What is tamarind and how is it consumed?

Tamarind is a delicious sweet and sour fruit that has a wide variety of uses, both medicinal and culinary. It is an evergreen plant. This pod-like fruit is a sticky, fleshy, juicy pulp with tamarind fruit inside. It is generally consumed with love because it is both sweet and sour. The most curious subjects in this regard are the questions of what tamarind is and how to consume it. Here are the details…

How to consume tamarind?
It can be consumed as a raw fruit added to desserts after it is fully ripened or dried and turned into a spice. Tamarind is often used in jams and sauces and is even made into dried and processed sugars in some parts of the world. Tamarind is always used in soups and dishes in Asia and South America because of the health benefits it contains.

Where does tamarind grow?
The tamarind tree is native to the tropical regions of Africa, particularly Sudan, but its cultivation has spread to nearly all tropical regions of the world because it is a useful, desirable and unique source of flavor. It has been cultivated for thousands of years and is thought to have made its way to Asia 5,000 years ago. Until 500 years ago, it had made its way to the Americas through Spanish explorers. In the production and consumption of tamarind, South America and Mexico take the first place in the list.

Nutritional values of tamarind
Tamarind is one of the valuable products in the world because of its nutritional components. These include vitamins C, E and B, calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, manganese, and dietary fiber. It also contains organic compounds that make tamarind a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent.

What are the benefits of tamarind?

improves digestion
Because tamarind contains a high amount of dietary fiber, it is considered a natural laxative. Eating tamarind as a fruit or spice can improve the efficiency of your digestive system, while the fiber can bulk up your stool so it can pass easily through the smooth muscles of the intestinal tract. Tamarind is also a wise ingredient, which means it stimulates bile activity, which can help dissolve nutrients faster, and fiber stimulates gastric juices to speed up digestion.

All of this together makes it a powerful laxative if you're suffering from chronic constipation and things go faster through your digestive system. but tamarind can strangely reduce loose stools due to its fiber content. Studies have shown that it is also good for chronic diarrhea.

Protects heart health
Studies on tamarind have shown it to be effective in reducing blood pressure and cholesterol. The fiber content in tamarind has something to do with cholesterol reduction, as it is known to remove excess LDL cholesterol from veins and arteries. The potassium in tamarind may be responsible for the reduction in blood pressure because it is known as a vasodilator, which reduces stress on the cardiovascular system. The impressive level of vitamin C in tamarind also has something to do with it. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that can reduce the effect of free radicals. It helps to eliminate heart-related health problems.

Increases circulation
A single serving of tamarind meets more than 10 percent of your daily vitamin and mineral needs. A healthy supply of iron in the body ensures proper red blood cell count inside the body, which ensures the proper functioning of different muscles and organs. Also, iron deficiency causes anemia, which is characterized by weakness, fatigue, headaches, cognitive disorders and stomach problems. To treat anemia, you need to eat lots of tamarind.

Improves Nerve Function
One of the most important vitamins in tamarind is the B complex. An important part of the B vitamin family, tamarind helps to improve nerve functions. Tamarind is responsible for improving muscle development as well as nerve function, which can help you stay active, maintain your reflexes and stay strong.

weight loss
One of the unique compounds that can be obtained as tamarind or used as a spice contains hydroxycitric acid (HCA). HCA is linked to weight loss because it has been shown to inhibit an enzyme in the body that specifically helps store fat. Also, tamarind is known to suppress appetite by increasing the neurotransmitter serotonin. Research in these areas is still ongoing, but it is known to show impressive results in weight loss.

Boosts Immunity
The high amount of vitamin C and other antioxidant effects in tamarind help to strengthen the immune system and protect it from other microbial and fungal diseases. It also reduces the formation of parasites in the body due to its antiseptic and antimicrobial effects. It has been linked to the elimination of intestinal worms in children, especially in tropical regions where tamarind is cultivated.

Makes the liver 20 years younger

At the same time, tamarind is a very useful food for liver diseases. Cures prepared with tamarind are said to rejuvenate the liver by 20 years.

Tamarind cure recipe that rejuvenates the liver

100 gr. The tamarind is poured into 1 liter of water and boiled. After straining, drink 1 glass in the morning and evening. Tamarind is very good at removing fat from your liver and can help treat almost any liver problem. (Source: Milliyet )