Tamarind Fruit: Uses & Health Benefits of Tamarind

Check the easy ways to include tamarind in your diet to enjoy its benefits

Tamarind is a sweet sour candy-like fruit that is enjoyed around the world. The tamarind tree is popular around the world for its beauty and its fruit. Tamarinds are leguminous trees that bear fruit in the form of a bean-like pod. Tamarind is eaten raw and its pulp is also used in cooking.

The leaves, beans, bark, and wood of the tamarind tree have a wide variety of uses and they are used in making chutneys, sauces, candies, and drinks. They have been used as traditional medicine for years and have various nutrients like potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin B1, and vitamin B3. Let's have a quick look at the health benefits of tamarind.

Health Benefits & Uses Of Tamarind 

• Improves tissue health- Tamarind contains high amounts of amino acids that are the building blocks of protein and are required for the body to grow and repair tissues. A few amino acids can only be gotten through food and tamarind is the food for that. Tamarind contains significant amounts of all the essential amino acids except tryptophan. According to the World Health Organization, tamarind gives the required amount of protein for the other amino acids.

• Reduces the Risk of Cancer- Research proves that tamarind has a high quantity of antioxidants that make it an ideal food for reducing the risk of cancer. Antioxidants can prevent free radicals from damaging cell DNA thus protecting the body from the cancer cells that begin with harming the DNA. Tamarind is rich in several phytochemicals like beta-carotene that have a few properties of antioxidants.  

• Improves Brain Health- The category of B vitamins contains eight different vitamins that have similar functions and all these vitamins are water-soluble so the body doesn't store them. It is important that the body gets enough of these vitamins through foods instead of supplements. The entire range of B vitamins is essential for good health and improves brain health and the functioning of the nervous system. Tamarind is rich in B vitamins, especially thiamine and folate.

• Improves Bone Health- Tamarind is a rich source of magnesium and also contains more calcium than other plant-based foods. Magnesium is more important to improve bone density, especially for teens and those over 70. The combination of these two minerals along with the weight-bearing exercise can prevent osteoporosis and bone fractures.