Description

SPICY SOFT DRIED TAMARIND

Kentary spice dried tamarind is a pure natural food that is dried by high technology to create a great healthy snack.

Tamarind is a type of tropical fruit used in many dishes around the world. It may even have medicinal properties. Tamarind is a hardwood tree, known scientifically as Tamarindus indica. It’s native to Africa but also grows in India, Pakistan, and many other tropical regions. The tree produces bean-like pods filled with seeds surrounded by a fibrous pulp.

The pulp of the young fruit is green and sour. As it ripens, the juicy pulp becomes paste-like and more sweet-sour. Interestingly, tamarind is sometimes referred to as the “date of India.”

• Medicinal uses

  • Tamarind has played an important role in traditional medicine.
  • In beverage form, it was commonly used to treat diarrhea, constipation, fever, and malaria. The bark and leaves were also used to promote wound healing .
  • Modern researchers are now studying this plant for potential medicinal uses.
  • The polyphenols in tamarind have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. These can protect against diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes

• It is high in nutrients

Tamarind is high in many nutrients. A single cup (120 grams) of the pulp contains

• Magnesium: 26% of the daily value (DV)
• Potassium: 16% of the DV
• Iron: 19% of the DV
• Calcium: 7% of the DV
• Phosphorus: 11% of the DV
• Copper: 11% of the DV
• Vitamin B1 (thiamin): 43% of the DV
• Vitamin B2 (riboflavin): 14% of the DV
• Vitamin B3 (niacin): 15% of the DV

One study in hamsters with high cholesterol found that tamarind fruit extract lowered total cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and triglycerides

It has trace amounts of:

• vitamin
• vitamin K
• vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
• folate
• vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)
• selenium

It also contains 6 grams of fiber, 3 grams of protein, and less than 1 gram of fat. This comes with a total of 287 calories.

These calories almost all come from sugar — but whole fruits do typically contain a lot of natural sugar. Despite its sugar content, tamarind pulp is considered a fruit, not an added sugar.

Added sugar is the kind that’s linked to metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes, and it’s the kind of sugar that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that you limit.

It also contains polyphenols, which are naturally occurring plant compounds that have health benefits. Many of them act as antioxidants in the body.

1. Its antioxidants may boost heart health

   • This fruit may boost heart health in several ways.
   • It contains polyphenols like flavonoids, some of which can help regulate cholesterol levels.
   • One study in hamsters with high cholesterol found that tamarind fruit extract lowered total cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and triglycerides
   • Another animal study in vivo found that the antioxidants in this fruit can help reduce oxidative damage to LDL cholesterol, which is a key driver of heart disease.

1. It’s high in beneficial magnesium
   • Tamarind is also relatively high in magnesium.
   • One ounce (30 grams), or a little less than 1/4 cup of pulp, delivers 5% of the DV.
   • Magnesium has many health benefits and plays a role in more than 600 body functions. It can also help lower blood pressure and has anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic effects.
   • However, up to 20% of people in the United States do not get enough magnesium.

2. It may have antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial effects

   • Tamarind extract contains natural compounds that have antimicrobial effects.
   • In fact, studies show that this plant may have antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial activity .
   • It has also been used in traditional medicine to treat diseases like malaria.
   • A compound called lupeol is credited with tamarind’s antibacterial effects .

With many great uses, you should choose dried tamarind to make a daily snack