Tamarind 101: 14 Amazing Health Benefits of Tamarind
More often than not, tamarind is used by deseeding the fruit and the pulp layer first and then extracted before it is used in a dish. It is also used for cleaning copper vessels, especially brass items. Although tamarind has many uses, they are still not known to many. Its scientific name is Tamarindus indica, which originates from Africa, but can be found in nearly most continents nowadays. Tamarind comes with various health benefits, some of which are listed below:
1) Nutrition
Tamarind contains more nutrients per serving than most food items and contains high amounts of sodium, potassium, and thiamine, magnesium, iron, and phosphorous. It provides you with all the essential nutrients, and in some cases, provide you with enough nutrients to meet your daily nutrient dosage requirement.
It also contains niacin, which can help prevent cancer and strokes. Aside from niacin, it also contains vitamin C, calcium, copper, and pyridoxine or vitamin B6. It is certainly packed with all the nutrients and minerals that your body requires, which is why drinking tamarind extract juice is considered to do wonders for your body.
2) Amazing skin benefits
Tamarind has a higher percentage of nutrients per serving along with an ultra high mineral content. Apart from this, this fruit offers amazing skin benefits. Loaded with thymine, as well as alpha hydroxy acids or AHAs, the tamarind is quite effective as an exfoliating agent and manages to lighten your skin tone.
All you have to do is to presoak the tamarind for a few minutes, extract the pulp, and then mix it with honey and lemon before applying the mixture to your face. Leave it on for 15 minutes before washing it off. This should help lighten your skin tone as well as get rid of the dust and grime. Similarly, you can try the same but also use a little turmeric powder as well for additional benefits.
3) Prevents hair loss
Tamarind is known to inhibit and lessen hair loss. If you have been worrying about hair loss, then you may want to try the following procedure for immediate effect:
- You will need to presoak the tamarind in tepid and warm water for a while and then extract about 15 grams of pulp from it.
- Once you have extracted the pulp from the fruit, add a few drops of water and spread the paste over your head.
- Cover your head with a wet towel and leave it on for half an hour.
- After which, you can go ahead and rinse your hair and scalp.
- Use your usual shampoo and rinse off your hair thoroughly.
You will find that this method not only works but is quite effective in preventing hair loss.
It also helps treat oily and greasy scalp. So if you happen to suffer from the same conditions, and feel embarrassed to even head out, then you need to try out the following method:
- Take some tamarind extract and mix it with buttermilk and olive oil.
- Apply the mixture to your hair (the mixture may be a little bit runny).
- Allow it to stay on for half an hour and then shampoo and rinse.
This should take care of your greasy scalp and you should be able to start noticing the effects right away.
4) Eliminates cellulite
If you were looking for a natural exfoliating agent, then tamarind is what you need. Try the following recipe and use it as often as required. You will find that it is quite effective in removing cellulite and dead skin cells from your body.
- First, presoak some tamarind and take 2 teaspoons of its extract.
- Add sugar, lemon juice, and a pinch of baking soda to the extract and mix it well.
- Apply the paste to your skin and massage it in gentle circular motions to eliminate cellulite from your body.
Try this recipe as often as you need to when it comes to exfoliating your skin. It will leave you looking refreshed with great skin tone and lesser cellulite. Additionally, tamarind can also be used as a hydrating and natural skin toning agent. Just use tamarind water along with some green tea and apply it directly to the dry patches on your skin. That should do wonders and get rid of the dry, patchy, and scaly skin altogether.
5) Fantastic anti-aging properties
The tamarind is packed with antioxidants, which eliminate free radicals from your body as well as repairing skin damage as a result of overexposure to the sun and other elements. Try this mixture for some immediate relief and start feeling the effects right away:
- Presoak some tamarind and get about 2 tablespoons of its extract.
- Add 1 tablespoon of gram flour, 1 teaspoon of semolina, and 1 teaspoon of honey.
- Mix it well and apply the mixture to your face for 10 minutes before washing it off.
This should leave you looking fresh and with better skin tone. It will make you look younger due to the high amounts of antioxidants contained in the tamarind.
6) Eliminates pigmentation
Tamarind contains high amounts of alpha hydroxy acids or ADHs that act as anti-blemish and anti-pigmentation agents. Just apply a pack of tamarind to your face daily and leave it on for 15 minutes. After which, you should be able to see the visible effects of tamarind as it helps to eliminate any pigmentation and blemishes on your skin. Moreover, it should help nourish your skin, leaving you looking radiant.
7) Helps cure acne
Seeing how tamarind can help prevent blemishes and help reduce pigmentation on your skin, it should not come as a surprise that it can also help eliminate acne as well. Hence, if you have acne and that none of the over-the-counter products are that effective in controlling breakouts, then you try this tamarind recipe to reduce and eliminate acne from your skin:
- Presoak the tamarind and extract some of its pulp.
- Add some yoghurt and a pinch of turmeric powder to the tamarind extract.
- Mix it well and apply it directly to the affected parts of your face.
- Leave it on for half an hour or until it completely dries off.
You will find that the tamarind mixture is quite effective in reducing and eliminating acne, as well as any other skin blemishes on your face.
Since tamarind contains high amounts of vitamin C along with its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, you will find that tamarind is quite effective in managing acne breakouts.
8) Helps eliminate dark patches on the skin
If you find that you have dark patches on your skin, neck, or worse, on your face, you could be developing this dark pigmentation due to various reasons. It could be due to your current diet or overexposure to the sun. However, with the high antioxidant properties of tamarind, you should be able to reduce and eliminate dark discolorations on your skin using a tamarind paste. Here's how to make the paste:
- Presoak some tamarind and get some of its extracts.
- Next, add honey and rosewater to the extract.
- Mix it thoroughly so that it turns into a paste.
- Apply the paste on the areas of your skin with dark patches.
- Wash it off after 20 minutes.
The tamarind face mask should help you eliminate those dark patches once and for all.
9) Antiseptic
Due to the presence of tannins, terpenoids, and citric acid, tamarind acts as a natural antiseptic and is perfect for small cuts and bruises from your day-to-day activities. Apart from being an antiseptic, the tamarind has high antimicrobial properties. It even helps prevent infections as well as limits and inhibits the growth of harmful microorganisms.
- Presoak some tamarind and get some extract from it.
- Apply the tamarind extract directly onto the affected area.
It should work as an effective antiseptic that prevents any type of wound from getting infected. Moreover, if you happen to suffer from fungal or bacterial infections, then apply tamarind extract to the affected area to limit further infection.
10) Aids in weight loss
Tamarind contains large amounts of hydroxycitric acid, which actually prevents your body from storing excessive fat. That is why using tamarind in your food on a regular basis can actually enable you to lose weight as it limits your appetite while leaving you feeling full for a while. It manages to curb your appetite by enabling your body to produce serotonin, resulting in weight loss over a period of time.
11) Rich in dietary fiber
Tamarind is rich in soluble dietary fiber. For this reason, tamarind is beneficial for your health. Try to include tamarind in your regular diet, since it can help eliminate free radicals from your body. Apart from this, the dietary fiber in tamarind should help improve your cardiovascular health. It also aids in digestion, increases your nutrient absorption rate, and even helps reduce the risks of cancer and stroke.
Tamarind can also be used as a morning sickness remedy in pregnant women. Consuming tamarind can actually help lessen the effects of morning sickness including nausea.
12) Promotes healthy liver
Tamarind supports good liver function and helps treat bilious disorders. It aids in the adequate production and regulation of bile, which will enable you to digest foods properly and increase your nutrient absorption rate. Thus, tamarind can help your body easily absorb more nutrients.
13) Helps prevent heart attacks
Tamarind is a rich source of dietary fiber and manages to lessen high cholesterol levels in your body, thereby boosting your overall cardiovascular health. Aside from regulating blood pressure levels, tamarind also prevents cardiac problems by collecting excess bad cholesterol (LDL) as well as normalizes triglyceride levels in the body.
Tamarind extract can be incorporated into various food items with ease and can be a great perfect flavoring agent to different food recipes.
14) Aids in normal nerve function
Another essential vitamin that you can get from tamarind is vitamin B complex. Tamarind contains high amounts of vitamin B1 or thiamine, which is responsible for the normal functioning of your nerves as well as helps build strong muscles. Thus, when you regularly include tamarind in your diet, you remain active and strong with good reflexes.
You can consume tamarind extracts according to your needs, but keep in mind that before taking tamarind, make sure that you talk with your doctor first. It is important that you never self-medicate to avoid further health complications.
