10 Health Benefits of Tamarind
Tamarind is one of the most popular fruits of the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. It grows from the tamarind tree, which is native to Africa but grows in other tropical regions like India and Pakistan.
Tamarind is a leguminous plant with the fruit being produced as pods that are similar to bean pods. However, unlike beans, tamarind pods contain fibrous, pulpy flesh that covers black seeds. The pulpy flesh has a unique, sweet-sour flavor and is the part of the pod that is consumed.
Tamarind fruit is popular worldwide and is used in various methods including eating it raw or dried. It may also be used in marinades, sauces, juices, and candy. But besides being a great tropical treat, tamarind is used for medicinal purposes. Here are the top 10 health benefits of tamarind.
Tamarind Benefit #1: Improves Digestion
Tamarind is considered one of the most powerful natural laxatives. Rich in fiber, consuming tamarind ensures that your bowel movement is regular and unhindered. Consequently, you will experience improved digestion irrespective of the other foods that you eat. This way, it prevents or helps clear constipation and other gastrointestinal issues.
While keeping constipation at bay, tamarind also enhances the process of producing bile as well as stimulating its activity. This aids in the process of digesting fats, besides enhancing production of gastric juices, which facilitate digestion of other types of food. If you suffer from chronic diarrhea, regular intake of tamarind can help clear it.
Tamarind Benefit #2: Controls Blood Sugar Levels
You have probably heard that tamarind is used in the management of diabetes mellitus, but do you know that tamarind can control and regulate high blood sugar levels? Studies have found that tamarind inhibits the activities of the alpha-amylase enzyme, which enables the absorption of carbohydrates. When this enzyme is not active, your body cannot absorb carbohydrates and simple sugars from the food that you eat. This means that your blood sugar level will remain within the normal range.
Excess carbohydrate intake can lead to uncontrolled diabetes. In fact, diabetic patients who have low insulin or no insulin at all must modify their diets and include foods like tamarind, which are known for their ability to stabilize blood sugar levels.
Tamarind Benefit #3: Improves Blood Circulation
Anemia and circulatory and heart diseases are among the most common health problems in the United States and the rest of the world. The main cause of anemia is iron deficiency emanating from low iron intake or poor absorption. Tamarind is rich in iron. Iron is an essential component of blood. It is necessary for the production of new red blood cells and hemoglobin. This way, adequate iron intake increases the amount of blood within your body. This helps in the transportation of enough oxygen and nutrients to the tissues and organs of the body.
Regular intake of tamarind helps to provide your body with its iron needs, which prevents anemia and some blood circulation problems. Also, when your tissues get adequate amounts of oxygen, you have more energy so that you can engage in more physical and mental activities. It also helps improve your overall health.
Tamarind Benefit #4: Treats Stomach Ulcers
As mentioned earlier, tamarind is great for the health of the gastrointestinal tract. This is partly because tamarind is rich in fiber. It is also very rich in phytochemicals and polyphenols that play an essential role in the prevention and treatment of stomach ulcers and other gut issues. Ulcers are formed when the surface of the stomach and small intestines is damaged such that the cells beneath it are exposed. Stomach ulcers are very painful. But regular intake of tamarind can effectively help to heal them.
Note that besides the fruit, the leaves, bark, and the seeds of the tamarind plant also have ulcer-treating properties. The leaves and bark are especially useful in the process of healing long-standing wounds while the seeds are effective at treating and preventing wound infections.
Tamarind Benefit #5: Fights Inflammation
Tamarind is also known for its anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammations are among the most common causes of diseases and other health conditions. In fact, most chronic health conditions start as simple inflammation that progresses until it causes serious damage in the body.
When you include foods that have anti-inflammatory properties in your diet, your body is able to fight the harmful inflammation before it causes serious damage. Tamarind essential oil has been used for a long time to prevent and fight inflammation. It is effective in treating inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, gout, eye irritations, and joint pain among others. Many neurologists suggest that including tamarind in diets helps in the fight against inflammation along with regular treatment.
Tamarind Benefit #6: Protects Your Heart
Tamarind is great for your heart. It is one of the best and most beneficial foods that can prevent heart diseases. Tamarind has the ability to lower cholesterol levels in your body. It can also help to lower your blood pressure if it is higher than normal. This way, it offers effective support for heart health.
Tamarind is also high in fiber, which is the reason it is capable of reducing cholesterol in your bloodstream. It also contains potassium, which prevents high blood pressure and is essential for the health of your heart. Regular intake of tamarind can, therefore, help keep your heart in good shape so that it can serve you effectively well into old age.
Tamarind Benefit #7: Improves Your Skin Tone
If you’re looking for the best and most effective cosmetic procedures, you should be looking at natural methods like tamarind. Tamarind is a great skin exfoliating agent. It is rich in alpha hydroxy acid, also called AHA, which is an essential ingredient in most exfoliating creams on the market.
Tamarind can help eliminate dirt and other impurities from your skin pores. It is a traditional solution that has been used for centuries for unclogging skin pores and removing toxins that may be lying in the layers of skin. Additionally, tamarind contains water and minerals that keep skin moist and smooth without having to use chemical skincare products.
Tamarind Benefit #8: Promotes Healthy Weight Loss
Trying to shed excess weight can be a frustrating and difficult task. You may try different diets, exercises, and other protocols and still make little progress. For this reason, many people soon give up. The reason for this is that many kinds of diets deprive the body of essential elements, which leads to deficiencies, making the protocols impossible to sustain. Remember that your body needs the many different macro and micro nutrients in order for it to function properly.
Tamarind fruit is rich in HCA, hydroxycitric acid, which your body uses to lose weight. HCA inhibits one of the main enzymes that your body uses to store fat. Tamarind also decreases appetite by enhancing the production and concentration of serotonin, besides giving a feeling of satiety even when you haven’t eaten a lot of food. All this help you lose weight sustainably.
Tamarind Benefit #9: Improves Nerve Function
Another health benefit of tamarind is its ability to boost nerve functions. To explain this, you need to realize just how important B-complex vitamins are for the functioning of the nerves. Thiamine or vitamin B1 is especially important in this respect. It is essential for processing acetylcholine, which is an essential neurotransmitter in the body responsible for stimulating muscle control and controlling behaviors. In a nutshell, it is impossible to live normally without acetylcholine.
Tamarind is very rich in thiamine and other B vitamins. When you take enough thiamine, you are able to remain active, maintain your level of reflexes, have strong muscles, and stay healthy overall.
Tamarind Benefit #10: Boosts Immunity
According to a study published in the Food Science and Technology journal, tamarind has very potent antioxidant properties. Antioxidants fight against free radicals and reduce inflammation. While still relatively little understood, antioxidants are probably as essential as many better known micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Tamarind also contains high levels of vitamin C, which is an antioxidant. Vitamin C also boosts the immune system function so that it can better fight foreign bodies and harmful microorganisms.
Tamarind also has antiseptic and antimicrobial properties that make it an effective addition to the diet to help in the fight against parasites. Tamarind has been used through the ages to get rid of intestinal worms, especially in tropical and subtropical regions.
