Tamarind: Long Living Tree Cures Many Illnesses

Youth always remembers and longs for childhood. Those are the most beautiful moments of our life. Childhood should always be preserved in the bottom of heart.

There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again.  ~Elizabeth Lawrence

Whenever, I have to visit my hometown tears roll down in those sweet memories. Being one of the naughtiest kid I have managed to execute all the pranks and play around. Especially playing for the entire day and then taking some cool naps under the huge shelter of trees.

Have you tried to rest under the huge trees? They actually tender you like mother. We use to have this large tamarind tress near our complex which was one of my secret hide outs.

It has not just limited itself up to giving shelter and be my hide out but there are many medicinal properties it posses.

Tamarind, one of the handsome tree which is the only specie in its genus. This handsome child belongs to Fabaceae family. He is the citizen if tropical Africa which traveled to India with the soldiers as one of the important food item in diet. It was very beneficial for all soldiers as its consisted of acid and sugar content which use to help them to offset their starchy diet.

Known as long lived tamarind tree has a medium growth reaching a height of forty to sixty meters.

The bright green leaves creates the most beautiful atmosphere with the single branches dropping from the central trunk. It will amaze you that its leaflets close up in the night. They bloom very beautiful red and yellow flowers with orange and red streaks.

When seen in sun the tree stands with pride on its face blooming out with flowers and waves with wind.

Tamarind fruits are reserved for consumptions. They can ingested raw or cooked. Its pulp is used in many of the culinary.

The tamarind is best depicted as sweet and sour in flavor which is high in acid, and is considered as good source of sugar, vitamin B and calcium. The pulp consists of pectin.

One of the most widely used herb in India. It has many medicinal properties:

Healing power:

We can actually conclude that the entire has medicinal properties.

The leaves have cooling effects on the body and also have antibilious attributes.

While bark helps in reducing fever it also acts as astringent and amazing tonic.

The shiny pulp posses digestive properties, is antiflatulent and antiseptic.

Even their seeds acts as astringent.

Digestive disorder:

The pulp of the ripe tamarind fruit is highly beneficial for the digestion troubles. It has also proven amazing on the constipation problem.

You can actually intake the infusion of pulp which is softened in water. This is combination works fantastically on the loss of appetite.

This infusion will also give better results if you add some black pepper, cloves, cardamoms and camphor.

The ash gained by heating the bark with salt in a earthen vessel will have quick action on the indigestion troubles.

Scurvy:

Being rich in vitamin C, tamarind pulp is highly valuable in preventing and also curing scurvy.

Common cold:

One of the best solution to cure common cold in have to clear soup known as tamarind-pepper rasam which is very popular in India especially, south India.

You can prepare by boiling diluted tamarind water in a teaspoonful of hot ghee and approximately a half teaspoonful of black pepper powder for some minutes. This steaming hot rasam actually flushes out all the toxins from the body.

As one consumes it the nose, eyes and the nasal blockage is cleared.

Fevers:

The pulp of tamarind fruit is useful in treating fevers.

You can generally have some fifteen grams to reduce the temperature.

Well even a sherbet is prepared by boiling by some tamarind pulp in half liter of milk and adding some dates, cloves, sugar, cardamoms and a very little camphor. Strain this infusion which is very effective in lessening fevers.

Dysentery:

Tamarind milk which is beneficial for reducing temperature also works amazingly on dysentery troubles.

Pulverized seeds taken in some six decigrams with equal proportions of cumin and sugar, twice or thrice is also very useful.

Burns:

The tender and soft leaves of tamarind are highly useful remedy for treating burns.

They are actually put in pot, covered and warmed over the fire. Then the burnt leaves are powdered finely and sieved to remove any gritty particles.

Then which is mixed with gingili oil and is applied all over the burnt part.

This concoction will relieve you from the wound within few days.

The leaves prevent from oedema and helps in growing a healthy skin.

Application of this oil keeps the wound way from the moisture and germs.

Inflammation of joints:

Crush the leaves in water and make a poultice, apply it to the inflamed part of the joint and ankles. It lessens the swelling and pain.

Sore throat:

Gargle of tamarind water is highly favorable in the treatments of sore throat. The potion can be prepared boiling tamarind in water.

A powder of dry leaves can also be used as a gargle for sore throat.

In Western cooking it can be tasted in Worcestershire sauce and HP sauce while in the Jamaican food it is produced as Pickapeppa sauce.

In Indian food it is commonly used to add flavor. Imli chutney are the famous  to eat with snacks. They are also used as regional cuisines in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh to make Rasam, Sambhar, Vatha Kuzhambu and Puliyogare.