Introduction
Depending on where you live, you may not be as familiar with it as other fruits. A dietitian explains tamarind and its health benefits. So you can start incorporating this versatile fruit into your diet. Tamarind fruit is a pod-shaped legume that comes from the tamarind tree (Tamarindus indica). On the outside, they have a hard shell that looks like an elongated peanut shell or a brown edamame pod. However, inside it is a succulent pulp with a date-like texture. Tamarind is sweet and spicy. Depending on its ripeness, it can be sweet or sour. The riper the fruit, the sweeter it becomes.https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/tamarind
What is Tamarind?
Tamarind trees are native to tropical regions of Africa. But now grow in other warm climates. Warm climates include parts of South Asia, Mexico, and Central America. It’s a key ingredient in sinigang, a hearty Filipino stew, and imli, or saunth chutney. A sweet chutney that complements fried snacks in India and Pakistan. It is also used in drinks such as agua fresca. Which is common in Mexico and parts of Latin America, and cold sherbet, usually served during Ramadan.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3210002/
What forms of tamarind are available?
Tamarind is sold in different forms, depending on how it is used. “If you want to eat them raw, just split open the pod and eat the pulp around the seeds. (The pods themselves are not edible, but they can be composted!)You can prepare tamarind paste. Boil the pulp and strain it. It can be used as a dip or added to other dishes. “To make a paste in its pure form, add just water to tamarind. It will be as nutritious as the raw plant.
It seems like too much work.
Suppose you want to use tamarind as an ingredient in your cooking. You can also purchase it in different forms, including:
- Paste. • Concentrate. • Powder. • Compacted blocks (thick slabs of packed pulp without seeds or pods) avoid those with added sugar. Other ingredients can be added to the ready-made paste or concentrate. “Then please check the ingredient list.”
Health Benefits of Tamarind
You probably already know that fruit is good for your health. But what’s so special about tamarind?” Tamarind is rich in antioxidants and is high in calcium, fiber, and magnesium. Here’s what this means for you—the potential and proven health benefits of tamarind: Full of antioxidants.
Antioxidants are natural chemicals found in some foods. These help your body fight cellular damage due to free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules that can cause oxidative stress and create signs of aging and disease, including:
- Autoimmune diseases; cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases; cataracts; cancer; and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer`s and Parkinson’s disease. However, antioxidants act on free radicals and prevent them from multiplying in the body. This means they have great overall health benefits, and tamarind is rich in them. It is particularly rich in an antioxidant called beta-carotene, which supports eye health.
Excellent source of magnesium
One serving of tamarind contains more than 25% of the daily recommended amount of magnesium. This important nutrient supports more than 300 important processes in the body. It includes regulating nerve and muscle function, maintaining blood pressure control, and maintaining strong bones.
It helps reduce inflammation.
Inflammation in the body is associated with all kinds of risks, including injury, illness, and chronic disease. But reducing inflammation also reduces risk, and diet can make a big difference. Tamarind pulp has more polyphenols, potassium, and flavonoids. Which can reduce inflammation. Flavonoids are natural phytochemicals with antioxidant properties. Antioxidants are one of the most important substances that fight inflammation. That doesn’t mean tamarind is the only superhero you need to fight inflammation, but it helps.
Can benefit from obesity treatment
Tamarind seeds, in particular, may play a role in the management and treatment of obesity. Obesity creates metabolic and hormonal changes. These changes are related to low-grade chronic inflammation. Tamarind is a powerful anti-inflammatory. It contains trypsin inhibitors. The molecules involved in hunger and satiety hormones, so starvation can, in essence, lead to ‘abundance.’
More research is needed to determine exactly how and whether trypsin inhibitors play a role in the treatment of obesity. But so far there is some promising evidence.
It can be useful for diabetics
The glycemic index classifies foods containing carbohydrates. It is based on how likely they are to raise blood sugar levels. Foods with a low glycemic index are suitable for dieting. They are less likely to cause a sudden rise in blood sugar levels. This is especially important if you are a diabetic person, and tamarind can be one of those foods. Presently, there`s little evidence of this possible benefit. Although the research is continuing. Half a cup of tamarind contains 34 grams of sugar. But it`s low in glycemic index, meaning that it doesn`t create spikes in blood sugar.
Is tamarind good for health?
Looking at the nutritional profile of tamarind. It is a healthy addition to your diet. When you’re ready to snack or start cooking, allow yourself to try it out. Tamarind is highly nutritious. When consumed in moderation is an overall healthy food. Limit one serving, or half a cup, at a time.
Tamarind Tree
Fresh Fruits, Fresh Brown Ripening Pods of Tamarind, and Green Leaves Hanging on Tree Branch.
Tamarind trees are prized in many parts of the world for their beauty and fruitfulness. It is a legume because it produces fruit in the form of bean-like pods. This bean contains a sour pulp that becomes very sweet when ripe. People eat the fruit raw or use the pulp in cooking. The leaves, beans, bark, and wood of the tamarind tree have a variety of uses. Tamarind is an ingredient in Worcestershire sauce and is used in many cuisines in Asia, Central and South America, Africa, and the Caribbean. It is found in many chutneys, sauces, sweets, and drinks.
Health benefits
People use tamarind in traditional medicine. However, its therapeutic uses still require further research. Tamarind pulp contains various nutrients that are beneficial for health.
Tissue health
Amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, are necessary for tissue growth and repair. Some amino acids are essential amino acids. It means they cannot be synthesized by the body and must be obtained from food. Tamarind contains large amounts of all essential amino acids except tryptophan. Other amino acids also meet World Health Organization standards for ideal proteins. However, researchers are unsure how well the body can absorb all the nutrients found in tamarind.
Reduce the cancer risk
Scientists recommend diets high in antioxidants for a variety of reasons. One of which is to reduce the risk of cancer. Antioxidants prevent free radicals from damaging cellular DNA. Scientists believe that many cancers begin with damage to DNA. Secondary plant substances found in plants have antioxidant properties. Tamarind is rich in several phytochemicals, including beta-carotene.
Brain Health
B vitamins for brain health also include eight vitamins. All of which our body needs to obtain water for, so it doesn’t store water. You should be able to get enough B vitamins through your diet without using supplements. All B vitamins are essential for health. This is especially necessary for the proper functioning of the brain and nervous system. Tamarind is rich in B vitamins, especially thiamine and folic acid. It does not contain B12 like other products on the market.
Bone health
People who get enough magnesium through their diet have higher bone viscosity than those who don’t. Many people, especially young people and people over 70, do not consume enough magnesium. Tamarind is rich in magnesium. It also contains more calcium than many processed foods. Combining these two foods with vigorous exercise may help your bones and joints heal. Our body requires vitamin D to use calcium. Tamarind is not a good source of vitamin D, so you should get it from other sources.
Tamarind Nutrition
Tamarind is a highly nutritious food, containing at least 10 nutrients per serving.
- Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
- Potassium
- Magnesium
- Phosphorus
- Iron
- Vitamin B3 (niacin)
Nutrients per serving
A half-cup serving contains:
- Calories 143
- Protein: 2 g
- Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Sugar, 34 g
Things to Watch Out For
Most calories come from sugar. The nutritional value of tamarind also makes it a healthy food for many people. However, if you monitor your weight and health closely, you should consume only small amounts. Tamarind is also used in delicacies and sweet drinks. Due to the added sugar in these ingredients. They are not suitable for people with diabetes, weight management issues, or metabolic disorders.
How to eat tamarind
Tamarind can be consumed by opening the shell and eating the pulp. The capsules are non-perishable. So you can order them by mail if they are not included in your original request. You can buy tamarind in pressed blocks, concentrates, or paste bottles. These are stable, at least until they are opened. Depending on when the pods are harvested. Some tamarind products are sweeter than others. To get the most health benefits from tamarind, avoid the tendency to add sugar or medium fats. So, let me tell you some ways to use tamarind.
- Try classic Pad Thai with tamarind sauce.
- Use coconut to sweeten dal, a traditional Indian dish made from lentils.
- Make traditional tamarind chutney to use as a snack or dip.
- Mix vegetable broth with soy sauce, MSG, and garlic to make a spicy soup.
- For a more complex flavor, mix tamarind paste and imperial paste.
- Use coconut in funk or shrimp dishes.
- Seasoned beef becomes tender and adds flavor.
