What are cardamom benefits and side effects every ethical consumer must know? Here are cardamom pros and cons and how buying it will impact your health, the environment, animals and laborers.
Food is something we consume every day and if you’re like me, you do all the research you can to make sure you don’t hurt yourself, the planet, animals or others when shopping. As an ethical consumer myself, I am giving you all the info I’ve found on cardamom benefits and side effects.
You are going to learn all about cardamom benefits and side effects. This will include cardamom benefits for your health and potential risks, cardamom water footprint and cardamom carbon footprint, cardamom sustainability, if cardamom is vegan or impacts animals in other ways, and much more.
After learning if cardamom is good or bad for you, the environment, animals and human rights, you will be prepared to make the best choices you can the next time you buy food.
This post is all about cardamom benefits and side effects that every ethical consumer should know.
Must-Know Cardamom Benefits And Side Effects
Health
Cardamom health benefits may include:
- better digestion
- increased airflow to the lungs and improved breathing
- reduced inflammation
- nausea and vomiting treatment
- anxiety relief
- detoxification
- cancer prevention
- ulcer healing
- liver health
- lowered blood pressure and blood sugar levels
- stopped tumor growth
- oral health cavity prevention
- bad breath treatment
- weight loss
Cardamom benefits also include being…
- Alkaline 8.0 pH once digested, if spices are fresh
- Gluten Free
- Not a common Food Allergen
Environment
Water footprint: high, it takes 34,319 liters of water to produce 1 kilogram of cardamom / 4,112 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of cardamom
Carbon footprint: low, 1.6 kg CO2e to produce 1 kilogram or 2.2 pounds of spices, a car driving equivalent of 3.75 miles or 6 kilometers
Destruction: low, cardamom production is relatively sustainable, there is no known significant damage to air, water, land, soil, forests, etc. as long as pesticides have not been used, be sure to buy Non-GMO/organic, as toxic, chemical pesticides contaminate air, water, soil, etc.
Cardamom is…
- Moderately Sustainable
Animals
Kills: none, cardamom production does not require any animals to be killed
Harms: none, cardamom production does not require any animals to be used
Indirectly kills or harms: none, no animals are indirectly killed or harmed from cardamom production as long as toxic chemicals have not been used, be sure to buy Non-GMO/organic, as pesticides harm and kill wildlife and ecosystems by contaminating soil, water, air and plants that animals eat
Cardamom is…
- Vegan
- Harmful to wildlife and ecosystems unless organic
Laborers
Health and safety: varies, overall, agriculture continues to be one of the most dangerous industries, farmworkers may be subject to dehydration, heat stroke, unprotected exposure to harmful, toxic chemicals and pesticides, unsafe machinery and clean drinking water may not always accessible
Living conditions: varies, laborers are often exploited, they may face tough working conditions including long hours in the sun and heat performing physically exhausting tasks, labor laws and rights may or may not be in place, even if worker protection exists, employer violations may go unreported, refugees and migrant workers are especially vulnerable to abuse and mistreatment, fearing consequences of job loss or deportation
Wages: varies, generally farmworkers earn meager wages, there are many cases of underpaid agricultural workers, wage theft and no overtime payment or benefits
Additionally, cardamom…
- May involve worker exploitation, laborer issues, human rights concerns (depends on the brand)
The world’s top cardamom producing country is Indonesia, followed by Guatemala and India.
The world’s top cardamom exporting country is Guatemala, followed by India, UK, Honduras, Germany, China, Netherlands, USA, Indonesia and Tanzania.
Yes! Cardamom is high in antioxidants.
cardamom is alkaline and cardamom benefits include fitting into an alkaline diet.
Is cardamom alkaline or acidic?
Cardamom is alkaline.
What is the pH level of cardamom?
Cardamom has a 8.0 pH level when fresh, once digested.
When you eat food, it breaks down to an ash residue that can be neutral, acidic or alkaline. Minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, zinc, silver, copper and iron produce an alkaline ash; whereas sulfur, phosphorus, chlorine and iodine, which are in meat, coffee, dairy and alcohol, leave an acid ash.
Going alkaline easier than ever with this: Acidic and Alkaline Foods List
cardamom is gluten free.
Is cardamom gluten free?
Yes, cardamom is gluten free. Cardamom does not contain gluten.
Celiac and gluten sensitivity symptoms are similar and may include:
- recurring abdominal pain
- chronic diarrhea
- constipation
- tingling
- numbness in hands and feet
- chronic fatigue
- joint pain
- unexplained infertility
- low bone density (osteopenia or osteoporosis)
There are hundreds of potential symptoms, many of which are also symptoms of other conditions.
Going gluten-free easier than ever with this: Gluten and Gluten Free Foods List
cardamom is not a common food allergen. cardamom benefits include being safe for most.
Is cardamom a common food allergen?
No, cardamom is not a common food allergen. Some people may experience allergic reactions to cardamom but it is relatively rare by comparison.
A group of the eight major allergenic foods, AKA the Big-8, include:
- milk
- eggs
- fish
- crustacean shellfish
- tree nuts
- peanuts
- wheat
- soybeans
Severe food allergies can be life threatening. Following ingestion of a food allergen, a person with food allergies can experience a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis.
Persons may still be allergic to and have serious reactions to foods other than the eight foods identified by the law.
Be aware of common dietary restrictions and food allergens with this: The Big 8 Most Common Food Allergens List
cardamom has a high water footprint.
Does cardamom have a high or low water footprint?
Cardamom has a relatively high water footprint compared to other foods.
What is the water footprint of cardamom?
It takes 34,319 liters of water to produce 1 kilogram of cardamom / 4,112 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of cardamom.
Did you know that water is a finite, non-renewable resource? Once it’s gone, it’s gone!
How much water does it take to produce an apple? A serving of rice? A steak dinner?
We need to be aware of something referred to as a “water footprint”. That is, the amount of fresh water utilized in the production or supply of goods we consume. As it turns out it takes significantly more water to yield foods that come from animals than foods that come from plants. Imagine how much water a cow needs to consume to generate a piece of beef. Not only how much water a single cow drinks, rather all the water that went into producing the crops that the cow ate.
Find out how much water your food consumes with this: Water Footprints of Foods and Ingredients List
cardamom has a low carbon footprint.
Does cardamom have a high or low carbon footprint?
Cardamom has a relatively low carbon footprint compared to other foods.
What is the carbon footprint of cardamom?
It takes around 1.6 kg CO2e to produce 1 kilogram or 2.2 pounds of spices, a car driving equivalent of 3.75 miles or 6 kilometers.
When calculating carbon emissions, some factors may include…
- farm equipment
- animal feed production
- hothouses (greenhouses)
- food processing
- packaging
- transport
- refrigeration
- freezing
- package waste and more
But that’s not all!
It’s best to keep the following in mind when grocery shopping:
- shopping locally reduces transportation emissions
- food without packaging reduces waste as well as the carbon footprint
- refrigerated and frozen foods increase carbon emissions
- seasonal foods reduce carbon emissions from hothouses (greenhouses)
- growing plant-based foods at home is the most environmentally sustainable method with zero carbon footprint
Find out how much carbon your food emits with this: Carbon Footprints of Foods and Ingredients List
cardamom is moderately sustainable.
Overall, is cardamom eco friendly? Is cardamom sustainable?
Cardamom production is moderately sustainable. Be sure to buy Non-GMO/organic, as toxic, chemical pesticides contaminate air, water, soil, etc. when using regenerative practices.
A 2018 Oxford University study – which is the most comprehensive analysis to date of the damage farming does to the planet – found that ‘avoiding meat and dairy is the single biggest way to reduce your impact on Earth’ as animal farming provides just 18% of calories but takes up 83% of our farmland.
Consuming animal products and byproducts is not environmentally friendly and is one of the worst things for the Earth. Not only is meat production wasteful, it causes enormous amounts of pollution. The industry is one of the biggest causes of climate change.
cardamom is vegan. cardamom benefits include not using animals for production.
Is cardamom vegan?
Yes, cardamom is vegan. Cardamom is a spice made from the seeds of several plants and not an animal product or byproduct, therefore making it a vegan food.
Animals of factory farming are suffering. They live in horrific conditions that often include confinement, physical abuse and unnatural environments…so much so that they need to receive antibiotics to keep from getting ill or spreading disease. Growth hormones allow all kinds of animals to become fatter faster and live short lives.
Because we cannot see for ourselves how these animals live and what they endure does not mean it isn’t happening. The meat, poultry and dairy industries do everything they can to distance us from knowing how our food comes to be in order to keep us in the dark about what we support each time we buy animal derived products and byproducts.
Go vegan for animals!
It’s the best way to help animals and it’s not as difficult as you may think. Speak for animals with your actions, for they cannot speak at all.
Going vegan is easier than ever, at a glance with this: Vegan and Non Vegan Foods List
cardamom is a product that may or may not have labor issues.
Is cardamom a product that has known labor issues?
At this time, there are no known specific reports of worker mistreatment regarding cardamom farming but that doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. Cardamom may or may not have labor issues.
Did you know the single largest employer in the world is agriculture? The labor involved behind each and every product cannot go unrecognized.
Some known problems include workplace health and safety, child labor, gender inequality, inadequate pay, wage theft and exploitation. Workers can even be subjected to harassment, humiliation and violence and unfair employers often fail to provide laborers with access to shade, drinking water, restrooms and breaks.
Such mistreatment has been likened to modern day slavery. Workers are often afraid to report issues because they fear it will result in losing their jobs or deportation.
Fair trade organizations fight to ensure better social, environmental and economic standards.
We can improve people’s lives with foods we eat every day simply by buying products that are certified fair trade.
Conclusion
Cardamom pros include:
- numerous health benefits
- moderatley sustainable
- vegan
- alkaline
- gluten free
- not a common food allergen
- low carbon footprint
Cardamom cons include:
- high water footprint
- possible laborer exploitation (as with most foods)
- pesticide ingestion and contamination if not organic (as with most produce)
This post was all about cardamom benefits and side effects.
Sources:
Cardamom | Open Government Data (OGD) Platform India
Cardamom – Dept. of Export Agriculture
Spices, cardamom – FoodData Central
