ginger, and tea leaves.
2. Bring the contents to a boil so that the essence of cardamom, ginger, and tea leaves gets drawn into the water.
3. Add the milk to the boiling water, reduce the heat and allow it to simmer for 5-7 minutes.
4. To a teacup, add sugar, honey or your regular sweetener.
5. Strain the contents of the saucepan into the teacup.
6. Kick your laziness and the nagging headache out with some power-packed ginger and cardamom chai (Indian tea)!

3. Cardamom Cinnamon Turmeric Tea – Therapeutic And Cleansing

What You Need

• Water: 1-2 cups
• Milk: 1 cup (You can substitute it with coconut milk if you want.)
• Cardamom seeds
• Turmeric powder (as much as you can handle)
• Cinnamon sticks (small)
• Honey or sugar or sweetener
• Small saucepan or teapot

Let’s Make It!

1. In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil and leave it to simmer.
2. As the water simmers, add the cardamom, turmeric, and cinnamon to it.
3. Let the contents infuse into the water for about 7-8 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat and strain the contents into a teacup.
5. Add milk and honey, sugar or sweetener accordingly.
6. Walk into your garden, breathe in some fresh air, and sip on this hot masala tea – now THIS is what I call therapy!

4. Cardamom Black Tea – Rich And Warm

What You Need

• Black tea bag: 1
• Cardamom pods – 3 to 4 (crushed)
• Water: 1 cup
• Milk: ¼ cup
• Sugar

Let’s Make It!

1. Crush the cardamom pods with the back of a spoon or in a mortar and pestle to release their flavor.
2. Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan.
3. Add the crushed cardamoms and black tea bag.
4. Allow the tea to steep for 2-3 minutes. Let it steep a bit longer if you want it stronger.
5. Remove from heat and remove the tea bag and cardamom pods.
6. Add sugar or honey if desired.
7. Add a splash of milk if desired.
8. Stir well, pour it into a mug, and enjoy

A hint of cardamom is all you need to give a complete facelift to the bland and boring cup of tea, don’t you agree?

But again, cardamom is a very intense spice. How safe is it to have such a strong and concentrated tea? Did you ever think about its adverse effects on your body?

Scroll down to know what they could be.

Risks And Side Effects Of Drinking Cardamom Tea

There are very few risks and side effects associated with cardamom tea.

These effects arise only if you are allergic to cardamom seeds or whole pods or any of the spices that go into your tea or if they are of substandard quality.

Here are a few side effects and risks:

1. Could Aggravate Gallstones Formation

If you are diagnosed with gallstones, it is better to have cardamom in small amounts – may be as a spice additive in food, but not as a strong tea.

It may cause painful and severe spasms that might be lethal.

2. Could Cause Hypersensitivity

Drinking strong cardamom tea frequently can cause allergic responses if you are allergic to the members of Elettaria and Amomum genera.

This occurs very rarely, but if it does, you might have nausea, diarrhea, dermatitis, and inflammation of the lips, tongue, and throat.

3. Risky For Pregnant And Breastfeeding Women

It is said that having high amounts of cardamom (in the form of tea) may cause miscarriage in pregnant women and might be lethal to the newborn if the mother has it while breastfeeding.

However, there is insufficient information to support this concern.

Finally, What’s My Take?

Infographic: Benefits Of Cardamom Tea

Tea is a favorite for many of us because of the refreshing feel it offers. However, adding cardamom to your traditional Indian tea not only enhances its taste and aroma but also offers an array of health benefits. From reducing bad breath to promoting cardiovascular health, cardamom tea promotes overall health in many ways.

The infographic below lists the various health benefits of cardamom tea you must know. Check them out!

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Frequently Asked Questions

Does cardamom tea ease anxiety?

Kovalenko says, “Cardamom tea has been used in traditional medicine to help reduce anxiety and stress, but there is limited scientific evidence to support these claims.”

Does cardamom tea burn belly fat?

According to Kovalenko, “Cardamom has been used in traditional medicine to support weight loss and reduce belly fat, but there is limited scientific evidence to support these claims.”

Does cardamom tea balance hormonal levels?

There is limited research on the effects of cardamom on hormones. Kolavenko adds, “There is no evidence that cardamom has a significant impact on hormone levels.”

Can I drink cardamom tea at night?

Yes. Cardamom tea is a great digestive aid and may help boost metabolism at night. Kovalenko adds, “Cardamom tea has been used in traditional medicine as a natural sleep aid.” However, there is limited scientific evidence to support this claim. More research is needed to determine its effects on sleep.

Is cardamom tea better than green tea?

This depends on the health benefits you are looking for. Cardamom tea has more vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and dietary fiber, while green tea is packed with potent antioxidants (6), (7).

Does cardamom tea have caffeine?

No. This is a natural and herbal caffeine-free tea.

Is cardamom tea good for acid reflux?

Yes. Cardamom tea promotes digestion and may help control acidity.

Illustration: Incredible Benefits Of Cardamom Tea And Its Side Effects

Image: Stable Diffusion/StyleCraze Design Team

Check out the video to discover the amazing health benefits of cardamom tea. Learn how it can help improve digestion, reduce inflammation, and more.

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Reviewer Expert Author Editor Fact Checker

Heather M. Duquette-WolfRD, CSSD

 

Heather M. Duquette-Wolf is a registered dietitian nutritionist and a certified specialist in sports dietetics with 13 years of experience. She has been the owner of HMD Nutrition in Scottsdale, Arizona since 1999. She started out in medical nutrition therapy and expanded her area of expertise to intestinal disorders, inflammatory disease and exercise nutrition.

Read full bio of Heather M. Duquette-Wolf

• 
  Barbara KovalenkoNutrition Consultant Barbara Kovalenko is a nutritional consultant with 4 years of experience in nutrition and mindful eating coaching. She earned her bachelor's degree in nutrition from Bogomolets National Medical University, Ukraine and master's degree from Boston University, USA.
  
  Barbara Kovalenko is a nutritional consultant with 4 years of experience in nutrition and mindful eating coaching. She earned her bachelor's degree in nutrition from Bogomolets National Medical University, Ukraine and master's degree from Boston University, USA.

Swathi HandooHealth & Wellness Writer

 

Swathi holds a master’s degree in biotechnology from Osmania University and has worked in places where actual science and research happen. She has four years of experience and a Professional Certificate in Food, Nutrition & Research from Wageningen University.

Read full bio of Swathi Handoo

Ravi Teja TadimallaCo-Editor-in-Chief

Ravi Teja Tadimalla is a Co-Editor-in-Chief and a published author. He has been in the digital media field for over a decade. He graduated from SRM University, Chennai, and has a Professional Certificate in Food, Nutrition & Research from Wageningen University.

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Payal KarnikSenior Health & Wellness Writer

Payal Karnik is a senior health and wellness writer and a Certified Health and Nutrition Life Coach. She is a biotechnology graduate from the University of Mumbai with a keen interest in writing and a natural curiosity for science.

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