Cardamom is native to southern India and Sri Lanka, and is also grown in Southeast Asia and Central America. It is an expensive spice, second only to saffron. In Asian medicine, it is used for asthma and hemorrhoids. It has been used traditionally for a variety of conditions including as a digestive, carminative, stimulant, and aphrodisiac. Herbalists recommend cardamom for indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, lack of appetite and also for common cold and bronchial congestion.

In ancient Vedic books on medicine, there are reports of cardamom being used even earlier than 1000 B.C. It was probably imported into Europe around 1214 A.D. For centuries, cardamom has been used as a digestive aid and due to its aromatic flavor also as a breath freshener.

Cardamom is used for digestion problems including heartburn, intestinal spasms, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diarrhea, constipation, liver and gallbladder complaints, and loss of appetite. It is also used for common cold and other infections, cough, bronchitis, sore mouth and throat, urinary problems, epilepsy, headache, and high blood pressure.