Received this very useful article regarding Imli or Tamarind over the Living Without Medicine Whatsapp group and sharing it here.
Tamarind – Health Benefits
Tamarind has plethora of health benefits from reducing body inflammation to boosting respiratory health, strengthening the immune system to improving cardiovascular health, lowering cholesterol to healing skin conditions, preventing cancer to treating piles, the benefits are endless. Unlike many herbs, it has a delicious taste and can be used for both culinary as well as medicinal purposes. This fruit has juicy pulp wrapped in a thin brown shell.
Apart from many organic compounds, some of the beneficial components present in this sticky natural food include calcium, dietary fiber, vitamin E, vitamin B, iron, vitamin C and much more.
Some of the health benefits of tamarind are mentioned below:
Digestive health: Due to its high fiber content, tamarind acts as a natural laxative. It is believed that tamarind increases the efficiency of the digestive system. The fiber can bulk up the stool by easing its movement through the intestinal tract. It has the capability to stimulate bile activity that results in dissolving the food faster and stimulate gastric juice. Studies have shown that tamarind can be extremely useful for patients suffering from diarrhea and chronic constipation.
Cardiovascular health: Several studies have proved that tamarind is a great agent when it comes to reducing the blood cholesterol and blood pressure. The fiber content of the tamarind can filter out the LDL cholesterol from the arteries and the veins. The potassium content can reduce the blood pressure. Vitamin C present in tamarind can reduce the dangerous effect of the free radicals. The pulp of 2-3 tamarind seeds can be taken daily as this helps in to maintain cardiovascular health.
Blood circulation: Being a very good source of iron, a single serving of tamarind can cover up to 10 percent of the body’s iron requirement. A constant supply of iron is necessary for the body to keep up the production of RBC and proper oxygenation of all the organs of the body. Iron deficiency can create conditions such as fatigue, cognitive disorders, anemia, stomach related disorders, headaches etc.
Weight Loss: Hydroxycitric Acid can be extracted from tamarind. The latter is a unique compound that greatly helps in reducing weight. Furthermore, tamarind can suppress hunger by increasing the count of serotonin enzymein the body. While there are several types of research going on the effect of tamarind on weight loss, it is a key driver of weight loss in one way or the other.
Nerve Function: Tamarind contains B complex and Thiamine is one of the key components of the vitamin family. Thiamine improves the function of the nerve, development of the muscle, activeness of the body, reflexive action of the nerve and so on. A daily serving of the pulp of 2 tamarind seeds a day can greatly help an individual maintain the nerve function.
By R Naidu
Imli or Puli (Tamil) is also an effective and inexpensive Vegetable and Fruit wash !!
Do read this article – Why to Buy Vegetable & Fruit Wash when you have Tamarind at Home?
An excerpt from the article above – “….apart from giving your food a burst of flavour, tamarind also comes with a host of cleansing properties as this sour fruit is rich in Tartaric Acid. It takes away the fertilizers and chemicals without altering the nutritional content of vegetables and fruits.
All you need to do is to prepare Tamarind water or ‘Imli ka Pani’, which is found out to be very effective in removing the external pesticide residue present in vegetables like spinach, green chilies, curry leaves, ladies finger, snake gourds and brinjals by up to even 95%.”
As a Utensil cleaner
Imli works its magic on Copper and Bronze vessels. Clean copper vessels with just Imli and they shine. For Bronze and Brass utensils use Imli and rock salt to get the golden sheen. You don’t even have to use fresh Imli, just the leftover rind will do.
No wonder Imli is used extensively in Indian food. Now armed with this additional information about this humble fruit you can enjoy the Sweet Saunth, Sambar or Rasam even more.
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