Cardamom is a very good Indian spice with sweetness. Being an excellent anti oxidant, it is used in treating blood pressure, asthma, indigestion, dysuria etc. It also is an ingredient of Chyawanprash.
Botanical Name- Elettaria Cardamomum Maton
Family- Scitamineae
Table of Contents
Vernacular names
Names in different languages:
Hindi Name- Choti Ilaichi
English name- Lesser Cardamom
Kannada Name- Elakki
Telugu- Chinna Elakulu, Yelakkapalu
Malayalam- Elam
Tamil Name- Yelakka
Marathi Name- Velachi, Veldode,
Bengali Name- Chot Elachi, Chot Elach
Gujarati – Elachi, Chot Elach
Arabian name – Kakul
Farsi name – Heelabak, Ilaichi Khurd

Sanskrit Synonyms
Chandra, Chandrabala – Coolant, similar to moon
Dravidi – cultivated extensively in South India
Kapotavarna – having colour of a pigeon.
Korangi, Tuttha, Triputa, Truti, Bahula, Korangi, Upakunchika, Tutha.

Classical Categorization
Charaka-
Shvasahara – Group of herbs useful in asthma, dyspnoea
Angamarda prasamana – group of herbs useful in relieving bodyache
Katuka skandha – pungent tasting group of herbs
Shiro Virechanopaga – Gruop of herbs useful in Nasya treatment
Sushruta- Eladi
Vaghata- Eladi, Trijataka, Caturjataka

Varieties, distribution
Sukshma Ela – Lesser cardamom – smaller variety – Elettaria cardamomum
Brihat Ela – Greater cardamom – Bigger variety – Amomum subulatam
Indian cardamoms are divided into:
Malbari Ilaichi and
Mysoori Elaichi
Distribution: Cultivated in different parts of India(Mainly in Western ghats and south India).
Chemical constituents
Elettaria cardamomum chemical Constituents:
Bornneol, Camphene, p-cymene, geraneol, Heptane, D- Limonene, Linalool, Menthone, Methylheptenone, Myrcene, Nerol, Nerylacetete, a- & B- Pinenes, saibenene, a- & B- terpeneols, N- alkanes, Ascaridole, Camphor, Citral, Citronellal, Farnesol, Sitosterol, Thijene etc.
(Reference: Illustrated Dravyaguna VIjnana, Vol. II, by Dr JLN Shastry)
Medicinal properties
Cardamom medicinal properties:
Rasa (taste) – Katu (pungent), Madhura (sweet),
Guna (qualities) – Laghu (lightness), Rooksha (dryness)
Vipaka- Katu – Undergoes pungent taste conversion after digestion.
Veerya – Sheeta – Cold potency
Effect on Tridosha – Balances Kapha and Vata Dosha.
Part used, dosage
Part Used: Seeds
Dosage:Powder – 0.5 -1 g
How to take?
A small piece of it can be added to your regular tea.
Its powder in a dose of 250 – 500 mg can be taken along with ghee or honey.
For bad breath problem, or in cases of diarrhea, cardamom is chewed or simply kept inside mouth and the juice is swallowed slowly.
It is also added to fruit juices, especially to lemon juice to enhance digestive effect and also to improve flavor.
Sanskrit verse

Cardamom Uses
Mutrakrichrahara – Relieves dysuria(painful micturition), urinary retention, acts as diuretic
Arshahara – useful in piles, hemorrhoids
Shwasahara – useful in treatment of asthma and chronic respiratory disorders.
Kasahara – useful in cough and cold
Kaphahara – balances Kapha, useful in productive cough, asthma
Kshayahara – useful in chronic respiratory disorders, tuberculosis
Hrudya – acts as cardiac tonic, congenial for heart
Rochana – improves taste, relieves anorexia
Deepana – improves digestion strength
Vatahara – useful in treating disorders of Vata Dosha imbalance such as neuralgia, paralysis, constipation, bloating, etc
Pittartihara – relieves pain and burning sensation
Pumstvaghna – excessive usage may harm fertility
It helps to relieve burning sensation and gastritis
It is useful to relieve vomiting sensation, irritable bowel syndrome, gas build up in stomach,
Qualities as per Bhojana Kutuhala
According to Bhojan kutuhalam as mentioned in the section of sambhara, Taste(Rasa) – Bitter (Tiktha), Pungent (Katu)
Potency(Veerya) – Hot (Ushna)
Properties(Guna) – Laghu ( Light to digest)
Alleviates vata and kapha doshas, Helps in treating dyspnoea, bodyache, heartburn, dysuria, toxicity, removes bad taste from the mouth, acts as aphrodisiac, is cardio tonic, not much advised during pregnancy, stimulates the digestive fire and promotes digestion, enhance intellect, treats hemorrhoids, wounds, itching and cough.
For bad breath, xerostomia
Bad breath problem can occur due to indigestion. Because of its pleasant smell and due to its digestive properties, keeping a small piece of on or two cardamom helps in improving digestion and relieving bad breath.
Cardamom for dry mouth – xerostomia:
Chewing a pod of cardamom will moisten the mouth as well as eliminate bad breath associated with dry mouth.
Chew a pod after every meal or whenever your mouth is dry.
Add 1 tablespoon of cardamom powder to a glass of hot water. Let it steep for 10 minutes and then drink. Do it twice or thrice daily.
You can also rinse your mouth with lukewarm tea of cardamom.
Research
Effect on blood pressure and anti oxidant activity
Antimicrobial activity
Liver-protecting activity
Anti-ulcer activity
Side effects
Excess usage is not good for fertility, as per Ayurvedic text – Raja Nighantu.
It can be safely used in limited quantities during pregnancy, lactation and in children.
Interaction with medicines, supplements
Can this be used while taking Homeopathic medicine?
Yes. This product does not react with homeopathic medicine.
Can
this medicine be continued while taking supplements like multivitamin tablets,
Omega 3 fatty acids etc?
Yes. Generally, this product goes well with most
of the dietary supplements. However, if you are taking more than one product
per day, please consult your doctor for an opinion.
With western
medicines
Seek your
doctor’s advice if you are taking this product along with other western
(allopathic / modern) medicines. Some Ayurvedic herbs can interact with modern
medicine.
If both Ayurvedic and allopathic medicines are advised together, then it is
best to take Allopathic medicine first, wait for 30 minutes and then take the
Ayurvedic medicine.
Ayurveda medicines
Ayurveda medicines with cardamom ingredient:
Elakanadi Kashayam – widely used in the treatment of chronic respiratory conditions, asthma.
Eladi Ghrita – Herbal ghee for the treatment of Abdominal bloating, weakness, anaemia, diabetes, etc
Eladi Thailam – Very famous Ayurveda oil used in treating allergic dermatitis, urticaria, scabies etc.
Chaturjata Churna – A combination of cardamom, cinnamon, Cinnamon leaves and Mesua ferrea – useful in anorexia, skin disorders, etc
Cardamom home remedy
Learn about a home remedy with cardamom as ingredient, useful to relieve burning sensation, repeated oral ulcers, gastritis and anorexia Read more
Request you to correct the marathi name to – Velachi
Thanks. Corrected.
Thank You Sir, For your selfless service to the nation and the world.
Thanks for your prompt correction, Your articals are impartial and educative for common man
Thanks.
To be honest, I am still in the process of learning Ayurveda. While these articles are educative for the readers, it is more so, to myself. 🙂
Hi, for an elderly person, it is better to consult an Ayurveda doctor in person, rather than seeking online advice.
Hi,
Cardamom with milk twice a day is fine. No harm to fertility. Usage up to 1 gram per day is fine.
For toddlers, just 250 – 500 mg is fine.
I will write about Shaileya soon.
You can surely ue Pomegranate powder in cooking. It does not form a bad food combination.
Read more about wrong food combinations here – easyayurveda.com/2013/03/14/bad-food-combinations-and-solution-as-per-ayurveda/
We use this in Arabic Coffee, a tablespoon of coarse powder per 1 liter. Is this too much??
hi, if it is for preparing for many people together, then it is fine.
Dear Dr Hebbar,
Due to poor digestion, I sometimes take 1 cardamom with lunch/ breakfast. Do you suggest taking it before, after or in-between meal?
In between meal is good.
Dear Dr Hebbar,
Can cardamom be boiled with raw milk?
Then how should be added to milk. By soaking in hot milk?
In poeple with lactose intolerance, in order to increase milk digestibility, is there any churna e.g. Chaturjata Churna etc. or other which can be added to milk for better digestion? Or would adding cardamom powder suffice?
Thanks
Thank you for the valuable tips.
Hi Sir,
You have mentioned little of hotness and where as the author have mentioned cold in potency
Please clarify
Ritesh
Thanks. Now corrected.
500mg to 1gm Musta can be added to 1glass milk with half glass water and reduce it to 1glass.
Can pitta people consume 1 pieve of ilaychi with a glass of milk daily?
Yes.