Tamarind health benefits include support for a healthy heart, diabetes, strengthening the immune system, helping prevent heat stroke, supporting weight loss, helping muscle and nerve development, supporting digestion, and aiding to prevent ulcers. Other benefits include preventing cancer, slowing the aging process, and fighting colds and the flu.
What is tamarind?
Tamarind is a delicious sweet and sour fruit that has its own distinctive flavor. It grows on trees in pods. It is often considered a legume due to its pod-like growth. The spicy flavor of this fruit is very tasty and its pulp can be eaten with a little sugar and salt. It is readily available and is a common ingredient in sauces that are used in a variety of Asian delicacies.
Tamarinds can be used as sweets and are used as a main ingredient in a variety of Arabic dishes. Furthermore, it is believed that the Arabs transported it from India to cultivate it in their own country. This is how it got to the Persian Gulf. Tamarind juice and pulp are used today to treat indigestion. History also shows some superstitions that are different for each region.
Africans believed that tamarind was sacred. In Burmese tradition, this is believed to be the place where the rain god lives. Malayans still make a mixture of tamarind and coconut milk to feed their children. The bark of the tree is often considered the source of wisdom. This tree is normally wild in its native region, but is grown in other areas that produce it.
The tamarind rind is easy to remove. Although it is commonly found in the markets already shelled and ready to use. Tamarind has become part of the gastronomy in different parts of the world, as it is extremely easy to grow.
11 excellent health benefits of tamarind
Tamarind is packed with nutrients and has a surprisingly high calcium content compared to other fruits. Its scientific name is Tamarindus indica. The list of nutrients it contains is quite long. It is delicious and beneficial to the body, which is a rare combination. It contains vitamins like E, C, B and several minerals. The total nutritional value can be determined in 100 grams of pulp as follows:
Calcium 35-170 mg, potassium 375 mg, vitamin A 15 IU, thiamine 0.16 mg, tartaric acid 8-23.8 mg, phosphorus 54-110 mg, protein 3.10 g, magnesium 92 mg, riboflavin 0.07 mg. Its leaves also contain several nutritional benefits. Young leaves contain 63 mg of sulfur and 101 mg of calcium.
On top of all this, here are 11 more health benefits of tamarinds:
1. A healthy heart
Consuming tamarind helps reduce heart problems. Tamarind has been shown to rid the arteries of LDL cholesterol. This is high in fiber, which could be responsible for this benefit.
The potassium in tamarinds also acts as a vasodilator, controlling your blood pressure by reducing the load on your arteries and other vessels. Tamarinds contain a lot of vitamin C, which helps fight free radicals that can eventually because symptoms associated with chronic heart disease.
2. Manage diabetes
Alpha-amylase is a compound found in tamarind. It has been shown to help you absorb carbohydrates, which in turn turn into sugars. A higher amount of sugar in the blood also leads to diabetes problems. When the pancreas cannot control insulin levels in the body, it also leads to diseases such as diabetes.
3. Immunity-enhancing properties
The evaluation of the nutritional benefits of tamarind highlights its health benefits. It is high in vitamin C and other vitamins known for their antioxidant properties that help fight free radicals.
Tamarinds also have antimicrobial and antiseptic properties that result in a strong immune system that is not affected by viral infections. Parasites cannot tolerate an environment rich in antioxidants.
4. Helps prevent heat stroke
You are susceptible to heat stroke if you live in a region that is particularly hot, and also if you are not well hydrated. Tamarind juice mixed with a little caraway can prevent heat-related problems and cool your system.
5. Tamarind promotes weight loss
Weight loss is a problem that many people face. Tamarind has a large number of benefits, among them, it helps you lose those extra kilos. An enzyme is found in the body that stores fat. Hydroxycitric acid or HCA, which is present in tamarind, keeps it away. On the other hand, it also helps to suppress the appetite, as it improves the neurotransmitter serotonin
6. Supports muscle and nerve development
The B complex, which is present in tamarind in the form of thiamine, is known to improve nerve function and aid in the development of stronger muscles. This leads to a healthy and strong body and function.
7. Benefits in digestion
Tamarind contains tartaric acid, malic acid, and potassium, which are all ingredients that help promote a healthy digestive system. And it has several benefits for the stomach, as it helps in treating diarrhea and constipation. These are benefits that are found separately in the leaves and the pulp.
8. Tamarind for preventing ulcers
Only a healthy digestive system can be able to fully utilize nutrients. Ulcers can be prevented by regular consumption of tamarinds. Tamarind seed extract contains compounds that inhibit the appearance of ulcers.
9. Can help prevent cancer
Cancer is caused by the growth of cells that thrive on free radicals. Tamarinds work as an inexhaustible source of antioxidants, and increase the amount in our body, killing cancer cells.
10. Anti-aging
Although there are no definitive studies on the key to anti-aging, as part of skin care, tamarind helps reverse sun damage and can also be ground to be used as an exfoliator. This fruit contains alpha-hydroxyl, which helps prevent blemishes and acne.
11. Antihistamine
Tamarind also helps with colds and flu. These are generally caused by allergies or virus infections. However, tamarind has antihistamine properties that help prevent asthma attacks and other types of colds and flu.
Hypoglycemia is when your blood sugar (blood glucose) level is too low. Glucose is the body's main source of fuel. Carbohydrates are the main source of glucose in our diet. They include rice, potatoes, bread, cereal, fruit, and sweets. The ideal range of fasting morning blood sugar is 70 to 99 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter). Blood sugar levels lower than 70 mg/dL are too low.