Plant name : Elam or Elarisi
“An aromatic herb & spice. Used in Siddha medicine to treat Vatham, Pitham & Kapham ailments”.
Botanical name : Elettaria cardamomum
Family : Zingiberaceae
Actions : Stimulant, Aromatic, Carminative, Stomachic
Siddha Medicinal Uses :
- For Urinary obstruction, 1 gram of cardamom or Elarisi powder can be given with tender coconut water twice to thrice a day.
- For vomiting, indigestion, loss of appetite etc, 1g of powder of the seeds is given with honey three timers a day.
- For vomiting and morning sickness, cardamom powder along with tender coconut water is given to the patient.
- Chewing the seeds regularly removes bad breath or halitosis.
- Anti- Pitha: Cardamom powder intake also reduces body heat.
- Anti Cancer Properties : Recent studies conducted by Sengupta et al. at Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute in Kolkata have shown that dietary cardamom had a positive outcome in counteracting colorectal cancer to an extent of 48%.
- Anti-Spasmodic : A sudden contraction of the muscles causes muscle spasms resulting in sudden occurance pain over that site. Researchers on cardomom concludes that it can be used as a controlling measure for muscle spasms.
- Dental problems : Cardamom has been used for curing dental problems in Indian and Chinese medicine due to its anti microbial properties.
- Anti Kapha properties : Elam or Elarisi is used in Siddha to treat bronchial ailments, asthma and other respiratory ailments.It checks mucus production and treats various types of cough.
- Anti Vatha : In Siddha, cardamom is used for muscle and joint pain. Siddha medicinal researches and experiences suggests that cardamom possesses anti-inflammatory properties too.
Note : Siddha treatment is based on complete physical examination of the patient, Naadi diagnosis, and other diagnostic criteria of the disease. The content given in this article is purely meant for information and education purpose only. Kindly consult a Siddha physician before any sort of self medication.
