Health Benefits of Tamarind And Its Side Effects
Last Updated: Aug 05, 2020
Tamarind is a fruit that tastes sweet and sour and has a lot of health benefits. It can be used to improve your digestion and combats both, constipation and diarrhea well. It is extremely good for your heart as it lowers your LDL cholesterol and also acts as a blood thinner. It is good for circulation and can lower your overall blood pressure.
Tamarind can improve your nerve and muscle function. Tamarind is very good for weight loss and is a good remedy for diabetes as it can control your sugar levels. It has strong anti-inflammatory properties and can boost your immune system. It can also protect you from common microbial and fungal infections.
Tamarind Health Benefits
Tamarind is a sweet and delicious fruit that has a ton of culinary and health benefits. It comes from a bushy tree that has evergreen leaves and fruits and has a long brown, hard shell on the outside. Inside this shell lies the fruit itself which is quite sticky and sweet.
The pulp of tamarind is quite juicy. Since it’s flavor is a mixture of sweetness and sourness, you either end up hating it or loving it immediately. Tamarinds can be eaten completely raw. Ripened tamarinds can be used in desserts and the fruit can also be dried up in the sun and ground into a delicious spice that you can sprinkle into your food while cooking.
Nutritional Value of Tamarind
In a 100 g of tamarind, you will find 239 calories. It has a total carbohydrate content for 62.5 g, out of which there is 57.4 g of sugar and 5.1 g of dietary fiber. It has 0.6 g of fat in it and 2.8 g of protein. It has 28 mg of sodium and 628 mg of potassium in it. Tamarind also contains a lot of vitamins and minerals. Out of the recommended daily dosage for each of the following, tamarind has 4% of vitamin C, 5% of vitamin B-6, 7% of calcium, 22 % of iron, 26% of magnesium, 1% of zinc and 16% of phosphorus. It does not have vitamin A, D, or B-12. Due to the vast variety of nutrition that’s found in tamarind fruit, you can bet that it will have positive effects on your health the minute you start taking it.
Nutritional facts Per 100 grams in Tamarind
Vitamins and Minerals
Health Benefits of Tamarind
Tamarind Good for Digestion
Tamarind water is good for your digestive system due to two main reasons. For starters, it is a good laxative, which means that it stimulates the bowel movements and excretion. Secondly, Tamarind also has high dietary fiber content, which helps bulk up the stool, making it easier for it to move around. As a result, your digestive system is kept clean.
Moreover, with healthy and regular digestion, your stomach and other organs do not need to secrete a ton of acids and bile to break down the food. Tamarind water protects the stomach lining and can prevent pain ulcers and inflammations from taking place.
Tamarind Good for Heart Patients
Tamarind is extremely good for heart problems. This is because the dietary fiber present in the tamarind can help reduce the cholesterol in your body. It takes away all the excess LDL cholesterol that’s stuck in your veins and arteries and prevents your heart from getting overworked or developing chronic cardiovascular diseases.
Moreover, tamarind good for heartburn it contains vitamin C which is an excellent antioxidant. Free radicals are a natural by-product of cellular metabolism and are linked with heart disease.
Tamarind Reduce Blood Pressure
Tamarind is also very good at stimulating blood circulation. It is extremely rich in iron and having just one serving of tamarind can provide you with at least 10% of the recommended daily dosage needed. Iron is extremely good for your blood.
It ensures that you have enough red blood cells in your body, which helps all your organs and muscles function well. Having enough iron in your system can help you fight against anemia and all the symptoms that come with it such as headaches, weakness, fatigue, cognitive disorders, and stomach issues.
Tamarind Good For Nerve function
Another advantage of having tamarind is that it can help with your nerve function. This is because tamarind is extremely reach in vitamin B complex and contains a lot of thiamine. Thiamine is a vital nutrient for your body. It helps stimulate nerve function and can also improve your muscle development. It helps you to remain active, have strong reflexes, and have general strength for a long time.
Tamarind Weight Loss Benefits
These days, the world is absolutely obsessed with weight loss. With the internet and all the information on it being so easily accessible, more and more people spend their time learning about the different health problems that can come with obesity or being overweight. This is why everyone wants to lose some of that extra weight. As a result, there are many diets and medications available in the market to aid you. However, they can be extremely harmful to your body as you can either end up causing a nutrient deficiency or taking medications that will ultimately harm your system. This is why turning to natural cures is the best idea.
Tamarind is known to promote weight loss. This is because it is rich in hydroxycitric acid (HCA), which is known to inhibit an enzyme in the body that stores all the fat. It can also help you suppress your appetite as it increases the amount of serotonin in your system.
Tamarind for Diabetes Patients
Tamarind is a good remedy for diabetes. It basically stops carbohydrates from being absorbed by your system. Carbohydrates, when digested, start turning into sugar or fat, which is what diabetics need to be vary of. Thus, tamarind can help you monitor and control the glucose levels in your blood, keeping your diabetes in check.
Anti-inflammatory properties of Tamarind
Tamarind, when used in the form of essential oils, is filled with a ton of anti-inflammatory properties. It can help reduce pain in the joints, arthritis pain, gout, and even rheumatic conditions. It can even help you reduce irritation in the eyes. It can help you with infections of the eyes such as conjunctivitis or pink eye. Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, tamarind is often included in many herbal remedies for inflammation.
Tamarind Fruit and Immune System
Tamarind contains high amounts of vitamin C, which is a known antioxidant. Antioxidants help by eliminating the free radicals present in your system. This leaves your immune system free to take care of other infections and diseases and therefore boosts your overall immunity. Free radicals can also sometimes lead to certain types of cancer, so having tamarind can help you protect yourself from that as well.
Tamarind Antifungal Properties
Tamarind also has antimicrobial properties which means that it can help protect you against microbial and fungal infections. It has antiseptic properties and can therefore reduce the number of parasites in your body. Furthermore, tamarind is also a good cure for intestinal worms, especially in small children. It is excellent for your overall health.
Uses of Tamarind
Apart from being used in herbal medications for all its health benefits, tamarind has a ton of other great uses. The raw fruit can be dried and ground into a spice that can be used to season your food. Tamarind can be made into jams and sauces. In some parts of the world, tamarind is processed and dried and turned into a candy. It is used in Indian and Asian cooking frequently and is also commonly used in soups and salads to add an extra flavor. Many street foods in India are also flavored with tamarind sauce or chutney. Tamarind can also be used as an essential oil.
Side-Effects & Allergies of Tamarind
Since tamarind has so many benefits and is organic in nature, many people forget that it can also have certain side effects. Tamarind is essential a blood thinner and lowers your blood pressure. While this is great for your heart and cardiac health, it might prove to be a little dangerous in the event of an accident or injury as you may end up losing a lot of blood. Therefore, if you are already taking any medication to thin your blood, you need to be careful about the amount of tamarind you’re eating. Always consult with your doctor before adding anything new to your diet or lifestyle as you never know how it can affect you.
Cultivation of Tamarind
The scientific name of tamarind is tamarindusindica and it is a part of the Fabaceae family. The tamarind tree is native to Africa, particularly tropical regions such as Sudan, however, its cultivation occurs all over the world. It is believed that it made its way to Asia only 5,000 years ago, and travelled to America only 500 years ago. Even so, most people are aware of its many health benefits and it can be found in any good store or supermarket near your home. South America and Mexico are currently the largest producers of this fruit in the world.
References
- Bagula M, Arya SS. Tamarind seeds: chemistry, technology, applications and health benefits: a review. Seed. 1998;70(75). [Cited 27 June 2019]. Available from:
- Kuru P. Tamarindus indica and its health related effects. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine. 2014 Sep 1;4(9):676-81. [Cited 27 June 2019]. Available from:
- De Caluwe E, Halamova K, Van Damme P. Tamarind (Tamarindus indica L.): a review of traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology. African natural plant products. American Chemical Society, Washington. 2009:85-110. [Cited 27 June 2019]. Available from:
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