Health Benefits of Cardamom

Cardamom, is one spice, which is widely used in Indian cuisine, for its amazing taste. Besides, adding taste to your recipe, this spice is a medicine for various treatment like mouth ulcers, digestion etc. 


Benefits of Cardamom

# Digestive disorders 

This spice is great for boosting digestive health. It helps in stimulating the digestive system and reduces gas and bloating. It also helps in relieving acidity. Choose cardamom tea to treat headaches caused by indigestion.

# Bad Breath

If you are troubled with bad breadth, then chew some cardamom. It will work as a mouth freshener and help get rid of bad breath.

# Depression

For depression or anxiety, powder some cardamom and boil it in hot water to prepare cardamom tea. The pleasing aroma will help you ease your depression and other mental problems.

# Expectorant Action

Cardamom helps to improve circulation to the lungs, so it is recommended for people suffering from asthma and bronchitis.

# Impotency

If your sex life is going down the drain, then use cardamom. Cardamom can be used to treat sexual dysfunctions like impotency and premature ejaculation.

# Other benefits

Cardamom also has a cooling effect; stimulates the appetite and eases stomach cramps.

Uses of Cardamom 

Cardamom is used in garam masala, tea, coffee and paan.

Cardamom is also used in Indian desserts like phirni, gulab jamun etc. The use of cardamom gives a distinctive flavour to the food.

The whole green cardamom can be used in pulavs, curries and hot dishes like biryanis, pulaos and kebabs.

Kidney Stone

Kidney stones are hard mass deposits that form in the kidney or ureter. They are made up of tiny crystalline minerals and acid salts that settle out of the urine and stick together. 

They could vary in size and texture and can usually go unnoticed until they cause a blockage. This can then cause excruciating pain as they make their way into the ureter (the urine carrying tubes that connect the kidneys and the bladder).

Kidney stones are a common problem, that most people experience. Although this is not a life threatening disease, it can be very painful if you ignore it. 

The symptoms, causes and treatments for kidney stones:

# Causes

There are no specific causes of kidney stones. They form when the urine cannot dilute crystal forming minerals such as calcium, oxalate and uric acid. These crystals then stick together, creating kidney stones. Knowing the type of kidney stone helps determine its cause, which can help reduce future risks of developing them.

# Symptoms

Kidney stones go unnoticed, until they begin to move to the ureter and block the urine flow, causing severe pain. A few symptoms of kidney stones that one should be aware of:

Pain in the abdomen or back

Pain spreading to the groin area or testicles

Blood in the urine

Nausea or vomiting

Burning sensation during urination

# Treatment

Kidney stone treatments depend on the type of stone and its severity.

Small kidney stones of about 5mm can be passed out through urine. Doctor will recommend you drink plenty of water so that the stone gets flushed out of your body faster. After the stone passes, you need to send it for testing.

If the stone is about 10mm, the doctor prescribes medicines that help break down the stone for it to pass through the urine.

Another common medical procedure is the Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL). During this therapy, shock waves are passed through the skin of your abdomen for your kidney stone to break up and pass out through the urine.

When the stone is large and cannot be removed through any of the above mentioned procedures, the doctor recommends a keyhole surgery. These surgeries include Percutaneous nephrolithotomy or a Ureteroscopy.

Health Benefits of Ginger Tea

Nothing beats cold in the winter like a piping hot cup of ginger tea. With its high levels of Vitamin C, magnesium and other minerals, ginger root is extremely beneficial for health.

Once made into tea, you can add peppermint, honey or lemon to mask the taste of the ginger. 

Some of the health benefits are:

# Relieve Nausea

Drinking a cup of ginger tea before travelling can help prevent the nausea and vomiting associated with motion sickness. You can also drink a cuppa at the first sign of nausea to relieve the symptom.

# Improve Stomach Performance

Useful in improving digestion and increasing absorption of food, ginger tea can bloating after eating too much.

# Reduce Inflammation

Ginger contains anti-inflammatory properties that make it an ideal home remedy for muscle and joint problems. In addition to drinking ginger tea, you can also use it to soak inflamed joints.

# Fight Respiratory Problems

Ginger tea can help relieve congestion associated with the common cold. Try a cup of ginger tea for the respiratory symptoms associated with environmental allergies.

# Improve blood circulation

The vitamins, minerals and amino acids in ginger tea can help restore and improve blood circulation that may help decrease the chance of cardiovascular problems. Ginger may prevent fat from depositing in the arteries helping to prevent heart attacks and stroke.

# Relieve Menstrual Discomfort

This one is for all women suffering from menstrual cramps. Try soaking a towel in warm ginger tea and apply it to your lower abdomen. It may help relieve the pain and relax the muscles. At the same time, drink a cup of ginger tea with honey.

# Strengthen Immunity

Ginger tea can help strengthen your immunity due to the high levels of antioxidants in ginger.

# Relieve Stress

Ginger tea has calming properties that may help lower your stress and tension. Its is due to a combination of the strong aroma and healing properties.