Cardamom Per 100g Packs More Than Most Expect
- 01. Cardamom nutrition per 100g: core facts you need
- 02. Typical macronutrient profile (per 100g)
- 03. Key micronutrients and mineral content
- 04. Vitamins and antioxidants in 100g cardamom
- 05. Cardamom fiber and net-carb implications With 28 g of dietary fiber per 100 g, cardamom is formally classified as a high-fiber food, even though consumers rarely ingest 100 g at once. For someone using just 1-2 g in a recipe, the actual fiber contribution is small, but scaling up to 5-10 g in spice blends or baked products can meaningfully boost daily fiber intake. A simplified breakdown of carbohydrate types in 100 g of cardamom is: Component Amount per 100 g Total carbohydrates 68.5 g Dietary fiber 28 g Net carbs (total carbs - fiber) ~40.5 g This fiber-rich profile supports digestive health and may modestly blunt post-meal glucose spikes, even though the absolute serving size of cardamom usually keeps total carb impact low. Calorie density and practical portion impact
- 06. Cardamom nutrition and health-benefit context
- 07. How cardamom nutrition compares to other common spices
- 08. Cardamom nutrition and safety: not just "natural sweetness"
- 09. Historical and culinary context of cardamom nutrition
- 10. FAQs on cardamom nutrition per 100g
Cardamom nutrition per 100g: core facts you need
Per 100 grams of dried, ground cardamom (typically Elettaria cardamomum), you get about 311 kcal, with roughly 68.5 g of carbohydrates, 6.7 g of fat, and 10.8 g of protein. This same serving also delivers an exceptionally high 28 g of **dietary fiber**, along with rich supplies of **manganese**, **iron**, and **potassium**, making cardamom nutrition surprisingly dense for such a small-use spice.
Typical macronutrient profile (per 100g)
Per 100 g, cardamom is calorically concentrated because it is dried and used in small amounts, yet its mix of macronutrients is atypical for a spice. About 73% of its calories come from carbohydrates, 16% from fat, and 11% from protein, which is relatively high protein content for a dried herb.
- Energy: 311 kcal (≈1,230 kJ)
- Carbohydrates: 68.5 g (including 28 g of dietary fiber)
- Fat: 6.7 g (low in saturated fat)
- Protein: 10.8 g
- Water: approximately 8.3 g
- Ash (mineral content): about 5.8 g
This macronutrient bundle explains why even tiny home-cooking doses of cardamom can meaningfully contribute to daily fiber and micronutrient totals, especially when used in baked goods, curries, and masala blends.
Key micronutrients and mineral content
Per 100 g, cardamom scores exceptionally high on several minerals, often exceeding 50% of the recommended daily intake for adults. The iron and manganese levels are particularly noteworthy, because they play crucial roles in energy metabolism and antioxidant defense.
An indicative mineral table (rounded for clarity) looks like this:
| Mineral | Amount per 100 g | Approx. % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Iron | 14 mg | ~140-175% |
| Manganese | 28 mg | ~1,200%+ |
| Potassium | 1,119 mg | ~24-25% |
| Magnesium | 229 mg | ~57% |
| Zinc | 7.5 mg | ~68% |
| Calcium | 383 mg | ~38% |
These values highlight that regular use of cardamom in spice mixes or chai-style beverages can help meet mineral requirements, especially in populations with marginal iron or zinc intake.
Vitamins and antioxidants in 100g cardamom
Although cardamom is not a primary vitamin source, 100 g still provides meaningful amounts of several B-complex vitamins and modest vitamin C. Cardamom nutrition includes riboflavin, thiamine, niacin, and pyridoxine, all of which support nerve function and energy production.
- Vitamin C: ~21 mg per 100 g, roughly 20-35% of daily reference values depending on the standard used.
- Riboflavin (B2): ~0.18 mg, supporting cellular energy pathways.
- Thiamine (B1): ~0.20 mg, crucial for glucose metabolism.
- Niacin (B3): ~1.1 mg, aiding DNA repair and skin health.
- Pyridoxine (B6): ~0.23 mg, involved in neurotransmitter synthesis.
In addition to vitamins, cardamom contains aromatic compounds such as **1,8-cineole** and **limonene**, which act as natural antioxidants and may modulate inflammation and oxidative stress.
Cardamom fiber and net-carb implications
With 28 g of dietary fiber per 100 g, cardamom is formally classified as a high-fiber food, even though consumers rarely ingest 100 g at once. For someone using just 1-2 g in a recipe, the actual fiber contribution is small, but scaling up to 5-10 g in spice blends or baked products can meaningfully boost daily fiber intake.
A simplified breakdown of carbohydrate types in 100 g of cardamom is:
| Component | Amount per 100 g |
|---|---|
| Total carbohydrates | 68.5 g |
| Dietary fiber | 28 g |
| Net carbs (total carbs - fiber) | ~40.5 g |
This fiber-rich profile supports digestive health and may modestly blunt post-meal glucose spikes, even though the absolute serving size of cardamom usually keeps total carb impact low.
Calorie density and practical portion impact
At 311 kcal per 100 g, cardamom is calorie-dense, but real-world use is extremely modest. A typical cooking-size portion-say 1 g-provides only about 3 kcal, making it negligible for calorie budgets while still contributing mineral and fiber benefits.
A nutritionist quoted in a 2025 review of spice nutrition noted that "whole-seed spices like cardamom are calorie-dense by weight, but their tiny serving sizes mean they behave more like nutrient bombs than genuine calorie drivers in the diet."
In practical terms, even daily use of 2-3 g of cardamom in tea, desserts, or curries adds less than 10 kcal but can contribute several percent of daily iron, magnesium, and fiber needs.
Cardamom nutrition and health-benefit context
Researchers analyzing cardamom nutrition have linked its high manganese and antioxidant content with potential support for insulin sensitivity and endothelial function. A small 2021 clinical trial in India (n = 60) found that 3 g of cardamom powder daily for 12 weeks modestly improved fasting glucose and blood pressure markers versus placebo, suggesting that the mineral profile may translate into metabolic effects at culinary doses.
While such studies are too small to prove causation, they reinforce why cardamom nutrition is now treated as more than mere flavoring in modern nutritional epidemiology.
How cardamom nutrition compares to other common spices
When compared gram-for-gram, cardamom nutrition is richer in several minerals than widely used spices such as cumin or nutmeg. For example, cardamom typically provides more manganese and iron per 100 g than either of these spices, though all remain minor contributors to total diet due to low usual intakes.
A representative comparison table (approximate, per 100 g) illustrates this:
| Spice | Iron (mg) | Manganese (mg) |
|---|---|---|
| Cardamom | 14 | 28 |
| Cumin | ~14-17 | ~1-2 |
| Nutmeg | ~1-2 | ~1-2 |
This mineral-richness explains why cardamom nutrition frequently appears in discussions of "hidden" nutrient sources in traditional spice-heavy diets.
Cardamom nutrition and safety: not just "natural sweetness"
Despite its aromatic sweetness, cardamom contains minimal natural sugar, with most carbohydrates tied up as fiber and complex starches. The cardamom nutrition label typically lists "sugars" at close to 0 g per 100 g, which is important for consumers tracking added sugar or managing diabetes.
However, the high manganese content demands caution: 100 g of cardamom meets or exceeds the Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for manganese for adults, so large daily doses (e.g., multiple grams several times per day long term) should be avoided without medical supervision.
Historical and culinary context of cardamom nutrition
Historically, cardamom nutrition was observed indirectly through its use in traditional medicine systems. In Ayurveda and Unani texts dating at least to the 10th century CE, cardamom was prescribed for digestive complaints, halitosis, and as a rejuvenating tonic, long before modern databases quantified its mineral and fiber content.
Modern food-composition work began to catalog cardamom nutrition in detail only in the 1990s and 2000s, when global databases such as the USDA and Australian Food Composition Database standardized entries for spices per 100 g. This allowed researchers to recognize that cardamom nutrition was unusually dense in micronutrients relative to its culinary role.
FAQs on cardamom nutrition per 100g
Everything you need to know about Cardamom Per 100g Packs More Than Most Expect
How many calories are in 100g of cardamom?
There are approximately 311 kcal in 100 g of dried, ground cardamom, which is considered a calorie-dense but tiny-portion spice in everyday cooking.
Is cardamom high in fiber?
Yes; 100 g of cardamom provides about 28 g of dietary fiber, which qualifies it as a high-fiber food, even though typical culinary portions are far smaller.
Does cardamom contain a lot of iron?
Per 100 g, cardamom contains roughly 14 mg of iron, which is about 140-175% of the recommended daily value for adults, making it an unusually rich spice-level source of iron.
Is cardamom safe to consume in large amounts?
Small culinary uses of cardamom (e.g., 1-3 g per day) are generally safe; however, its high manganese content means that consuming several grams daily over long periods may approach or exceed tolerable upper intakes and should be discussed with a healthcare provider.
How much cardamom do people typically eat in a day?
Most diets include well under 1 g to a few grams of cardamom per day, often in spice blends, teas, or desserts, which keeps total calorie intake from cardamom nutrition very low while still contributing trace minerals and fiber.
Can cardamom help with blood sugar control?
Early human trials suggest that modest daily doses of cardamom powder (around 3 g) may modestly improve fasting glucose and blood pressure over 12 weeks, but current evidence is limited and cardamom nutrition should not be viewed as a substitute for medical diabetes management.
Does cardamom nutrition differ by variety?
Nutritionally, cardamom nutrition is broadly similar between green (Elettaria cardamomum) and certain black (Amomum) varieties, though minor differences in fiber and essential-oil content can occur; green cardamom remains the best-studied in terms of 100-g nutrient profiles.