What is your favorite vegetable? Kale, spinach, broccoli, green beans or else? Well, perhaps it is the time for you to a bit broadening your knowledge about types of vegetables. Have you given a bite to tindora? Tindora is one of the vegetable commonly found as part of Indian cusines but unfortunately the health benefits of tindora vegetable is not a common knowledge yet.
What Is Tindora Vegetable?
Tindora has botanical name Coccinia grandis. Tindora is not a common vegetable you could find in nearby market but this vegetable is well known as part of Indian cuisines and used in some Thailand’s cuisines as well. Tindora is originated from Africa and Asia and instead of tindora, the name ivy gourd is more commonly used worldwide. The young tindora fruit is like a tiny cucumber but the mature fruit will turn red. However, tindora is consumed before it reaches mature stage because of the crunchy texture is the reasons why this fruit is commonly harvested in immature stage since the texture of matures ones are a bit slimier.
Nutritional Value of Tindora
Surprisingly, aside from its tiny size, tindora fruit is loaded with several types of vitamins and minerals especially vitamin B1, vitamin B2 and a trace of vitamin C benefits. Tindora is packed with certain types of minerals especially iron. Furthermore, the crunchy and juicy texture of tindora make this vegetable is an excellent source of fiber.
- Excellent Diabetes Treatment
The fact that tindora has been used to treat diabetes by Ayurvedic medication has been supported scientifically by researches conducted in University of Kelaniya. It was stated that tindora could help improving the glucose tolerance and as result it may help in lowering the blood sugar level. In other words, tindora is one of the best vegetables for type 2 diabetes.
- Prevent Obesity
Don’t be mistaken obesity with common weight gain issue. Obesity is more than just gaining weight because you are eating too much but obesity is a condition when your body is failing to maintain the body metabolism in normal way. Tindora contains anti-adipogenic agent which has anti-obesity properties that helps in improving body metabolism to prevent obesity.
- Treats Fatigue
Fatigue is one of the conditions that may occur to those who are suffering from iron deficiency. To deal with it is easy which is you should consume foods that are rich of iron and other minerals because one of the health benefits of iron is producing RBCs to prevent conditions lie fatigue. As mentioned above, tindora is not only packed with nutrients but it is loaded with iron.
- Promotes Healthy Nervous System
Untreated nervous system problem could lead to some brain conditions including Alzheimer and epilepsy. Well, before it is too late consuming foods that may prevent those conditions are highly recommended and tindora is one of the vegetables on the recommendation list because this vegetable are packed with certain vitamin B complex including Vitamin B1, B2 and B6.
- Optimizes Body Metabolism
Vitamin B1 or thiamine is the one responsible in optimizing your body metabolism. This vitamin is found in tindora in quite high amount. Thiamine will make sure the optimize absorption of nutrients and turn them into energy instead of unnecessary stored fat cells. Furthermore, the iron in tindora is responsible to the optimize production of RBCs to make sure optimal distribution of oxygen and nutrients.
- Good for Digestion
All foods that are rich of fiber are good for digestion and tindora is no exception. The health benefits of fiber found in tindora will make sure the healthy digestion by making sure undisturbed bowel movement while at the same time supporting your metabolism to optimize the nutrient absorption process.
- Prevent The Accumulation of Kidney Stone
Tindora is one of the vegetable that is rich of calcium. Though according to research, calcium is the reason behind the accumulation of kidney stones but more studies also stated that high intake of calcium may give the opposite result. Furthermore, the calcium found in tindora vegetable is able to prevent kidney stone.
- Treats Depression
There is no easy way to treat the symptoms of depression but still if there is at least a way that may reduce the risk, surely you will take it. Tindora contains niacin and riboflavin, the powerful antioxidants that may help treating depression due to its ability in improving mood and reduce the symptoms.
- Treats Some Skin Conditions
Traditionally, the tindora has been used by the Indians to treat several skin problems including eczema, skin burn, skin eruption and so on. It is due to the anti-inflammatory properties found in tindora along with its anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties.
- Promotes Bones Health
The combination of calcium and iron found in tindora vegetables are the reasons why this vegetable is highly recommended for bone health. Furthermore, due to the same reasons, this vegetable is also highly recommended to be consumed by pregnant mother to optimize the fetus development.
Cautions of Tindora Vegetable
It is a wise move to find out about some cautions of a vegetable that you haven’t tasted before. If it is the first time for you to eat tindora, besides the health benefits of tindora vegetables you should know about the side effects of this vegetable as well.
- If you are allergic to cucumber or some fruits and vegetables from the member of Curcurbitaceae perhaps avoiding this vegetable is highly recommended or at least talk to your doctor before taking it.
- When it comes to reducing blood sugar level, this plant is one of the effective ways but if you are currently in the middle of medication for diabetes, avoiding it is highly recommended unless you want to suffer from low blood sugar level.
- It may be unique vegetable but you should aware about the fact from where the vegetable comes from to make sure your vegetables are free from all kinds of dangerous chemicals that may contaminating the vegetables during the cultivation or transporting process.
So, don’t mistaken tindora to be a tiny cucumber because they are completely different vegetable though the texture and the flavor are similar. Furthermore, if you are interested to plant this vegetable due to its unique appearance, there is one thing you should take as an important note because this plant is very vigorously and a bit hard to control.