When you hear about ‘Imli’, the first thing that comes to your mind is it’s sour tart-like taste, that feels amazing to the taste-buds, right?
Imli, or Tamarind as known in English, comes from a tropical tree. This tree is native to Africa, but grows widely in Pakistan, India and other tropical regions.
The tree produces bean-like pods which are filled with seeds, surrounded by a fibrous pulp.
This pulp is green and sour, when the fruit is young. As it ripens, the juicy pulp becomes paste-like and more sweet-sour.
Before talking about how Tamarind provides you with immense benefits, let’s have a look at it’s nutrient content. A half cup serving of imli contains:
- Calories 143g
- Protein 2g
- Carbohydrates 38g
- Fats 0g
- Sugar 34g
Imli also provides 10% of vitamin B1 (Thiamine), vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), vitamin B3 (Niacin), potassium, magnesium, calcium, copper and iron.
Table of Contents
Tamarind Health Benefits
This delicious fruit has a ton of health benefits, which you must know about.
A Rich Source of Antioxidants
The pulp of imli is rich in vitamins that act as antioxidants. These vitamins act as a barrier against the free radicals that harm your body’s cells. They also reduce the oxidative stress, and prevent its inflammatory effect.
Anticancer Agent
Due to its rich antioxidants, imli acts as an anticancer agent. Research shows that pulp, seed, and leaf extract of imli are effective against lifestyle‐related chronic disorders e.g cancer, heart diseases.
Gut Friendly
Tamarind is used as a laxative because of its tartaric acid, malic acid, and potassium content. It has an amazing ability to relax abdominal muscles. That’s why it is also used as a remedy for diarrhea. The fruit is used to relieve constipation, the leaves provide treatment from diarrhea, and the root and bark can be consumed to alleviate abdominal pain.
Tamarind is solely a gut-friendly fruit, isn’t it?
Improves Eye Health
Tamarind is loaded with vitamin A, which is essential for maintaining your eye health. It lowers the risk of macular degeneration and age-related cataracts.
Boosts Immunity
Tamarind is a storehouse of vitamins and antioxidants, which cleanses the body from external and internal pollutants e.g free radicals, foreign germs. These vitamins trigger the enzymes that play a pivotal role in a smooth process of cleaning the body and keeping the immunity intact and powerful. Imli’s antiseptic properties help the body to heal any infection.
Good for Heart
Tamarind is a very heart-friendly fruit. It contains Flavonoids, which lowers the levels of cholesterol, and prevents the build-up of fats in the blood. It also has high potassium content which can help keep your blood pressure in check. It also contains iron that plays a vital role in the normal production and development of red blood cells, further keeping the blood circulation smooth.
That’s how imli benefits your heart and keeps it healthy and active.
Ideal for Diabetics
Imli Seed extracts are anti-inflammatory in nature. This property of imli stabilizes blood sugar levels and reverses the damage of the pancreatic tissue. That’s why it’s an ideal fruit for diabetes.
Tamarind Benefits Sexually
Tamarind has great benefits sexually for both males and females. It is rich in vitamin C which helps improve the quality of sperm in men, by increasing its lifespan.
The magnesium and vitamin B6 in imli is beneficial for females. It provides vitality to the reproductive organs, and boosts female fertility.
Tamarind Benefits For Breast
Eating sour things like tamarind, orange, and other fruits helps increase breast size. It is recommended to take 4-5 imli pieces after breakfast. It will enhance the female beauty and give a young look.
Benefits of Tamarind Juice
Say hello to summers with the tangy, sour-sweet juice of Imli and Aloo-Bukhara. Simply refreshing and purely cool.
The great thing is, you can easily make this cool Sherbet at home. Simply soak the Imli and dried plums in water, and strain the juice 2 hours later. To enhance and elevate the taste, you can add a touch of cumin seeds, along with salt/pink salt.
The benefits of tamarind juice are many. Let’s have a look at some of them:
Promotes a Healthy Weight Loss
It helps promote a healthy weight loss. Imli has one of the most important compounds known as hydroxycitric acid (HCA). It is connected to weight loss as it inhibits an enzyme in the body that specifically helps store fat.
Due to it’s high fiber content, it helps to keep you full for longer, preventing binge-eating.
Provides a Cooling Effect
Imli AlooBukhara juice has a cooling effect. It soothes your body temperature and provides relief from extreme heat. That’s why it is used mostly in tropical regions to avoid sunstroke. It’s rich in magnesium which provides coolness at night and maintains a good night’s sleep.
Anti-inflammatory in Nature
Imli juice is anti-inflammatory in nature. It is useful to cure a sore throat. Gargle with tamarind juice to reduce the pain and soothe a sore throat. It can also be applied on to the joints to soothe inflammation and pain.
Skin Health
Imli juice is amazing for your skin health. It treats the burns on the skin. You can apply the tamarind juice on your skin to maintain its glow and health. It also reduces the chickenpox scars left on your skin. It has such enzymes that help remove the dead skin cells. You can even use the tamarind juice as a body scrub during shower.
Side Effects of Imli
You should exercise caution when eating anything, and always take moderate amounts of any food. Imli can have some side effects as well, when consumed in large amounts:
- It can cause lead poisoning, which impacts the functioning of kidneys and nervous system
- Children and pregnant women should avoid eating too much imli
- If you’re on anti-diabetic medication, eat little amounts of imli
- Using overexposure tamarind seed powder is associated with coughing, causing chronic lung problems
- Imli has a lot of sugar, so avoid using it in large amounts
A Last Word!
Tamarind is generally safe as imli benefits in many ways. Its leaves, fruit, seeds, bark, stems, branches, and flowers are used for health benefits. The minerals, vitamins, sugars, and other phytonutrients make tamarind an excellent fruit you cannot miss.If you want to know more about imli and its health benefits, make sure to consult a well-known nutritionist in Lahore to make an informed decision to add this fruit in your life. You can book an appointment via Healthwire.pk or you can call at (042) 32500989.
