Tamarind
OTHER NAME(S): Imlee, Imli, Tamarin, Tamarinier d'Inde, Tintiri, Tamarindus indica, Tamarindus occidentalis, Tamarindus officinalis, Tamarindo, Tamarinier
Overview
Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) is a tree found in tropical Africa and southern Asia. The fruit pulp is widely used in Asian culture.
Tamarind contains ingredients that might have laxative effects and fight against certain fungi and bacteria. It also contains a chemical that is similar to mucin found in the eye. Mucin helps protect and wet the surface of the cornea.
People use tamarind for dry eye, constipation, parasite infections, early orgasm (premature ejaculation), and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support most of these uses.
Uses
Possibly Effective for
- Dry eye. Using eye drops containing tamarind seed extract, alone or with other ingredients, seems to help relieve dry eye.
- A condition caused by ingestion of too much fluoride (fluorosis). Taking tamarind by mouth increases the amount of fluoride removed from the body in the urine. But it's not clear if this reduces symptoms of fluorosis.
Possibly Ineffective for
- Early orgasm (premature ejaculation). Taking tamarind seed powder by mouth does not seem to improve early orgasm or satisfaction during intercourse.
There is interest in using tamarind for a number of other purposes, but there isn't enough reliable information to say whether it might be helpful.
Side Effects
When taken by mouth: Tamarind is commonly consumed in foods. There isn't enough reliable information to know if tamarind is safe when used in larger amounts as medicine.
When placed into the eyes: Tamarind seed extract is possibly safe when used in eye drops.
Precautions
When taken by mouth: Tamarind is commonly consumed in foods. There isn't enough reliable information to know if tamarind is safe when used in larger amounts as medicine.
When placed into the eyes: Tamarind seed extract is possibly safe when used in eye drops.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if tamarind is safe to use when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and stick to food amounts.
Surgery: Tamarind seed might lower blood sugar levels. This might interfere with blood sugar control during and after surgery. Stop using tamarind at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.
Interactions
Moderate Interaction
Be cautious with this combination
- Medications for diabetes (Antidiabetes drugs) interacts with TamarindTamarind might lower blood sugar levels. Taking tamarind along with diabetes medications might cause blood sugar to drop too low. Monitor your blood sugar closely.
- Aspirin interacts with TamarindTaking tamarind with aspirin might increase how much aspirin the body absorbs. This could increase the amount of aspirin in the body and might increase the chance of side effects.
- Ibuprofen (Advil, others) interacts with TamarindTaking tamarind with ibuprofen might increase how much ibuprofen the body absorbs. This could increase the amount of ibuprofen in the body and might increase the chance of side effects.
Dosing
There isn't enough reliable information to know what an appropriate dose of tamarind might be. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult a healthcare professional before using.
References
- Leung AY, Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs and Cosmetics. 2nd ed. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1996.
- Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Title 21. Part 182 -- Substances Generally Recognized As Safe. Available at: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?CFRPart=182
- Garba M, Yakasai IA, Bakare MT, Munir HY. Effect of Tamarindus indica. L on the bioavailability of ibuprofen in healthy human volunteers. Eur J Drug Metab Pharmacokinet 2003;28:179-84.
- Mustapha A, Yakasai IA, Abdu Aguye I. Effect of Tamarindus indica L. on the bioavailability of aspirin in healthy human volunteers. Eur J Drug Metab Pharmacokinet 1996;21:223-6.
- Rolando M, Valente C. Establishing the tolerability and performance of tamarind seed polysaccharide (TSP) in treating dry eye syndrome: results of a clinical study. BMC Ophthalmol 2007;7:5.
- Khandare, A. L., Rao, G. S., and Lakshmaiah, N. Effect of tamarind ingestion on fluoride excretion in humans. Eur.J.Clin.Nutr. 2002;56(1):82-85.
- Maiti, R., Jana, D., Das, U. K., and Ghosh, D. Antidiabetic effect of aqueous extract of seed of Tamarindus indica in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. J Ethnopharmacol. 2004;92(1):85-91.
- Khandare, A. L., Kumar, P. U., Shanker, R. G., Venkaiah, K., and Lakshmaiah, N. Additional beneficial effect of tamarind ingestion over defluoridated water supply to adolescent boys in a fluorotic area. Nutrition 2004;20(5):433-436.
- Barabino S, Rolando M, Nardi M, Bonini S, Aragona P, Traverso CE. The effect of an artificial tear combining hyaluronic acid and tamarind seeds polysaccharide in patients with moderate dry eye syndrome: a new treatment for dry eye. Eur J Ophthalmol. 2014;24(2):173-8.
- Jacobi C, Kruse FE, Cursiefen C. Prospective, randomized, controlled comparison of SYSTANE UD eye drops versus VISINE INTENSIV 1% EDO eye drops for the treatment of moderate dry eye. J Ocul Pharmacol Ther. 2012;28(6):598-603.
- Okello J, Okullo JBL, Eilu G, Nyeko P, Obua J. Physicochemical composition of Tamarindus indica L. (Tamarind) in the agro-ecological zones of Uganda. Food Sci Nutr. 2018;6(5):1179-1189.
- Cloutier F, Roumaud P, Ayoub-Charette S, Chowdhury S, Martin LJ. The intake of an extract from seeds of Tamarindus indica L. modulates the endocrine function of adult male mice under a high fat diet. Heliyon. 2020 Jan 28;6(1):e03310.
- Homayuonfar A, Aminsharifi A, Salehi A, Sahraian A, Dehshari S, Bahrami M. A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial to assess the effect of tamarind seed in premature ejaculation. Adv Biomed Res. 2018 Apr 24;7:59.
- Rao PS, Ramanjaneyulu YS, Prisk VR, Schurgers LJ. A combination of Tamarindus indica seeds and Curcuma longa rhizome extracts improves knee joint function and alleviates pain in non-arthritic adults following physical activity. Int J Med Sci. 2019 Jun 2;16(6):845-53.
- Krishna RN, Anitha R, Ezhilarasan D. Aqueous extract of Tamarindus indica fruit pulp exhibits antihyperglycaemic activity. Avicenna J Phytomed. 2020 Sep-Oct;10(5):440-7.
- Lima VCO, Luz ABS, Amarante MDSM, et al. Tamarind multifunctional protein: safety and anti-Inflammatory potential in intestinal mucosa and adipose tissue in a preclinical model of diet-induced obesity. Obes Facts. 2021;14(4):357-69.
- Das SS, Dey M, Ghosh AK. Determination of anthelmintic activity of the leaf and bark extract of Tamarindus indica Linn. Ind J Pharm Sci. 2011;73(1):104-7.
- Ngwewondo A, Wang M, Manfo FPT, et al. Filaricidal properties of Lantana camara and Tamarindus indica extracts, and Lantadene A from L. camara against Onchocerca ocheng and Loa loa. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2018 Jun 13;12(6):e0006565.
- Kare SK, Vinay V, Maresz K, Prisk V, Vik H. Tamarindus indica Seed Extract-Based Botanical Compositions Alleviate Knee Pain and Improve Joint Function in Mild-to-Moderate Osteoarthritis: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Study. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2022;2022:2226139.
- Lima MSR, Gonçalves C, Neto MD, et al. Anti-Inflammatory Protein Isolated from Tamarind Promotes Better Histological Aspects in the Intestine Regardless of the Improvement of Intestinal Permeability in a Preclinical Study of Diet-Induced Obesity. Nutrients 2022;14(21):4669.