College of Ayurvedic Diet & Digestion

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AYURVEDIC FOODS

Tamarind Benefits (According to Ayurveda)

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1. Ayurvedic Perspective

2. Biocharacteristics & Herbal Actions

3. Similar foods and herbs

4. Impact: On tongue, nerves, elimination, etc.

5. Indications / Benefits

6. Comments and reviews

How Does This Ayurvedic Food Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

Recipes with Tamarind: Sour Tamarind Chutney

Tamarind is a sour and hot laxative that will soften stools. It is a popular remedy for constipation.

Tamarind is hot and can provoke rashes. Paradoxically, tamarind poultice has been used for fevers, most likely as sour taste brings blood flow close to the skin. This blood moving property also increases wound secretions,and can be used to clean out wounds of slough and impurities.

One student reports, "My grandma, who lives close to Bombay, told us as kids to avoid tamarind and green mangos whenever we caught a cold. Instead, people take tamarind as a digestive on hot summer days." This use of tamarind in summer serves a similar purpose to lemonade in summer - it dilates blood vessel to aid release of summer heat.

The sourness of tamarind is a useful sialogogue for a dry mouth. It wakes you up, brings you back into focus.

About Tamarind

Tamarind is a tropical fruit in the pea family, widely used in chutneys, sauces, soup stocks, and desserts. It is indigenous to Africa but widely cultivated in India for thousands of years, and now in all tropical regions. It's name is derived from the Arabic 'tamar hindi' which translates to Indian date.

Buying & Preparation

Thai tamarind is sweeter whereas other varieties are more sour in nature. You can purchase it as a paste, or in a fancy box for a unique dinner party gift.

Cooking Tamarind

Tamarind's sourness makes it perfect for sauces, garnishes, and condiments. The Indian equivalent of ketchup, it's a bit sweet, and a bit sour. Drizzle tamarind sauce and thinned yogurt on your favorite Indian snacks, or on spicy potato chips.

Tamarind is sour and pasty. It is brown in color.

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Sour Tamarind Chutney

Crunchy Chips in Sweet &...

Tamarind Cilantro Pickle

Is Tamarind Good for My Ayurvedic Diet?

Find out by taking this free, easy quiz. You'll learn your body type, and whether 'Tamarind' is a good fit. Complete the basic quiz in 1 minute, or go deeper with additional quizzes at your own leisure to learn more about your body.

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AYURVEDA'S GUIDE TO VITALITY & WHOLESOME NOURISHMENT

Your Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body and your specific imbalances. With an Ayurvedic diet you feel joy and satisfaction because what you are eating truly nourishes and balances you. Disease results from diets and lifestyles that are incompatible with your nature. By eating a personalized diet matched to your body, you experience optimal health. See How it Works.

SERVING SIZE: 3 tbsp

SPECIES: Tamarindus indica

FAMILY: Fabaceae

MEAL: SNACK-DESSERT

STYLE: INDIAN, TROPICAL

PREPARATION: JUICE, PICKLED-FERMENTED, PUREE, SAUCES, SOUP

EAT IN: SUMMER

FOR OCCASION: DINNER-PARTY

Metabolic Nature of Tamarind

See a complete list of all biocharacteristics.

INCREASES Increases These Biocharacteristics (Gunas) Functional Ayurveda helps you assess imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics (gunas). Aggravating these characteristics weakens your body and causes imbalance. By knowing which characteristics are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct imbalances before you get sick. Every characteristic has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold). You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite characteristic. Learn More	CLEAR ABOUT CLEAR BIOCHARACTERISTIC Clear refers to anything that cleanses or flushes out wastes, or that digests ama. LEARN MORE ABOUT CLEAR LIQUEFIED ABOUT LIQUEFIED BIOCHARACTERISTIC Substances that thin fluids (lower viscosity of blood plasma). These may include blood thinners or mucolytic herbs. LEARN MORE ABOUT LIQUEFIED HEAVY ABOUT HEAVY BIOCHARACTERISTIC Heavy is identified by sedation, sluggishness, or increased weight. LEARN MORE ABOUT HEAVY HOT ABOUT HOT BIOCHARACTERISTIC Hot is identified by increased body temperature, metabolism, or inflammation. LEARN MORE ABOUT HOT
TASTES The 6 Tastes Taste is used to sense the most basic properties and effects of food. Each taste has a specific medicinal effect on your body. Cravings for food with certain tastes indicate your body is craving specific medicinal results from food. Taste is experienced on the tongue and represents your body's reaction to foods. Sweet taste causes physical satisfaction and attraction whereas bitter taste causes discomfort and aversion. Kapha should use less sweet taste while Vata and Pitta would benefit from using more sweet taste. One of the first signs of illness is that your taste and appetite for food changes. The six tastes are sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. Do you crave foods with any of the tastes below? Learn More	SOUR ABOUT SOUR BIOCHARACTERISTIC Sour refers to anything fermented or acidic. LEARN MORE ABOUT SOUR ASTRINGENT ABOUT ASTRINGENT BIOCHARACTERISTIC Astringency is characterized by constriction, drawing together, or drying. LEARN MORE ABOUT ASTRINGENT SWEET ABOUT SWEET BIOCHARACTERISTIC Sweet refers to anything builds tissue, including macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats. LEARN MORE ABOUT SWEET
DOSHAS The Three Doshas / Body Types According to the biocharacteristic theory of medicine, people tend to get sick, over and over again, due to habitual causes and imbalances that are unique to the person. Your body type summarizes this tendency, showing you the 'type' of conditions and imbalances that frequently challenge your health & wellness. Using body type, you can also identify remedies likely to improve your strength and resiliency. Your body type identifies physical and mental characteristics as well as your personal strengths and weaknesses. The calculation of your body type is based on your medical history. The 3 functional body types (doshas), are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha). Catabolic individuals tend to break down body mass into energy. They are easily stimulated, hyperactive, underweight and dry. Metabolic individuals tend to burn or use energy. They tend to be rosy-cheeked, easily irritated, focused, driven, and easily inflamed. Anabolic individuals tend to store energy as body mass. If they store too much energy, they could gain weight easily and have congestion. Anabolic people tend to be stable and grounded. Learn More	PACIFIES AGGRAVATES
HAS THE FOLLOWING	Affinity: Bowel Poop Elimination Family: Fabaceae
HERBAL ACTIONS (see all)	Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Tamarind Experiences are Personal Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary. The list of herbal-actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition. Digestion: Sialogogue STRONG SIALOGOGUE A sialogogue increases saliva. Sour foods are often great sialogogues, and increase output of all exocrine glands. Salty taste is very moistening as well. Bitter, pungent and sweettastes also increase salivary output but to a lesser degree. Astringents. SEE ALL 'SIALOGOGUE' FOODS / HERBS , Digestive DIGESTIVE Herbs that encourage healthy digestion. SEE ALL 'DIGESTIVE' FOODS / HERBS Bowel Health: General Laxative STRONG GENERAL-LAXATIVE Promotes a bowel movement. General laxative is an umbrella term that refers to several different types of laxatives. SEE ALL 'GENERAL-LAXATIVE' FOODS / HERBS , Stool Softener STRONG STOOL-SOFTENER Softens hard and difficult to eliminate stool. Stool softeners are the safest and most gentle type of laxative. Examples include warm milk with ghee. SEE ALL 'STOOL-SOFTENER' FOODS / HERBS Mind, Stress & Sleep: Improves Focus IMPROVES-FOCUS Reduces scattered thoughts. Creates a steady mind. Includes herbs that relax (for Vata) and herbs that stimulate (for Kapha). SEE ALL 'IMPROVES-FOCUS' FOODS / HERBS Energy Vitality: Stimulates Energy STIMULATES-ENERGY This category groups thyroid and adrenal stimulating herbs. SEE ALL 'STIMULATES-ENERGY' FOODS / HERBS Skin Care & Beauty: Diaphoretic DIAPHORETIC An herb that induces sweating, often by dilating blood vessels close to the skin. SEE ALL 'DIAPHORETIC' FOODS / HERBS Respiratory-Health: Expectorant EXPECTORANT Expectorants help you eliminate mucus from the lungs. These herbs often work by increasing the quantity of mucus, or thinning the mucus. Expectorants are indicated when phlegm congests the lower respiratory tract. SEE ALL 'EXPECTORANT' FOODS / HERBS Immune System: Antipyretic ANTIPYRETIC Reduces a fever / febrifuge. SEE ALL 'ANTIPYRETIC' FOODS / HERBS Constituents: Inositol INOSITOL Inositol is an alcohol sugar made naturally in the human body from glucose. It is lipotropic (aiding fat metabilism in the liver). It affects a variety of hormones, neurotransmitters, steroid, growth factors and water. SEE ALL 'INOSITOL' FOODS / HERBS

Foods with a Similar Nature to Tamarind

Lime

Lime has these Actions in Common

Expectorant, Sialogogue, Diaphoretic, General-laxative, Stool-softener, Digestive, Improves-focus

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Lemon

Lemon has these Actions in Common

Diaphoretic, General-laxative, Stool-softener, Digestive, Improves-focus, Expectorant, Sialogogue

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White Vinegar

White Vinegar has these Actions in Common

Expectorant, Sialogogue, General-laxative, Diaphoretic, Improves-focus

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Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar has these Actions in Common

Expectorant, Sialogogue, General-laxative, Diaphoretic, Improves-focus

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Red Wine Vinegar

Red Wine Vinegar has these Actions in Common

Diaphoretic, Improves-focus, Expectorant, Sialogogue, General-laxative

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Dill

Dill has these Actions in Common

Digestive, Antipyretic, Expectorant, Diaphoretic, Stimulates-energy

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Daikon Radish

Daikon Radish has these Actions in Common

Digestive, Stimulates-energy, Expectorant, Diaphoretic, General-laxative

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Fenugreek

Fenugreek has these Actions in Common

Expectorant, Diaphoretic, Stimulates-energy, Digestive, Antipyretic

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Sage

Sage has these Actions in Common

Antipyretic, Expectorant, Diaphoretic, Stimulates-energy, Digestive

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Mustard

Mustard has these Actions in Common

Expectorant, Diaphoretic, Stimulates-energy, Digestive

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Herb Supplements with a Similar Nature to Tamarind

Amalaki

Amalaki has these Actions in Common

Sialogogue, Stimulates-energy, Stool-softener, Antipyretic, Digestive, General-laxative, Improves-focus

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Triphala

Triphala has these Actions in Common

Digestive, General-laxative, Improves-focus, Sialogogue, Stool-softener

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Wild Ginger

Wild Ginger has these Actions in Common

Stimulates-energy, Diaphoretic, Digestive, Expectorant, Sialogogue

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Chyavanprash Nutritive Jam

Chyavanprash Nutritive Jam has these Actions in Common

Expectorant, General-laxative, Stimulates-energy, Stool-softener, Digestive

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Haritaki

Haritaki has these Actions in Common

Expectorant, General-laxative, Sialogogue, Stool-softener, Digestive

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Sitopaladi

Sitopaladi has these Actions in Common

Antipyretic, Diaphoretic, Digestive, Expectorant

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Nagaradi Kashaya (Amruthotharam)

Nagaradi Kashaya (Amruthotharam) has these Actions in Common

General-laxative, Stool-softener, Antipyretic, Digestive

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Hyssop Powder

Hyssop Powder has these Actions in Common

Stimulates-energy, Diaphoretic, Expectorant, Improves-focus

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Belly breathing

Belly breathing has these Actions in Common

Digestive, Expectorant, General-laxative, Stimulates-energy

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Pennyroyal

Pennyroyal has these Actions in Common

Antipyretic, Diaphoretic, Digestive, Expectorant

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Breathing Exercises

Breathing Exercises has these Actions in Common

General-laxative, Stimulates-energy, Digestive, Expectorant

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Impact of Tamarind

In each clinical research trial below, students from the Joyful Belly School of Ayurveda ate the selected food for 3 days and reported the pharmacological effects. See other clinical research trials for diet & herbs at Joyful Belly.