Tamarind: Benefits, Uses & Dosage

You probably already have Tamarind in your kitchen, or at least know its sharp, mouth-puckering sourness from chutneys and curries. In Ayurveda it is more than a flavouring. The classical texts treat this everyday fruit as a medicine for appetite, digestion and the heart.

Tamarind is the fruit of Tamarindus indica Linn., a large evergreen tree found throughout India. Its Sanskrit names include Tintidi, Chincha and Amlika, the last of which simply points to its sour taste. In Hindi it is called Imli.

The Bhavaprakash Nighantu, a classical materia medica, calls the fruit pulp extremely sour and one of the most important souring agents in Indian cooking. That sourness comes largely from tartaric acid, which makes up about 10 percent of the pulp.

Almost every part of the tree has a use: the ripe pulp in food and drinks, the seeds roasted or ground into flour, the leaf extract for the liver, and the bark decoction as a gargle.

Tamarind is sour and sweet in taste, heavy and dry in quality, and heating in potency (Ushna Virya, meaning it warms the body). Its post-digestive effect (Vipaka, the taste the body is left with after digestion) is also sour.

Appetite and Digestion

The Bhavaprakash Nighantu lists Tamarind as an appetiser (Ruchya, "that which makes food appealing") and as a digestive (Deepana, meaning it kindles the digestive fire, called Agni). Sour taste is the classical tool for waking up a dull appetite.

This is why Tamarind pulp turns up in chutneys served alongside a meal. The Ashtanga Hridaya places Tamarind (Amlika) in its group of sour substances (Amla Gana), together with Amla fruit and citron.

Heart

Tamarind is described as heart-supporting (Hridya, a cardiotonic). In the Sharangadhara Samhita it appears in an extended formula for heart disease (Hridroga), where it and pomegranate serve as palatability agents alongside digestive stimulants and cardiac herbs.

Liver

The Bhavaprakash Nighantu notes that the leaf extract is used in liver disorders.

Throat

The same text records the bark decoction being used as a gargle.

In Classical Formulas

Tamarind is used in many Ayurvedic formulations as a souring agent. The Charaka Samhita (Chikitsa Sthana, Chapter 28, on disorders of Vata) includes a tamarind decoction in a large medicated fat preparation, and the Sushruta Samhita (Uttara Tantra, Chapter 39) includes it in a head paste for fever.

The Bhavaprakash Nighantu gives two ways in: the pulp as a food flavouring, and the seed powder as a measured dose.

A masha is a small classical unit of weight. If you want to use the seed powder medicinally, have a practitioner translate the dose for you.

One useful detail from the classical text: Tamarind is heating on its own, but the fruit becomes cooling when taken with sugar and water. The vehicle you take a herb with (Anupana) can change its effect.

As a food flavouring, Tamarind is part of everyday cooking across India. The classical sources we draw on list no specific contraindications or drug interactions for it.

That said, Tamarind is heavy, dry and heating, with a sour taste and a sour post-digestive effect. If you are prone to heat in the body, the cooling preparation the texts describe (pulp with sugar and water) is the gentler choice.

For medicinal doses of the seed powder, or if you are pregnant, nursing, treating a child or taking prescription medication, consult a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner or your doctor first.

The classical texts group Tamarind with other sour fruits and pair it with them in formulas. These are the comparisons the sources actually support.

Classical sources give no population-specific guidance for Tamarind. As a food, it is eaten widely by people of all ages. Medicinal use of the seed powder is a different matter and calls for caution.

Pregnancy & Nursing

No specific classical guidance is available. Ordinary food use is a normal part of many diets, but do not take medicinal doses without advice from a qualified practitioner.

Children

No specific dosing for children is given. Keep to food amounts and consult a practitioner before any medicinal use.

Elderly

No specific guidance is given. Because Tamarind is used to stimulate appetite, it may suit older adults whose appetite is low, but check with a practitioner if you take regular medication.

Athletes

Classical sources say nothing specific about athletic use.