Caribbean Market: Tamarind — Nutrition, Benefits & Uses
- Amber Alexis
- 16 hours ago
- 5 min read
Affectionately called "tambran", this tropical fruit boasts of a rich nutrient profile and a long list of traditional medicinal uses. This article tells you everything that you need to know about tamarind.
April 15th, 2025
Background
Alternate names: tambran, Malabar tamarind, Jumbay, Pearl wattle, Brindle berry
Tamarindus indica (T.indica) — the tamarind fruit — is a tropical fruit that is native to Africa, but is found widely across South Asia and the Caribbean.
Tamarind is a well-known plant in traditional medicine, having been used to treat conditions such as diarrhea, bacterial infections, liver disorders, diabetes (high blood sugar) and for wound-healing (1).
Affectionately called "tambran" in Trindad & Tobago, the tamarind season is typically from April to June for fresh pods.
Tambran remains one of my all-time favourite fruits — and by the end of this article, hopefully you'll understand why :)
Uses
All parts of the tamarind fruit are edible — the pulp, leaves, flowers and seeds.
This means that there are a multitude of uses for this fruit.
The pulp
The pulp can be eaten raw — although you're "flipping-the-coin" on whether you'd get a sweet or sour pod.
Popular Caribbean uses of the fruit include making tambran balls — tamarind pulp rolled in sugar and sometimes pepper and "sweet sauce" to top street foods such as doubles and bake & shark.
Tamarind is also a common ingredient in curries, chutneys, and ice creams, and is used to make drinks and medicinal decoctions (2).
Industrially, the pulp is used to produce flavoring agents, sweet meats, and even to improve the texture and viscosity of some food products (1).
The leaves, flowers & seeds
In some cultures, the leaves and flowers are used to make salads, stews, and soups.
Although the seeds are often discarded, they have been found to contain healthy fatty acids and other antioxidant compounds (1).
The seeds can be roasted and eaten — much like peanuts — or ground into a powder and added to water or other beverages.
This seed powder may also be made into a paste and used as a topical treatment for some skin conditions.
Nutrition
Tamarind packs a nutrition punch! One cup (120g) of its raw pulp contains (3):
Calories: 287 cal
Protein: 3.4g (7% DV)
Dietary fiber: 6g (21% DV)
Calcium: 88.8mg (7% DV)
Iron: 3.36mg (19% DV)
Magnesium: 110mg (26% DV)
Phosphorus: 136mg (11% DV)
Potassium: 754mg (16% DV)
It also provides small amounts of vitamin A, vitamin K, selenium and folate (3).
The natural sugars found in tamarind are not considered an "added sugar" — which is the type of sugar linked to chronic diseases and the kind of sugar that is recommended that you limit (4).
Health benefits
All parts of the tamarind have been used in traditional medicine to treat many conditions. Here are some of its potential health benefits.
May lower chronic inflammation
Chronic inflammation — also called low-grade inflammation — has been linked to the development of many chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease (5).
In one review study, the leaves, seeds, stem bark and roots of the tamarind were found to have anti-inflammatory and analgesic (pain-relieving) compounds (6).
These compounds include tannins, alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols and saponins.
These findings lend support to the use of tamarind in traditional medicine to treat body pain and inflammation of the joints related to arthritis (6).
May lower blood sugar
The leaves, seeds and pulp of the tamarind are reported to have blood sugar-lowering effects — referred to as its antidiabetic or hypoglycemic properties (2).
In test tube and rat studies, extracts of the pulp were shown to stop the action of alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase — digestive enzymes that breakdown starches and sugars. These sugars are later absorbed in the intestines and enter the bloodstream.
The tamarind extracts stopped the absorption of glucose (sugar) from the gut, subsequently leading to lower blood sugar levels after eating.
This effect was so strong that the tamarind extracts were shown to have similar outcomes to acarbose — a medication used to treat diabetes by slowing the uptake of sugar from the gut (2).
These results are promising — and are truly exciting — but are ongoing so there isn't solid information (just yet) about how much of the tamarind provides this effect.
Anti-bacterial and anti-viral benefits
The antimicrobial properties of tamarind are documented in scientific literature.
For instance, this 2023 research article identified that the phytochemicals found in tamarind have antimicrobial effects against pathogens found in humans and plants (1).
Tamarind was seen as a safe and natural antimicrobial that may work in synergy with — and not against — conventional antibiotics and viral treatments.
One of the earliest uses of tamarind, based on it antimicrobial effects, was in the treatment of dysentery and diarrhea-related illnesses (1).
Tamarind in its whole form and its extracts continue to be explored for their complementary use to combat the rising issue of antibiotic resistance.
Other benefits
Liver disorders
Wounds
High cholesterol
Body pain
Purchasing & Storage
When purchasing, inspect that the surroundings of the vendor are clean and well-lit, and that the fruit is free of holes and other damage that may pose a health risk.
Wash the fruit casing to remove any loose dirt or insects, or any of the pulp that may be on the outside that will attract flies.
To store, you can leave the tamarind on your counter-top for up to 2 weeks (monitor for sweet flies or ants) or refrigerated for 3-4 weeks.
Takeaway
Tamarind (tambran) is a tropical fruit that's found in Africa, South Asia and the Caribbean.
It's a good source of dietary fiber, iron, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium, and provides smaller amounts of vitamins A & K, calcium, selenium and folate.
Tamarind has been used traditionally in the treatment of many ailments, including treating diarrhea, lowering blood sugar, reducing pain and for wound healing.
The Caribbean Market is a blog that highlights the nutritional facts and health benefits of fruits and vegetables commonly found in the Caribbean, with the goals of improving knowledge, promoting local eating and instilling pride and ownership among the Caribbean diaspora.
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