Tamarind is a leguminous tree bearing edible fruit. The tamarind tree produces brown pod-like fruits with a sweet and tangy taste, and can be eaten raw or cooked.
This fruit is believed to come with many health benefits as well, from boosting immunity to keeping the liver and heart strong.
When it comes to nutritional value, tamarind is considered to contain six grams of fibre, 3 grams of protein, and less than 1 gram of fat. This comes with a total of 287 calories. These calories, however, all come from natural sugar that is not considered harmful to one’s health, nutritionists say.
Erick Musengimana, a nutritionist at Rwanda Diabetes Association in Kigali, says this particular fruit is known to be rich in magnesium.
He says magnesium plays a role in more than 600 body functions, and can help lower blood pressure. It also has anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic effects and contains amino acids, the building blocks of protein.
"Amino acids are known for their role in body growth and tissue repair. Generally, the body can’t synthesise them, meaning that people must get them from food, and one of the foods that provide numerous amino acids is tamarind.
"When it comes to weight management, tamarind fruit is known to help maintain or lose weight, when consumed regularly,” Musengimana says.
He goes on to explain that this is so because tamarind contains fibre with no fat content.
Musengimana says studies suggest that eating tamarind daily might actually help in weight reduction since it contains flavonoids and polyphenols.
In addition to this, tamarind is loaded with hydroxycitric acid, which reduces one’s appetite by inhibiting amylase (an enzyme responsible for converting carbohydrates into fat).
When it comes to disease prevention, tamarind is said to have properties that help keep some ailments at bay, due to the rich presence of polyphenolic compounds in the fruit. Eating it can help fight peptic ulcers, which normally appear in the lining of the stomach and small intestine.
Musengimana says tamarind seed extracts are anti-inflammatory in nature, and are even said to stabilise blood sugar levels and reverse the damage of the pancreatic tissue for those suffering from diabetes.
Also, the enzyme alpha-amylase which is proven to reduce blood sugar levels can also be found in tamarind.
Studies have established that it can help indigestion. Because of its potassium content, the fruit has the ability to relax abdominal muscles, therefore, used as a remedy for diarrhoea.
While the fruit is used to relieve constipation, the leaves provide treatment for diarrhoea, and the root and bark can be consumed to alleviate abdominal pain.
Tamarind also helps in alleviating allergic asthma and cough because of its antihistaminic properties. It’s also a rich source of vitamin C and can boost the immune system to prevent cold and cough.