The “visceral” fat is located in the abdominal cavity, where it covers vital organs such as the liver, impeding their work, and it also releases harmful substances into the blood, which can increase the risk of heart attack.
It is often recommended to reduce these fats by exercising and a healthy diet, but a study conducted by researchers at Kyoto University in Japan revealed the role of black cardamom in burning it.
According to the study, the results of which were published in the journal “Nutritionists”, eating black cardamom, not green, helps rid the body of fat that accumulates in the abdominal area.
The researchers pointed out that black cardamom contains volatile oils, phenolic acids and sterols, all of which help in burning fat, according to the British newspaper “Daily Express”.
The study came to its conclusions after the researchers subjected mice to a diet high in carbohydrates and fats for 8 weeks, which increased their visceral fat percentage.
The researchers compared this group with another who was added to their diet with black and green cardamom, to study changes in the level of the heart, blood vessels, liver and metabolic responses.
They noted that adding black cardamom to the diet improved metabolic markers more effectively than green cardamom, which may cause heart and liver problems.
The researchers emphasized that the mice fed black cardamom “showed remarkable reversals of diet-induced changes, with decreased visceral obesity and total body fat mass, improved systolic blood pressure and decreased triglycerides.”
Conversely, rodents fed green cardamom experienced “an increase in visceral adiposity and total body fat mass, and accelerated damage to the heart and liver, without consistent improvement in metabolic markers.”
Among the advantages of cardamom, besides stimulating the digestive system, is that it is a diuretic, which helps the body to get rid of water retention, and is useful for those who suffer from indigestion.
.