Health Benefits of Eating Indian Gooseberry (Amla)

Indian amla (gooseberry) is a common tree that grows in India, Southeast Asia, and Middle East countries. Indian gooseberry used as herbal medicine from ancient times. It is helpful for health and also promotes skin and hair health. It is consumed by mouth for treating hardening arteries, high cholesterol, pain, diabetes, and pancreas swelling, obesity, and many problems.

Gooseberries are nutritious, small fruits from India. They are closely linked to red, black, and white currants. They come in different colors, such as yellow-white, red, green, and dark purple. The flavor of gooseberries also ranges from sweet to tart.

Nutrition Facts

Gooseberries, raw Per Serving Size

Nutrient Value

• Water -87.87 [g]
• Energy – 44 [kcal]
• Protein – 0.88 [g]
• Total lipid (fat) – 0.58 [g]
• Carbohydrate, by difference – 10.18 [g]
• Fiber, total dietary – 4.3 [g]
• Calcium, Ca – 25 [mg]
• Iron, Fe – 0.31 [mg]
• Magnesium, Mg -10 [mg]
• Phosphorus, P – 27 [mg]
• Potassium, K -198 [mg]
• Sodium, Na – 1 [mg]
• Zinc, Zn – 0.12 [mg]
• Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid – 27.7 [mg]
• Thiamin – 0.04 [mg]
• Riboflavin – 0.03 [mg]
• Niacin – 0.3[mg]
• Vitamin B-6 – 0.08 [mg]
• Folate, DFE – 6 [µg]
• Vitamin B-12 – 0 [µg]
• Vitamin A, RAE – 15 [µg]
• Alpha-tocopherol Vitamin E – 0.37 [mg]
• Fatty acids, total saturated – 0.04 [g]

• Total monounsaturated – 0.05 [g]
• Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated – 0.32 [g]
• Fatty acids, total trans – 0 [g]
• Cholesterol – 0 [mg]

Gooseberry Facts

Gooseberry is shedding shrub that belongs to the current family. It originated in southeast Asia, Europe, and north-western Africa. It found in the temperate places of Siberia and North America. Gooseberry grows in cold temperature, humid summer, and freezing winters. Wild gooseberry grows in the rocky areas, alpine thickets, hedgerows, woodlands. It requires loamy, fertile soil for cultivation. Gooseberry grows as a shrub with woody branches and spines. They grow with axils leaves. It may extend 4-6 feet in height and width.

Facts

• Gooseberry contains deeply lobed leaves that have greyish-green or dark green color along with covered leaves. Leaves arranged themselves with branches Amla has small, bell-shaped green flowers. They develop in lateral branches in individually form or arranged form with a group of four flowers.
• Amla blooms during the season of spring by attracting many insects. Flowers contain suitable pollination accompanied by wind. The flowers contain reproductive organs for performing self-pollination.
• Gooseberry fruit comes in small shape, round, oval, and pears shape. The color of amla fruit depends on different reasons. It may have colors like green, white, yellow, red, purple, and black. The skin surface gooseberry has covered of prominent veins. It also has a hairy and smooth texture with 15-30 seeds. An amla bush produces 8-10 pounds of fruits every season.
• They spread from seeds and cutting.
• It is a good source of vitamins C, B, calcium, copper, manganese, and phosphorus.
• Per 100g of amla fruit contains 44 calories.
• It has a slightly tart or sweet taste. The berries are regularly consumed in the form of raw and also used in pies, muffins, fruit salad, and ice cream.
• Amla fruit is often used in the preparation jam and jellies. They also combined with the dishes of fish and meat.
• Gooseberry is a hybrid form by interbreeding of black currants and gooseberry.
• They also called Fayberries as ancient beliefs have fairies use the bushes of amla for hiding from danger.
• Gooseberry has cooling properties that were popular use in the Middle ages for fever treatment.
• It also contains a synthesis that prevents neurological damage, cancer, and inflammation.
• Cultivated gooseberry is infected by V-moth, magpie moth, and gooseberry sawfly. These insects generate damage on leaves of amla.
• Amla can produce berries and survive for 20 years in the wild.

Health Benefits of Gooseberry

Support Diabetes Management

The Indian gooseberry helps to manage your lipids and blood sugar levels. According to the study of 2011, gooseberry work to manage diabetes. The participants of diabetes got an improvement in blood cholesterol and blood sugar. The chromium content of gooseberry helps to manage blood sugar levels. It helps to stimulate insulin secretion.

Reduce Bad Lower Cholesterol

According to a study of 2012, the effect of Indian gooseberry helps to lower the bad cholesterol. Amla fruits provide cholesterol-reducing effects. It also reduces the risk of atherosclerosis coronary artery disease.

The toxic combination of modern life stress and high cholesterol accompanied by junk food increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. The sacred Indian Amla or Gooseberry has proven its effects in Ayurveda remedies for benefiting entire health.

Boosts Immunity

The Indian gooseberry is best for boosting the immune system. It is an amazing source of vitamin C, which helps to promote immunity and boost metabolism. Keeping your metabolism and the immune system helps to prevent infection and disease.

Support Digestion

The fiber content of Indian gooseberry, include bulk to stool, it helps to manage bowel movements. Consuming amla before any meal helps to activate gastric juice and support digestion and nutrient absorption.

May Prevent Heart Diseases

The gooseberry benefit for heart health. It prevents atherosclerosis, which is a health condition of plaque accumulation in the arteries. This condition can cause a heart attack risk. According to studies, Indian gooseberry helps to promote heart functions and boost the blood vessels elasticity. It also lowers triglycerides and bad cholesterol by lowering plaque accumulation in blood vessels.

Boost Eye Health

The presence of vitamin C in gooseberry helps to fight with bacteria and protect against eye infection and conjunctivitis. Eating regular gooseberry promote vision health and relax your eye muscles. It makes your eye nerves strong and relieves from stress.

According to the study of 2010 discovered that regular consumption of gooseberry helps to reverse cataract in the lab test of the rat.

Consuming amla reduces the problem of near-sightedness and intra-ocular tension. It happens because of the impressive content of carotene, which works best for vision health.

Fight Cancer

The free radical accumulation in the body results in oxidative stress. Oxidation is one of the major reasons for cancer growth.

Indian gooseberry contains strong antioxidants that prevent oxidative stress and remove free radicals from your body and lower cancer.

Also, Indian gooseberry contains polyphenols and another synthesis like ellagic acids, gallic acid, terpenoids, and pyrogallol. Antioxidants are best for treating cancer growth.

Boosts Liver Health

Drinking amla juice helps to boost liver health as per the knowledge of Ayurveda. It re-energizes the liver. The liver is a large and influential organ of the body. It delivers many functions at one time.

According to a study of 2013 on hepatoprotective properties of gooseberry issued in the journal of Food-and -Function journal says that the gooseberry fruit is very effective for preventing toxic effects and toxic metals. The content of phytochemicals like gallic acid, quercetin, ellagic acid, and corilagin in amla prevent free radicals and detoxify your body.

Help Calcium Absorption

Amla consumption also benefits to absorb calcium. Calcium is an essential component of teeth, bone, nails. It also promotes lustrous and beautiful hair. Drink diluted amla juice over the empty stomach to get more benefits.

Insufficient vitamin D causes to interfere in calcium absorption and increases calcium deficiency. Excessive sodium also affects the ability of calcium absorption. Other factors, like smoking and caffeine, also affect calcium absorption. Eating amla treats this condition.

Lower Menstrual Discomfort

The content of vitamins and minerals of gooseberry helps to regulate menstrual cramps. Consume gooseberry regularly provide all nutrients and reduces menstrual cramps.

Relieves Dysentery and Diarrhea

As the gooseberry contains laxative and cooling properties, it helps to relieve dysentery and diarrhea mentioned in the study issued in the International-Journal-of-Pharmacy-and-Pharmaceutical-Sciences. It gives relief in different gastric syndromes and hyperchlorhydria, which is a burning feeling in your abdomen. The laxative presence in the gooseberry helps to remove the harmful substances and toxins and prevent illness and discomfort. It cools down the burning sensation and treats diarrhea.

Improves Appetite

Consuming amla also benefit to appetite. You can consume amla powder and honey before a meal to improve appetite. It also benefits anemia, indigestion, disorder, liver, fever, respiratory problems, cerebral, gastric, and cardiovascular diseases. Gooseberry reduces bad cholesterol and promote red blood cell generation and strengthen your nails and teeth.

Acts as a Diuretic

As the gooseberry fruit contains high water, it works as a diuretic for the body. It increases the volume and frequency of urination. Urination helps to remove the excess water and toxins from the body. It also removes extra uric acid and salt from your body. Therefore, the diuretic substance is beneficial for kidney health and prevent urine infection.

Anti-aging Agent

Amla consumption helps to prevent hyperlipidemia by lowering free radicals from your body from its antioxidants properties. The content of antioxidants and vitamin C help to lower the damage of free radical and aging signs like age spots and wrinkles. Amla powder face mask works effectively for removing age spots.

Antioxidant

Amla contains strong antioxidants that more than pomegranate. It provides the power to remove toxins from the body and used in nutritional supplements.

Improve Hair Health

Gooseberry or amla is always considered important for hair health. Often people suffer from alopecia problem that hair thinning and hair loss. It occurs by vitamin C deficiency. The gooseberry contains rich vitamin C and clinically proven for promoting hair health. It effectively treats the alopecia. The gooseberry also provides powerful antioxidants that fight with degeneration and aging from treating premature greying.

Hair Care

Amla powder is one of the most popular benefits of gooseberry for hair. It promotes hair growth and prevents pigmentation. It also strengthens your hair roots and maintains hair color. Apply amla oil in hair is the best solution for hair growth. Amla oil also lowers the baldness and hair loss. The presence of carotene in amla provides antioxidants and iron and reduce radical damage in the hormones and hair follicles.

Hair Growth

The Phyto-supplements, minerals, and vitamin present in amla help in expanding the scalp flow and invigorate solid development. Nutrient C of amla produces collagen protein. This aide in animating hair development, both length and volume. Collagens removes the dead cells from hair follicles and produce new hair cells.

Treats Dandruff

Dandruff is generally the consequence of dryness. This vitamin C rich juice reduces dryness and dandruff accumulation. The antioxidant properties prevent dandruff and tingling in the scalp.

Natural conditioner

Amla can restore, nourish, and condition your hair and making your hair shinier and add volume to your hair. One amla holds up to 81.2 percent of moisture in it. People with dry hair have more chance of greying hair. Additionally, you can have smooth hair by using amla powder. It will help to absorb extra oil from the scalp and condition your hair.

Scalp Cleanser

Amla juice is the best way for the cleansing scalp. It helps to nourish your scalp skin and bring shiny hair. The antioxidants found in amla helps to prevent hair damage occurred by pollution, dust, smoke, and styling tools.

Improves Pigmentation

Most of the hair coloring packs have amla in them as it prevents the pigmentation. It also removes the discoloration and makes your hair luscious. Furthermore, it is essential to keep your scalp and hair clean and remove pigmentation. Amla prevents anti-microbial qualities and prevent bad odor and also remove sticking germs.

Lower Greying Of Hair

According to Ayurveda, excess pitta in the body causes premature greying. You will have a sign like rashes, peptic ulcers, burning sensation, heartburn, and excessive body heat. Amla works amazingly for preventing pitta, which lowers greying.

Strengthens Hair

Amla juice provides a tonic for both skin and hair. It helps to strengthen the hair follicle and boost growth. Amla helps to strengthen your hair roots and keep the luster and color.

Eating fresh amla or using fresh amla paste for hair roots helps to prevent hair greying.

Natural Shine

Amla powder is helpful for hair masks to bring shiny hair. Try applying it regularly for better results. It provides vitamin C and lowers the premature greying. Try to enhance the natural color of hair by mixing Alva powder and henna.

Thickening of Hair

The amla powder provides beneficial effects for bouncier and thicker hair. The content of vitamin C assists the different minerals, including amino acids, nutrients, minerals, and antioxidants. It fights against hair weakening problems.

Reduce Frizzy Hair

Using amla also helps to prevent dryness and restore moisture. It eliminates the dead cells and strengthen hair follicles and provide luster to hair. Regular consumption of amla manages frizzy hair.

Enhances Hair Color

Mixing henna with amla helps to enhance hair color and bring natural color. Use the gooseberry in different forms such as juice, oil, pickle to have natural hair color.

Treats Infections

The astringent and antibacterial properties of amla help to treat the severe infection. Amla juice provides rich vitamin C and boost WBCs in your body and promote immunity.

How To Use Gooseberry For Natural Hair Growth

Amla Oil

Ingredients

• Amla powder – 2 tsp
• Coconut/ olive oil -2 tbsp

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a pan and include 2-tsp amla powder.
• Heat the oil till it gets brown.
• After getting the oil brown, let it cool down.
• Once the powder process, take out the oil.
• Use the slight warm oil and apply over the scalp and your hair.
• Massage scalp thoroughly for 15 minutes.
• After massage waits for 30 minutes, wash with a sulfate-free shampoo and lukewarm water.
• Use this thrice a week.

Amla And Shikakai

Ingredients

• Amla powder – 2 tbsp
• Shikakai powder – 2 tbsp
• water – 4 tbsp

Instruction

• Mix the shikakai and amla powder with water and make a smooth paste.
• Apply this amla paste in the hair.
• Cover all hair with paste and leave for 40 minutes.
• Wash it and clean your hair with shikakai shampoo.
• Use this remedy once a week.

Amla Powder and Egg

Ingredients

• Whole eggs – 2
• Amla powder – 1/2 cup

Instructions

• Whisk the egg and make a fluffy texture.
• Stir the egg and amla powder with a smooth consistency.
• Apply the paste with scalp and hair.
• Wash the mask after one hour with cool water. Avoid using hot water.
• Use this once a week.

Henna and Amla

Ingredient

• Amla powder – 1 tbsp
• Henna powder – 3 tbsp
• Warm water – 4 tbsp

Instructions

• Mix the ingredients and stir well till it gets a smooth mixture. Use a glass bowl or plastic and don’t use a metal one. Let the mixture soak overnight.
• Apply this mixture in the scalp and hair. You can include indigo with this mixture to avoid becoming hair orange.
• Leave the hair mask for 1-2 hours and wash with cool water and shampoo without sulfate.
• Try doing this remedy once in a month.

Amla And Lemon

Ingredients

• Amla Juice – 1 tbsp
• Lemon Juice – 1 tbsp

Instructions

• Include mix all ingredients and combine well.
• Massage the mix in your scalp for five minutes.
• Keep an amla mask for 10 minutes and wash your hair with lukewarm water and shampoo without sulfate.

Amla: Skin Benefits

Amla is the best elixir for the skin. It helps to treat many skin conditions.

Lightens Complexion

The cell reinforcements and vitamin C present in gooseberry lighten your skin and promote natural glow. You can consume honey and amla juice and also apply over the face to remove the blemish.

Anti-aging

Amla is best for reducing aging effects. It promotes youthful skin. The vitamin C and antioxidants bring younger skin and delay aging, wrinkles, fine lines, and dark spots.

Treats Pigmentation

Amla helps to cleanse your skin and lower the pigmentation. Try applying amla juice over face using cotton and wash after some time. Avoid contact with eyes. Trying this helps to lighten your skin and pigmented area.

Tightens and Tones Skin

The reduced collagen loses the softness and firmness and results in sagging. The vitamin C of amla boost the collagen cells production and promote skin. It brings supple, soft, and youthful skin.

Treat Pimple and Acne Scars

You can use amla juice for reducing scars of acne and pimple. Apply amla paste and wash after 10-15 minutes. It helps to fight micro-organisms and purify the blood and keep skin infection and pimple free. Consuming amla juice promote flawless skin.

Cleanses and Exfoliates Skin

Amla is the best cleanser for the skin. It works as a mild exfoliant and removes dead skin cells. You can dilute the amla juice with water for sensitive skin.

Repairs Damaged Tissues

Amla also provides healing properties due to vitamin C and antioxidants. These qualities of amla help to repair damaged tissues and prevent scaly and dry skin.

How To Add The Gooseberry In Your Diet?

You can consume gooseberry as fresh and raw. You can also consume sliced and sprinkled salt.

Dried Fruit

Chop and dry it in the sun and use some spice. You can eat this dried version of amla fruit and eat as a dried pickle that helps digestive health.

Dried Fruit Powder

You can also blend and make the powder and consume with one glass of water and one teaspoon. Consume this drink every morning.

The Juice

You can consume the fruit as juice in your daily diet. Drinking gooseberry juice every morning to get health benefits.

The Oil

The oil of amla is very helpful for hair and skin. Massaging your scalp and hair makes your hair shiny and smooth, which prevents scalp issues like itchiness, dryness, and dandruff.

Enjoy Amla Recipes

As amla is a sacred tree and known for prosperity, it helps to rejuvenate your daily diet. According to Ayurveda, regular eating amla helps to balance Kapha, pitta, and Vata in the body. Amla is a common remedy for the Indian household. Gooseberry is in use from ancient times for many ayurvedic treatments. It provides rich vitamin C, nutrient polyphenols, calcium, vitamin A, iron, magnesium. Include the amla in your everyday diet. Here are more ways to enjoy amla in your daily diet.

Candy

 

Amla candy is a sour and sweet recipe with many benefits and used in the winter season. Sundry the amla and sweetened using sugar. You can store the amla candy in a container for one year.

Pickle

Amla pickle is the best way to use it as a daily dose. However, you can safely consume 1-2 spoonfuls of amla pickle daily.

Powder

It is the most affordable way to include amla in the diet. Eat amla powder in a small amount before improving digestion.

Juice

Amla juice is another way to consume amla. It helps to promote immunity and metabolism by removing bacterial and viral ailments. You can make amla juice by diluting water and honey to drink.

Murabba

Amla murabba is a popular recipe with spicy and sweet delight. Gooseberry is a fruit that provides innumerable benefits. It enhances your immunity and manages cholesterol. The murabba is a recipe of boiled amla and left in sugar syrup with the flavor of cardamom. Sugar and the tangy taste bring an amazing flavor in sweet pickles.

Curries and Daals

Adding one tsp of amla powder as spice helps to enhance the taste of daal and curries.

Tea

Amla tea is another way to use amla quickly. You will need to boil the amla or grate and boil the amla than let it simmer. Then include one tsp of jaggery and drink it warm.

Chutney

• You can use amla for making chutney. It gives a quick spicy tweak to your regular dish.
• Heat the oil and include garlic, green chilies, coriander seeds, curry leaves. Now saute the amla for 4-5 minutes.
• Blend this mixture by adding fenugreek seeds and salt.
• Make a paste of thick consistency.

Risks and Precautions

May Risk Low Blood Sugar

Generally, amla is good for managing high blood sugar, but it may risk low blood sugar. Amla is known to reduce blood sugar and may disturb sugar levels.

Allergy

Some people may experience allergic reactions like abdominal pain, diarrhea, dizziness, nausea. In this case, avoid using amla and take the doctor’s help.

Abnormal Weight Loss

Gooseberries are known to remove toxins through urine. Consuming a high amount of amla causes dehydration and abnormal weight loss.

May Increase Symptoms of a Cold

Amla reduces body temperature and increases the symptoms of the cold flue.

Generally, amla is the healthiest berries in India and other parts of the world. You can see above in this article how beneficial it is. Use gooseberry fresh in its seasons and also use its powder in non-season and get all benefits. Look young and healthy. Comment your experience and ideas with gooseberry.