Tamarind is a fruit that many Asians and Africans like to use to add a little tanginess to their dishes. You can either use the fruit’s pulp to cook directly or eat it raw. It appears in many drinks, candies, sauces, and chutney.
However, besides being a great food ingredient, did you know it has some health benefits too? Well, if not, then it’s good you’re here because we’ve highlighted some of its interesting benefits below.
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Mitigation of Liver Injuries
Chronic inflammation in the human body can sometimes affect the liver. Tamarind extract has active procyanidins that can help counter free radical liver damage. The minerals found in this fruit, such as iron, selenium, manganese, nickel, and copper, can help your body defend itself against oxidative stress. Selenium, for instance, can help protect your liver’s lipid content from free radical attack. Early Signs And Symptoms Of Liver Disease or Problems
2. Lightening and Exfoliation of Skin
Some cultures have been known to use tamarind pulp to naturally scrub their skin. It helps promote lighter and smoother skin because it contains alpha-hydroxyl acids or AHAs. The alpha-hydroxyl acids in tamarind include malic acids, citric acids, and lactic acid, which help moisturize and hydrate the skin. 5 Home Remedies For Skin Pigmentation
3. Aiding Weight Management
Obesity is linked to kidney, liver, heart, and other metabolic disorders. Tamarind pulp has been known to increase HDL (good cholesterol) and decreases LDL (bad cholesterol). Furthermore, this fruit can also reduce fatty acid synthase (FAS) activity. Fatty acid synthase causes adipose tissue to form in the body.
4. Can Relieve Constipation and Stomach Ache
Traditionally, tamarind fruit was used as a laxative. Why? Because it has high levels of tartaric and malic acids. The fruit also has potassium bitartrate which can help relieve constipation.
Diarrhea and constipation typically result in abdominal pain. Tamarind root and bark extracts have proven they can be effective when it comes to treating stomach pain. Natural Remedies For Constipation
5. Can Help Promote Heart Health
Dried tamarind fruit pulp contains some anti-hypertensive effects. It’s been found that this pulp can help decrease diastolic blood pressure. The fruit also has an anti-atherosclerotic effect that can help drastically lower the chances of the clogging of arteries (atherosclerosis) in humans. Its anti-inflammatory features help it be able to do this effectively. Health: What Should You Do to Keep Your Heart Healthy?
6. Can Help Prevent Malaria
In traditional settings, the tamarind fruit played the role of a fever control medicine (a febrifuge). Some West African tribes used tamarind leaves to treat malaria. It also has a wide spectrum of antimicrobial features.
You can also use some tamarind extracts to help manage fevers caused by certain bacterial infections. The fruit’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties are what often play a huge role in such situations.
7. Can Help Manage Hyperglycemia and Diabetes
Inflammation of the body’s pancreatic cells is often one of the main causes of diabetes, especially the cells responsible for producing insulin. Since the fruit can impact the formation of pro-inflammatory chemicals such as TNF alpha, tamarind can help protect the pancreas gland from damage caused by inflammation.
Also, the fruit’s seeds can enhance the production of new cells (neogenesis) of pancreatic beta cells. This can help the body restore its ability to make the necessary amounts of insulin in someone who’s battling diabetes. Healthy Homemade Juice Recipes For Diabetics
Many parts of the world prize the tamarind tree and for good reason. Besides being an excellent ingredient for cooking and adding a bit of flavour to food, it also has numerous health benefits as you can see. If you didn’t have this fruit and its extract in your diet, hopefully, the benefits above are enough reasons for you to add it starting today.
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