Tamarind is a versatile and very Mexican fruit. Its bittersweet flavor gives a special touch to sweets, punches, atoles and even mole. In addition to delighting the palate, it does good for the body: it has few calories and is rich in vitamin C. Its benefits go even beyond the pulp. Tamarind seeds are an ultra-healthy snack that helps regulate cholesterol and blood sugar.
Tamarind seeds, with an attractive dark color, are very good for regulating important metabolic processes. A group of researchers from the University of Malaysia, where this fruit is abundant, carried out a study that tested the scientific validity of the health properties of tamarind seeds. In the study, tamarind seeds were administered for 4 weeks to a group of rats.
After taking blood and liver samples, the scientists found that cholesterol and glucose levels dropped in the rats that ate more seeds. This could prove that adding tamarind seeds to your diet can help keep your metabolism within healthy limits. As if that were not enough, the seeds also showed antiviral properties. According to another report, consumption of these seeds reduced the effectiveness of the chikungunya virus by up to 64%.
Include tamarind seeds in your diet
Ready: you have already enjoyed a delicious tamarind and saved the seeds to take advantage of all its benefits. And now that? To include the healing properties of tamarind seeds in your diet, just take a little time to prepare them. Here are some ways to eat this delicious and healthy snack:
Prepare them toast. Put a few seeds to cook over medium heat in a pan. Toast them for a few minutes and let them cool. Next, remove the peel. Here you have two options: you can eat them like this or boil them to soften them a little. Either way, they are an excellent substitute for peanuts, with much fewer calories.
Prepare a flour. You can also grind the seeds into flour, which works as a healthy alternative to wheat.