Botanical Index No. 208

Cardamom

elettaria cardamomum

Medicinal Actions

Colic, Alexeteric, Antibacterial, Anticancer, Antimutagenic, Antinitrosating, Antiseptic, Antispasmodic, Antiviral, Cardiotonic, Carminative, Cholagogue, Choleretic, CNS-Stimulant, Decongestant, Digestive, Diuretic, Emmenagogue, Fungicide, Laxative, Secretolytic, Stimulant, Stomachic, Tonic

Primary Conditions Treated

Cholera Cold liver Congestion Constipation Cough Cramp Cystosis Debility Dermatosis Diaphragmosis Diarrhea Dyspepsia Dysmenorrhea Dysuria Enterosis Enuresis Fatigue Fever Fungus Gas Gastrosis Halitosis Headache Hemorrhoid Hepatosis Hyper-acidity Induration Infection Inflammation Intoxication Malaria Morning Sickness Mycosis Nausea Nephrosis Otosis Pain Pharyngosis Proctosis Pulmonosis Roemheld Syndrome Scabies Snakebite Splenosis Spermatorrhea Stomachache Stomatosis Strangury Toothache Tuberculosis Urethrosis Urogenitosis Uterosis Vomiting Virus Water Retention Abortifacient Aperitif Aphrodisiac Virustat Ague Alcoholism Anorexia Asthma Bacteria Biliousness Bleeding Bronchosis Cacoethes Cancer abdomen colon diaphragm spleen stomach uterus Catarrh Cholecystosis

General Dosage

0.5–2 g powdered fruit; 0.625–1.750 g powdered seed; 15 crushed seed/half cup water up to 5 ×/day; individual dose 0.5 g; daily dose 1.5 g; 1–2 g; 2–4 ml tincture; 2–4 ml liquid cardamom extract; 0.03–0.2 ml cardamom oil.

Safety & Contraindications

Class 1. “Hazards and/or side effects not known for proper therapeutic dosages”. No side effects or interactions reported. Patients with gallstone should consult a physician before taking. Can trigger gallstone colic. Fleming et al. give a much longer Commission E approval list than Blumenthal et al.. There’s something very repetitive about the caveats that a compiler like me is liable to notice. There are probably a dozen species like this where the Blumenthal and Fleming et al. templates are parallel to this one case. Good computer jocks can seek them out. Accentuating the negative, Rinzler notes that borneol, eucalyptol, and limonene are irritants; limonene is a photosensitizer.

!