Tamarind builds the body’s defence system
Aug 24, 2007
GOOD health comes to those who eat well and if you know better, you would have the tamarind fruit (mukoge – Luganda, mkwaju – Swahili, cwa in Luo) as one of your favourites. Not only is it nutritious, it is also medicinal in nature.
By Rehema Aanyu
GOOD health comes to those who eat well and if you know better, you would have the tamarind fruit (mukoge – Luganda, mkwaju – Swahili, cwa in Luo) as one of your favourites. Not only is it nutritious, it is also medicinal in nature.
Dr. David Ssali, a naturopathic consultant, highly recommends the fruit for children and adults. “Regular feeding on tamarind builds and increases the body’s ability to fight off infections and diseases as quickly as possible because it is rich in minerals, vitamins and enzymes which are essential compounds in healthy living,†Ssali says.
Tamarind is an anti-oxidant (substance thought to protect body cells from the damaging effects of oxidation) and is highly recommended, especially for people, who smoke, drink alcohol, eat meats and those with gall bladder and liver disorders. When taken daily, tamarind relieves the liver of congestion and promotes emptying of the gall bladder.
The brown flesh of the fruit is rich in sugar and organic acids like critic, malic and tartaric, which detoxify the blood (removes poisonous substances), cleanse the digestive tract and ease digestion.
It contains a special protein that builds the body’s defense system to fight fevers and diarrhoea. Ssali mixes it in lime, honey, milk, and spices to treat diabetes.
The leaves of the tamarind tree are a vegetable. Ssali says they contain anthelmintic and vermifuge — properties that kill and expel intestinal parasites from the body. A special blend of the leaves and salt can be used to treat jaundice and sore throats.
The pulp from the seed pods, smeared on painful joints, boils and sprains relieves pain.
Ssali says although many nutritionists do not know tamarind’s food value, it is used as an additive in many dishes and drinks. It has a moderate amount of the Vitamin B, proteins, phosphorus, iron, potassium and niacin and is low in fat.
This makes it good for people trying to lose weight as well as those trying to control their weight,†Ssali says.
Just like lemon and orange juice, it transforms the non-haem iron in millet, sorghum and maize porridge and paste into haem iron, which can readily be used by the body in formation of blood.
After peeling the brittle pods off the fruit, tamarind can be eaten as it is or can be soaked in water until a thick brown fluid forms. The juice is then sieved and sweetened with honey to taste.
Tamarind fruit can be stored at room temperature for several weeks, if tightly packaged.
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TAMARIND IN ACTION
In olden times, tamarind was eaten by sailors because its acid and sugar content helped to offset their starchy diet. Today it is still used in East Africa, parts of Madagascar, tropical Asia, Australia, Latin America and the Caribbean to treat the following:
Fever: The pulp of the fruit is boiled in half a litre of milk with the dates, cloves, sugar, cardamom and a little camphor to produce a syrup.
Common cold: Tamarind is boiled in water, seasoned with a teaspoon of crushed black pepper in hot ghee, to make a clear soup. As one takes it, the nose and eyes begin to water and the nasal blockage is cleared.
Digestive disorders: The pulp of the ripe fruit is beneficial treatment of bilious vomiting, flatulence, indigestion and constipation. An infusion of the pulp prepared by softening it in water is particularly useful for loss of appetite.
Dysentery: Powdered seeds, taken in low doses with an equal quantity of cumin and sugar twice or thrice a day, alleviate the condition.
Burns: Slowly heat the tender leaves in a covered pot over the fire. Mix the burnt leaves in sesame oil and apply over the burnt area. The burn heals within days.
Sore throat: Boil tamarind in water and gargle.
Compiled by Hilary Bainemigisha
GOOD health comes to those who eat well and if you know better, you would have the tamarind fruit (mukoge – Luganda, mkwaju – Swahili, cwa in Luo) as one of your favourites. Not only is it nutritious, it is also medicinal in nature.
Dr. David Ssali, a naturopathic consultant, highly recommends the fruit for children and adults. “Regular feeding on tamarind builds and increases the body’s ability to fight off infections and diseases as quickly as possible because it is rich in minerals, vitamins and enzymes which are essential compounds in healthy living,†Ssali says.
Tamarind is an anti-oxidant (substance thought to protect body cells from the damaging effects of oxidation) and is highly recommended, especially for people, who smoke, drink alcohol, eat meats and those with gall bladder and liver disorders. When taken daily, tamarind relieves the liver of congestion and promotes emptying of the gall bladder.
The brown flesh of the fruit is rich in sugar and organic acids like critic, malic and tartaric, which detoxify the blood (removes poisonous substances), cleanse the digestive tract and ease digestion.
It contains a special protein that builds the body’s defense system to fight fevers and diarrhoea. Ssali mixes it in lime, honey, milk, and spices to treat diabetes.
The leaves of the tamarind tree are a vegetable. Ssali says they contain anthelmintic and vermifuge — properties that kill and expel intestinal parasites from the body. A special blend of the leaves and salt can be used to treat jaundice and sore throats.
The pulp from the seed pods, smeared on painful joints, boils and sprains relieves pain.
Ssali says although many nutritionists do not know tamarind’s food value, it is used as an additive in many dishes and drinks. It has a moderate amount of the Vitamin B, proteins, phosphorus, iron, potassium and niacin and is low in fat.
This makes it good for people trying to lose weight as well as those trying to control their weight,†Ssali says.
Just like lemon and orange juice, it transforms the non-haem iron in millet, sorghum and maize porridge and paste into haem iron, which can readily be used by the body in formation of blood.
After peeling the brittle pods off the fruit, tamarind can be eaten as it is or can be soaked in water until a thick brown fluid forms. The juice is then sieved and sweetened with honey to taste.
Tamarind fruit can be stored at room temperature for several weeks, if tightly packaged.
----------------------------------
TAMARIND IN ACTION
In olden times, tamarind was eaten by sailors because its acid and sugar content helped to offset their starchy diet. Today it is still used in East Africa, parts of Madagascar, tropical Asia, Australia, Latin America and the Caribbean to treat the following:
Fever: The pulp of the fruit is boiled in half a litre of milk with the dates, cloves, sugar, cardamom and a little camphor to produce a syrup.
Common cold: Tamarind is boiled in water, seasoned with a teaspoon of crushed black pepper in hot ghee, to make a clear soup. As one takes it, the nose and eyes begin to water and the nasal blockage is cleared.
Digestive disorders: The pulp of the ripe fruit is beneficial treatment of bilious vomiting, flatulence, indigestion and constipation. An infusion of the pulp prepared by softening it in water is particularly useful for loss of appetite.
Dysentery: Powdered seeds, taken in low doses with an equal quantity of cumin and sugar twice or thrice a day, alleviate the condition.
Burns: Slowly heat the tender leaves in a covered pot over the fire. Mix the burnt leaves in sesame oil and apply over the burnt area. The burn heals within days.
Sore throat: Boil tamarind in water and gargle.
Compiled by Hilary Bainemigisha