Tamarind Nutrition Facts
According to the USDA, raw tamarind can provide energy (calories) along with essential minerals like potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, iron, sodium, and zinc. It also contains vitamin C, B-vitamins (niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, folate), and vitamin A and K.
Tamarind Benefits
The health benefits of tamarind are explained in greater detail below.
May Protect Heart Health
A study published in the Food and Chemical Toxicology journal has shown that tamarind may help in lowering LDL(bad) cholesterol. The fiber content in the sour fruit can help in scraping excess LDL cholesterol from the veins and arteries.
One more research published in 2013 found that the fruit pulp may exert its hypocholesterolemic effect by increasing cholesterol outflow, enhancing LDL cholesterol clearance, suppressing triglyceride accumulation, and inhibiting cholesterol biosynthesis. Moreover, it can also project light on the potential antioxidative effects of tamarind which can protect against high cholesterol.
While many studies show that tamarind can be helpful for heart health, a 2020 research suggests otherwise. It was a randomized controlled trial conducted on overweight humans who were given 20 g of tamarind pulp every day. The results of this study show that there were no significant changes in the body weight, serum lipid profile, blood glucose, and blood pressure of these patients. However, experts are trying to get a more detailed look into this by changing a few factors like the quantity of dose and duration of the trial
