Tamarind is one of the most popular kitchen staples in Nigerian cuisine. How to eat tamarind? This fruit is used as a seasoning, as a condiment, and tamarind beans also have numerous uses. However, tamarind benefits go far beyond cooking, as there is a lot this humble fruit can do for your health and beauty. Check out the most essential tamarind fruit benefits!
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1. Weight loss
Anyone who wants to lose a couple of kilos should know that tamarind benefits weight loss in a major way. Using tamarind for weight loss mostly means consuming the fruit, as it has a 0% fat content and plenty of dietary fiber, which improves your metabolism and sets your body on a weight loss journey. The hydroxycitric acid contained in tamarind can also lower your appetite.
2. High blood pressure
Tamarind and high blood pressure are two things that go hand in hand. Hypertension patients are using tamarind for its two most essential heart health properties. First, the high potassium count of tamarind is very good for the whole cardiovascular system. Second, the fiber of tamarind has proven to lower the bad cholesterol levels, thus normalizing the blood pressure.
3. Digestion
Digestive issues are very common nowadays, and this is where benefits of tamarind juice can help you. Tamarind fruit and the juice extracted from it are very rich in potassium, tartaric acid, and malic acid. These nutrients have a wide range of uses in medicine, from treating diarrhea and constipation to preventing peptic ulcers.
4. Pregnancy
Pregnancy is a wonderful time in a woman’s life, but this period in life is often associated with unpleasant symptoms like nausea, constipation, and colds. The benefits of tamarind during pregnancy include gradual alleviation of all those symptoms as well as supplying your body with potassium, iron, and other valuable nutrients for the development of the baby.
5. Infertility
Today many couples are having trouble trying to conceive a baby, and in many cases, the reason is the man’s fertility issues. Take advantage of tamarind health benefits for men and use both tamarind seeds and fruit to improve the sperm count and get rid of other fertility issues that prevent you from becoming a father. Fertility uses of tamarind have been known since the early days.
6. Blood circulation
Blood circulation is a vital process in our bodies that helps distribute oxygen to every part and organ. There are many things that can stand in the way of normal blood circulation, but, luckily, tamarind health benefits are here to help. Thanks to the high iron content, tamarind boosts the blood circulation process, treating anemia and helping every part of your body function better.
7. Skin
Tamarind for skin has a number of popular uses. First, beauticians claim that with tamarind skin lightening becomes faster and more effective – to do it, you’ll need to turn tamarind into a paste, mix it with turmeric, and apply it to your face for 15 minutes twice a week. Second, without tamarind skincare wouldn’t have a fantastic natural exfoliator. Mix tamarind paste with coarse salt and yogurt and gently rub it on your face to get rid of dead skin cells and grease.
8. Hair
Tamarind for hair can be used in a number of ways, but hairstylists swear by two of them. First, tamarind juice applied to the hair helps prevent hair loss and promote hair growth – to improve the effect, wrap the hair soaked in tamarind juice with a wet hot towel and leave for 30 minutes. Second, use tamarind paste mixed with buttermilk and vegetable oil to normalize oily scalp skin.
9. Tamarind side effects
Now you know about the many health benefits of tamarind juice, fruit, and seeds, but are there any side effects you need to worry about? Yes, there are certain side effects that can happen in rare cases or due to overconsumption of tamarind:
- The acid in tamarind can be damaging to tooth enamel
- The same acid often causes acid reflux, especially during pregnancy
- Tamarind juice can act as a laxative
- Tamarind shouldn’t be consumed together with drugs like aspirin and blood thinners due to the risk of bleeding
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