You may know tamarind best for their tart flavor and their popular addition to many drinks and syrups, but there’s a lot more going on with these brown pulpy seeds than you may have heard about. The fruit of an evergreen leguminous tree that grows in a wide range of soil types and environmental conditions, tamarinds are native to tropical Africa. They are a member of the same family (Fabaceae) as cowpea, chickpea, green bean, soybean, peanut, and, just like their nutrient-powerhouse cousins, tamarind can add a lot of sweet benefits to your life year-round.
Here are some of the many reasons to add tamarinds to your day-to-day meals
Nutrient-dense food choice: Tamarind is packed with many vitamins and minerals including magnesium, potassium, iron, calcium, phosphorus, copper, selenium, vitamin C, A, K, as well as B-complex vitamins. They also contain fiber and protein.
Boost your digestive health: People take tamarind for constipation; thanks to its dietary fiber content that helps to keep you regular. Dietary fiber not only promotes bowel movements but supports natural fermentation in the gut. Studies have found that compounds in tamarind also promote bile activity to dissolve food faster and speed up digestion. A syrup made from the ripe fruit is drunk in order to keep the digestive organs in good condition.
Help protect your heart: The polyphenols in tamarind have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. These can protect against cardiovascular disease. And so, consuming tamarind regularly can help lower blood pressure, cholesterol, inflammation, and oxidative stress, reducing your risk of heart disease and stroke in the process. These protective effects against cardiovascular disease are largely due to the species’ antioxidant power and high dietary fiber content.
Support healthy aging: Chronic inflammation in the body can lead to premature aging, higher risk of disease, and increased mortality. Tamarinds’ variety of antioxidant phytonutrients, combat free radicals and tame inflammation in your body to support longevity and help you age with grace. Additionally, the vitamin C contained in tamarind stimulates collagen production in the skin and provides protection from UV damage, preserving a healthy complexion to keep you glowing. Take a cup of the pulpy juice daily, your skin will be happy!
Great for your skin: It is a great source of alpha hydroxy acids (AHA), a key ingredient in many top-rated exfoliators found in the market. This means you can use the juice as an exfoliator to reveal healthy, rejuvenated skin.
Help in weight loss too: Tamarind is rich in fibre and has no fat content. Studies suggest that eating tamarind daily might actually help in weight reduction since it contains flavonoids and polyphenols.
Prevent ulcer: In beverage form, it is commonly used to treat peptic ulcers, thanks to the polyphenolic compounds found in tamarind. Also the antimicrobial properties of the species have been found to help reduce the presence of H. pylori in the stomach that can lead to stomach ulcers and even cancer.
Good for the immune system: In addition to their antimicrobial properties, tamarind can help improve your immune function. Antioxidants contained in tamarinds, including vitamin C and quercetin, support your immune system through their anti-inflammatory effects. And with a good immune system, you will be less prone to catching colds and coughs.
Treat malaria fever: Yes, it is also proven effective in treating malaria. Take the seed extracts with lemon grass and you would bounce back from malaria!
Control blood sugar: Tamarind seed extracts are anti-inflammatory in nature and they are even said to control blood sugar levels and reverse the damage of the pancreatic tissue in many diabetic patients. The enzyme alpha-amylase which is proven to reduce blood sugar levels can also be found in tamarind.
Please note: taking tamarind with diabetes medications might cause your blood sugar levels to further reduce. Be sure to monitor your blood sugar closely.
Prevent insomnia: If you often have trouble falling or remaining asleep, you may be lacking magnesium. Tamarind is relatively high in magnesium, known as the “stress reliever” and the missing cure to many ailments. Magnesium promotes GABA function to bring about feelings of relaxation and calmness. GABA, gamma-amino butyric acid is a calming neurotransmitter that your brain requires to switch off; without it, you remain tense, your thoughts race and you lie awake in bed. Adding magnesium-rich food like tamarind to your diet, especially at dinner is important for a good night’s sleep and relaxation.
Easy to add to your diet: For everybody who loves the tangy flavor lemon gives, you may also use tamarind to add a sour note to your savory dishes, instead of lemon. Tamarind is easy to incorporate into food and drinks. For example, you can use tamarind juice to season meat, fish, soups, stews or rice dishes. Tamarinds can be used to make tropical drinks or carbonated beverages, jellies, candies, syrups and medicinal pastes. For me, I simply mix the pulp with warm water and add sweetener (date or honey), to make a pleasant lemonade-like drink. You may add a dash of lemon to make it more “zingy.” The choice is yours!
Be aware that tamarind is aperient and laxative, taking too much of the sour fruit might upset your tummy.