NaturalSociety March 23 2014
Tamarind, or Tamarindus indica L., is a sub tropical and tropical fruit-producing tree indigenous to tropical Africa. It has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for gastric distress as well as to boost cardiovascular health, but the fruit’s medicinal values extend beyond those benefits. Tamarind health benefits should be known by all.
The tamarind fruit is a long, bean-shaped fruit that encloses a stringy pulp within its casing. It can be eaten or made into a healing paste or salve in order to receive its multiple benefits. In Eastern Asia, fruit of the tamarind has been used as a poultice applied to foreheads of those with fevers.
“Tamarindus indica has broad spectrum antibacterial activity and a potential source of new classes of antibiotics that could be useful for infectious disease chemotherapy and control.”
Other research indicates that ingesting tamarind could even help your body to detox fluoride, and subsequently helps to protect against skeletal fluorosis by enhancing excretion of fluoride.
“Fluoride is a serious health hazard across several nations, and chronic intake of fluoride deranges the carbohydrate, lipid and antioxidant metabolism in general. As there are limited remedial measures to prevent fluorosis, we investigated the role of tamarind leaf as a food supplement in restoration of carbohydrate, lipid and antioxidant metabolism in fluoride-exposed albino rats…These findings are significant in view of the need for cost-effective approaches to tackle fluorosis as an environmental hazard and use of food supplements as ameliorative measures.”
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10 Tamarind Health Benefits
Here are ten great uses for this interesting fruit:
- When you are experiencing constipation or irregular bowels, you can grind up the pulp from tamarind pods and consume them. Just a few tablespoons will improve bowel functioning.
- Tamarind leaves made into a tea can reduce fevers induced by malaria.
- Tamarind helps to reduce acidity in the body and improves the functioning of liver bile.
- Can treat dysentery.
- Tamarind is extremely high in Vitamin C, an antioxidant so powerful that high doses can save your life. There are numerous ways to determine if you are Vitamin C deficient, and tamarind is a great food to add to your diet to combat that deficiency.
- Tamarind lowers LDL cholesterol levels and promotes cardiovascular health.
- A decoction of tamarind leaves can destroy intestinal worms in children.
- It treats jaundice.
- The fruit helps reduce inflammation of the skin and can be very beneficial for rashes and eruptions.
- Tamarind is full of antioxidants, including phenols, and naringenin that can help treat certain forms of cancer.
Each 100 grams of tamarind contain contain 36% of the daily recommended value in thiamin, 35% of iron, 23% of magnesium, and 16% of phosphorus. The fruit also contains fiber, copper calcium, vitamin C, niacin, and pyridoxine.
Experience tamarind health benefits today.
Additional Sources
- HealthLine
Read more: http://naturalsociety.com/10-health-benefits-tropical-tamarind/#ixzz2x5xtKfhc
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Where can you purchase tamarind?
Down here in NC you can go to the Mexican specialty isle in most grocery stores and find cans of pure tamarind juice. I also did a quick Google search and located tamarind paste here. G