Amla, also known as Indian Gooseberry, is a highly potent medicinal plant with a long and distinguished history for its healing properties. As known in Ayurvedic texts, Amalaki symbolises motherhood. Read ahead to find the excellent Amla for health benefits in this blog.
What is Amla (Gooseberry)
Amla, native to India, is a fibrous fruit that grows on a deciduous tree of the Euphorbiaceae family. Amla has a distinctive sour taste that is ideal for various culinary purposes. It contains a high amount of vitamin C and many essential nutrients that help with many health conditions. This fruit also helps boost the immune system.
Ayurveda recommends amla as one of the excellent tonics for brightening the skin, purifying the blood, and improving the eyesight. One can consume amla in various ways, such as juice, murabba, chutney, or candy. It can even be eaten raw. It retains its beneficial properties in all forms.
Nutritional Value of Amla
Gooseberries (Amla) vary in terms of nutrition from country to country, but in terms of India, let's look at what this sour and healthy fruit has to offer.
- Sodium: 1.5 mg
- Potassium: 297 mg
- Total carbohydrates: 15 mg
- Total fat: 0.9 mg
- Protein: 1.3 grams
- Dietary fiber: 6.5 grams
Amla Calories
One Amla has 20 calories and is rich in flavonoids, anthocyanins, vitamins A and C, as well as phenolic phytochemicals. It offers numerous nutritional health benefits, including preventing cancer, delaying ageing, fighting inflammation, and improving memory.
Amla Benefits
Here are some health benefits of amla that can help you in living a healthy life:
1. Assists in Sore Throat and Cold
Amla has antiviral properties that strengthen the body's immune system. Amla is quite effective in managing sore throats and colds when consumed with ginger and honey.
2. Stress Reliever
Amla is a great stress-relieving fruit. When stressed, the walls of the blood vessels and capillaries constrict. Amla contains vitamin C, which helps ensure its flexibility, thus indirectly reducing stress.
3. Management of Insomnia
Due to its sedative properties, it relieves headaches and aids in getting a good night's sleep. You can massage your scalp with amla oil for pain relief and induce sound sleep.
4. Prevents Respiratory Problems
It can be used to reduce symptoms of asthma, chronic cough, tuberculosis, and blocked chests, thanks to its high vitamin C content.
5. Helps during Infections
Amla stimulates the immune system. Because of its antibacterial and antioxidant properties, amla can prevent infections caused by bacteria and viruses. Consuming Amla regularly can increase resistance to diseases.
Amla Benefits for Skin
Here, find some excellent gooseberry benefits for the skin.
1. Anti-Ageing Properties
Antioxidants in amla juice can help make your skin look younger and slow down ageing. Drinking amla juice regularly can help you prevent wrinkles, dark spots, fine lines, and premature ageing.
2. Acne Management
Amla helps reduce acne scarring and pimples. As amla is a natural blood purifier, it prevents pimples and other acne-related problems.
How to use it?
Apply amla paste to the affected acne areas on your face.
3. Increases Collagen Production
Your skin's collagen content contributes to the firmness of your skin as well as the appearance of softness. Amla juice increases collagen production in the skin by boosting vitamin C levels. By using amla, skin appears softer and more youthful.
4. Reduces Skin Pigmentation
Amla juice contains vitamin C, which helps minimise dullness and dark spots on the skin. It cools the body and acts as a purifier and cleanser, in turn reducing pigmentation. By regular use of Amla, you can lighten your skin marks and uneven tone.
5. Brightens the Skin
Amla juice helps rejuvenate the skin naturally, making it more bright. Moreover, whether consumed or applied directly, Amla juice is an excellent cleanser. It helps remove dead cells and combat premature ageing.
Amla Benefits for Hair
Indians have used amla as a herbal remedy forever to prevent dandruff and dry hair. Here are a few of the hair benefits amla offer.
1. Natural Hair Straightener
Gooseberry paste or juice stimulates hair growth, repairs hair follicles, and manages frizziness, which can help straighten the hair.
2. Prevents Premature Greying
Premature grey hair is one of the first signs of ageing. Amla juice protects against premature greying as it contains vitamin C and loads of antioxidants. However, it is essential to get adequate amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin B12 to increase melanin production in your hair to retain hair colour.
3. Prevents Dandruff
The anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties of Amla prevent the formation of dandruff. It can also repair damaged hair strands and add a layer of shine.
4. Natural Hair Conditioner
Amla is rich in nutrients and contains up to 80 percent water. Due to its fatty acid content, amla penetrates the hair follicles, making it softer, shiny, and thicker.
5. Amla Hair Oil Benefits
Most herbal hair products for preventing hair loss majorly contain amla or Indian gooseberry. Amla contains carotene, iron, and antioxidants, which rejuvenate hair follicles and prevent hair loss and baldness.
Amla during Pregnancy
Besides being a great source of dietary fibre, amla is also rich in minerals like folic acid, copper, manganese, potassium, and vitamins C, B5, and B6.
Benefits:
- Folic acid is a hormonal balancer during pregnancy and prevents nausea.
- Vitamin B is required for the growth of bones, muscles, and nerves in a baby.
- Vitamin C boosts immunity during pregnancy and prevents infection.
- Amla contains antioxidants that boost the immune system.
- Taking Amla regularly helps keep calcium levels balanced in both mother and fetus' bodies.
- Due to its detoxifying properties, it increases a pregnant woman's urine frequency and cleanses the body of toxins and free radicals.
Amla for Diabetes
Amla is good for diabetes because it reduces oxidative stress and affects the hormones involved. It has a low Glycemic Index of 15, and its nutritional composition protects the body against high blood sugar processes, resulting in proper insulin absorption.
How to Use Amla (Gooseberry)
There are various ways of consuming Amla (gooseberry), such as raw, pickled, dried powder, or homemade sweet berry concoctions that are incredibly beneficial for health. It is commonly consumed raw, as a drink mixed with jaggery, murabba, or in dips and pickles.
- Powder: One teaspoon of amla powder a day can be taken with honey or warm water on an empty stomach in the morning.
- Juice: You can drink 20 ml of amla juice first thing in the morning with warm water.
- Chyawanprash: Chyawanprash is primarily composed of Amla. You can take a teaspoon of it with warm water on an empty stomach in the morning.
- Amla Murabba and Pickle: Pickled amlas are usually available in the market during winters. One can enjoy them with food.
- Amla Candy: The dried amlas can be stored and eaten daily as candies once they are dry enough.
How to Make Amla Juice?
Here are the step by step instructions to make healthy and delicious amla juice:
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 minute
Ingredients
- 3 amla sliced into small pieces
- 1 and a half cups of water
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- Pepper and Salt (as per taste)
Instructions:
- Add water to thinly sliced amla and mix till the pulp turns tasteless.
- Then filter out the pulp from the above juice.
- Now add honey, pepper, and salt as per your taste.
- Stir with a spoon so that they get mixed properly.
You can also add one or two tablespoons of aloe vera to this juice to get combined aloe vera and amla juice benefits.
Amla Side Effects
- Due to Amla's high fibre content, gastrointestinal issues can arise, including bloating, stomachache, and diarrhoea.
- It might lower blood sugar levels; people with diabetes should consume with caution.
- People who have blood disorders or take blood thinners should be cautious about consuming gooseberries. It contains antiplatelet properties that can prevent blood from clotting.
- If you take blood pressure medications, consult your doctor before taking Amla.
Amla Side Effects on Kidney
- Overconsumption of amla can cause kidney stones.
- Amla reduces blood urea nitrogen by lowering COX-2 and iNOS levels in the kidney.
Summing Up on Amla Benefits
Fruits like Amla are low-calorie, nutrient-rich, antioxidant-rich, and have loads of vitamins and minerals. It has high polyphenol and vitamin C content, supporting the digestive system and strengthening the immune system. It also protects the body from oxidative stress by building a defence against viruses and bacteria. The rejuvenating effects of Amla also support a healthy metabolism. Although it provides many benefits, one must always consume it in moderation.
FAQs
What Happens if You Eat Amla Every Day?
Amla has numerous health benefits, such as treating various skin conditions, improving eyesight, and boosting the immune system. So its regular consumption improves overall health and gives your body the strength to fight harmful pathogens. However, amla's overconsumption can cause digestive issues, especially in pregnant and breastfeeding women. Hence, consult a doctor or nutritionist regarding the quantity of amla you can eat daily before including it in your regular diet.
Is Amla Better Than Apple?
Both amla and apple offer numerous health benefits to the human body. Apples reduce the risk of heart, brain, and cancer diseases as they are rich in fibre and antioxidants. On the other hand, amla contains vitamin C, which boosts the immune system, lowers blood sugar levels, and reduces anti-ageing signs. One cannot be considered superior to the other, and the choice depends upon what benefits your body needs more.
Is Amla Cold or Hot?
Amla is a natural coolant. Its juice helps prevent rashes, acne, and heat boils by keeping the skin cool during summers. However, those with cold symptoms should avoid amla consumption as it may further aggravate the cold or other associated conditions.
Can We Drink Water After Eating Amla?
Amla is a fruit with high water content. It helps in relieving constipation and soothes the digestive system. However, if someone drinks water immediately after eating amla, the gastric juices get diluted, and the stool gets too loose. This disrupts the digestive system and causes diarrhoea. It is recommended to drink water at least half an hour after consuming amla.
References
- Akula Annapurna, September 2012; Health benefits of amla or indian gooseberry fruit (Phyllanthus emblica) - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/298153173
- Manjeshwar Shrinath Baliga, May 2011; Amla (Emblica officinalis Gaertn), a wonder berry in the treatment and prevention of cancer - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21317655
- Mahendra Parkash Kapoor, March 2020; Clinical evaluation of Emblica Officinalis Gatertn (Amla) in healthy human subjects: Health benefits and safety results from a randomized, double-blind, crossover placebo-controlled study - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC6926135/
