From an economic perspective, the discovery of cardamom’s health benefits could provide opportunities for both health-conscious consumers and cardamom farmers

The cardamom, commonly used in various cuisines worldwide, has been identified as a potential “superfood” due to its positive effects on appetite, maintaining a healthy body weight, fat loss, and inflammation reduction, a study conducted by researchers at Texas A&M AgriLife has highlighted.

Led by Dr Luis Cisneros-Zevallos, a professor in the Department of Horticultural Sciences, the study examined the impact of cardamom consumption on various health aspects.

The research involved feeding cardamom seeds to mice and observing the effects on their metabolism. It was found that cardamom not only increased appetite but also led to higher energy expenditure and a reduction in fat mass.

The study found that consuming around 77 milligrams of cardamom bioactives per day could be beneficial for an adult weighing around 132 pounds. This amount could be obtained by consuming about 8 to 10 cardamom pods daily.

Moreover, the study highlighted that cardamom affects neural circuits responsible for regulating adipose tissue lipolysis and mitochondrial oxidative metabolism in the liver and skeletal muscle. These effects contribute to its potential to mitigate low-grade inflammation, which is associated with various chronic diseases.

Dr Cisneros-Zevallos stressed that this newfound functionality of cardamom could have applications in various industries, including sports nutrition, functional foods, and dietary supplements.

From an economic perspective, the discovery of cardamom’s health benefits could provide opportunities for both health-conscious consumers and cardamom farmers.

The study was funded by organizations such as Heifer International in Guatemala, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture in Costa Rica, and the US Department of Agriculture, among others.

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