Surprising Health Benefits & Side Effects Of Tamarind

Sweet, tart or tangy, we love eating tamarind in it's many forms. In fact, a lot of our childhood memories linger over consuming this fruit with a hint of sugar & salt. Similarly, tamarind is used across our kitchens to make tangy sauces, stews, curries, soups & more. However, did you know that this tangy fruit helps improve digestion as well a good source of dietary fiber & anti oxidants? We bet not. So, today let's look at a few surprising health benefits & side effects of tamarind.

Aids digestion:

Just like bananas, tamarind is a good source of potassium & acts as a mild natural laxative. Because of this, it can be used to treat constipation. Tamarind leaves can be infused with warm water & consumed to treat diarrhea too. Studies show that people suffering from constipation will benefit highly from consuming tamarind. However, do take care to introduce smalls amounts in your daily cooking to exercise caution & rule out allergies, if any. 

Also read: Easy Potassium Rich Banana Recipes

Rich source of anti-oxidants:

A rich source of anti-oxidants, consuming tamarind helps reduce oxidative stress caused by free radicals. In addition, antioxidants help reduce inflammation in the body that lead to minor infections. 

Helps Clear & Tone Complexion:

Did you know that tamarind helps mildly exfoliate you skin & lighten the skin tone? Moreover, the Vitamin A present is highly beneficial for the skin too. The Alpha hydroxy acids (AHA) present act as a mild exfoliant, helping slough away dead cells & tighten the skin. However, do a small patch test before applying organic tamarind pulp to facial skin. Make a facial mask with freshly extracted tamarind pulp & honey. Apply all over your facial skin, keep for 10-15 minutes. Finally, wash off with lukewarm water, follow up with a mild toner. This facial mask helps achieve a blemish free skin & lighten complexion. Now, did you know these interesting tamarind benefits for skin ?

Also read: Green Tea Face Masks That Really Work

Beneficial for the liver:

As mentioned above, the anti oxidants present help combat free radicals damage, reducing the stress on liver functions. Moreover, this tangy fruit also contains Niacin (B3) that helps keep the liver healthy. It also helps reduce accumulation of fat in the liver. Now aren't these a surprising tamarind benefit for liver?

Helps reduce High Blood pressure:

Since tamarind is rich in potassium, it helps balance high blood pressure levels. Also the low sodium levels in tamarind make.it a good choice in your daily cooking. 

Side effects or disadvantages of tamarind:

In summary, even though there are many health benefits of tamarind, do exercise caution before consuming copious amounts. A few studies show that, tamarind pulp may cause irritation to some when consumed. It also may increase tooth sensitivity in few.

We source authentic organic tamarind from Kerala Farms. To order yours, write to us on contactwickedspoon@gmail.com