Nutritional Boons of 90’s Kids Favourite Tamarind Fruits (Puliankai)!

Tamarind! This also called Puliangai in tamil makes me flooded with my childhood memories. On 2005’s hot summer,we usually used to roam in the roads while our moms were busy cooking in the kitchens. We walk and walk to reach a biiiggggg tamarind tree in our neighborhood.

After finally reaching the destination, we used to pick up the not-so-raw and ripen tamarinds fallen on the ground and break their outer shells.

And yummm! There comes my mouth drooling tamarind fruit hidden inside the shell. We eat them much but the worst thing is that we couldn’t stop eating them. These fruits keeps tempting us so that we will carry some to home to give our younger cousins who are not allowed to leave the home with us.

The most funniest thing is that, we felt like we have achieved something after giving these yummy fruits to our baby cousins.

And we are the ones who  have grown up to check out the latest movies in Dolby Atmos theatres holding a big popcorn bucket in our hand and eating one by one. I don’t think popcorns could win over these mouth drooling tamarind fruits. Do you think so?

Those were the happy days where we used to keep ourselves happy by playing in the roads and satisfying ourselves with these snacks like tamarind, candy floss and Kulfi icecreams.

Okay! There I am again speaking blah blah.. Do you know that these addictive habits have done good to us? Here I am to get you straight into the mind blowing benefits of tamarind fruit!

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About Tamarind

• It is a hardwood tree. The scientific name of tamarind is Tamarindus Indica.
• The tree produces bean like pods containing seeds surrounded by fibrous pulp.
• The tamarind fruit is best known for sweet and sour taste.
• Tamarind’s tender leaves are used in Indian cuisine especially in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
• The pulp is also used as traditional medicine and metal polish.Today, India is the largest producer of tamarind. It is high in tartaric acid, sugar, B vitamins and calcium.

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Nutritional Benefits Of Tamarind

1. Can Exfoliate And Lighten Your Skin Tone

The pulp  of tamarind fruit has been used as skin scrub since olden days. The presence of alpha hydroxy acids which contain tartaric acid, citric acid and malic acid along with sugar and pectin exfoliates, hydrates and moisturizes your skin.

The seed extract was massaged on the skin twice a day on their cheeks for 12 weeks. Researchers told that there was a relative decrease in melanin content and eliminated free radicals in their body.

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2. Reduce Diabetes

In a diabetic study done on rats, researchers concluded that tamarind brought down the sugar levels down.The seeds of the tamarind fruit can boost up the production of new pancreatic beta cells.This may restore the ability to produce essential insulin for the body.

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3. Anti Inflammatory Capacity

Lupeol, found in tamarind leaves possesses anti inflammatory and anti cancer properties according to a study done at University of  Wisconsin Madison.

The essential oil in tamarind has a number of anti inflammatory capabilities including arthritis, rheumatic conditions and gout.
It also reduce eye irritation conditions like conjunctivitis also known as pink eye.

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4. Boosts Immunity

The enormous levels of antioxidants and high levels of vitamin C boosts up the immune system fighting against microbial infections.

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5. Weight Loss Management

A study published in scientia pharmaceutica journal concludes that tamarind water extract reduces obesity.

Trypsin inhibitors found in tamarind water help to reduce hunger. This protein has been known to supress the appetite by increasing the serotinin levels.Tamarind extracts shows promising signs as a weight loss supplement.

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6. Tamarind Against Constipation

In folk medicine, the laxative effects of tamarind are pretty well known.The most essential content of tartaric acid, potassium and dietery fiber promotes defecation in people with chronic constipation.

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9. Treats Diarrhoea As Well

The leaves of tamarind plants are used as infusions to treat diarroea.

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10. Improves Your Cardiovascular Health

The fruit is very rich in flavunoids and polyphenols which are excellent for controlling the levels of good and bad cholesterol. Their seeds show a modulatory effect on the immune system by controlling the cholesterol levels and reducing the risk of developing a cardiovascular disease.

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11. Detoxifies Liver

Tamarind can be added in regular food in case of liver toxicity induced by alcohol or non-alcoholic fatty liver conditions.It’s advisable not to eat them with refined sugar and allergens like glutens.Tamarind has a crucial role in detoxification and digestion.

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Reference Links:

• https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/tamarind
• www.meditativemind.com
• www.femina.com
• https://loveisinmytummy.com/2016/08/using-and-storing-tamarind.html
• www.organicfacts.com
• Wikipedia -tamarind

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