Plant anatomy and harvesting
The tree is small to medium in size, reaching 8 to 18 m in height, with a crooked trunk and spreading branches. The branchlets are glabrous or finely pubescent, 10–20 cm long, usually deciduous; the leaves are simple, subsessile and closely set along branchlets, light green, resembling pinnate leaves. The flowers are greenish-yellow. The fruit are nearly spherical, light greenish yellow, quite smooth and hard on appearance, with six vertical stripes or furrows.Ripening in autumn, the berries are harvested by hand after climbing to upper branches bearing the fruits. The taste of Indian gooseberry is sour, bitter and astringent, and it is quite fibrous. In India, it is common to eat gooseberries steeped in salt water and turmeric to make the sour fruits palatable]. It is also used to straighten hair.
Description
Herbal Amla is a small to medium sized deciduous tree, 8-18 m in height with thin light grey bark exfoliating in small thin irregular flakes; leaves simple, very many, subsessile, closely set along the branchlets, distichous, light green having the appearance of pinnate leaves. Flowers of Herbal Amla or Indian Gooseberry are greenish yellow, in axillary fascicles, unisexual, males numerous on short slender pedicels, females few, subsessile, ovary 3-celled; Amla fruits globose, fleshy, pale yellow with six obscure vertical furrows enclosing 6 trigonous seeds in 2-seeded 3 crustaceous cocci
Medical research
Indian gooseberry has undergone preliminary research, demonstrating in vitro antiviral and antimicrobial properties. There is preliminary evidence in vitro that its extracts induce apoptosis and modify gene expression in osteoclasts involved in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis It may prove to have potential activity against some cancers. One recent animal study found treatment with E. officinalis reduced severity of acute pancreatitis (induced by L-arginine in rats). It also promoted the spontaneous repair and regeneration process of the pancreas occurring after an acute attack.Experimental preparations of leaves, bark or fruit have shown potential efficacy against laboratory models of disease, such as forinflammation, cancer, age-related renal disease, and diabetes
A human pilot study demonstrated a reduction of blood cholesterol levels in both normal and hypercholesterolemic men with treatment.Another recent study with alloxan-induced diabetic rats given an aqueous amla fruit extract has shown significant decrease of the blood glucose, as well as triglyceridemic levels and an improvement of the liver function caused by a normalization of the liver-specific enzymealanine transaminase activity
Although these fruits are reputed to contain high amounts of ascorbic acid (vitamin C), 445 mg/100g,[ the specific contents are disputed, and the overall antioxidant strength of amla may derive instead from its high density of tannins
Amla is an extensively used herb in making ayurvedic medicines. Amla is supposed to rejuvenate all the organ systems of the body, provide strength and wellness. According to ayurvedic experts regular usage of amlawill make our live more then 100 years like a youth.
Amla keeps us away from all the diseases by boosting our immune system. It is known as Emblica officinalisin biological terms and amlaki in Sanskrit language. It is the richest natural source of vitamin C.
Chemical Constituents
The major amino acids present in herbal amla are; alanine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, lysine, and proline, analysis of fresh fruit pulp gave moisture, protein, fat carbohydrates fibre, minerals, iron, niacin, and vitamin fruit ash contains; chromium and copper.
Health Benefits of Amla
- It is very helpful in skin diseases.
- It promotes glow on skin and delays wrinkles or loosening of skin.
- It stimulates hair follicles thus promoting hair growth and also improves texture of the hair.
- It prevents premature graying of hairs and dandruff.
- Amla act as natural hair conditioner and provides good nourishment and also helps in normalizing blood supply
- It acts as an effective natural cure for indigestion, acidity, constipation, gastric troubles, and flatulence.
- It is helpful in improving liver function.
- It helps in lowering cholesterol and blood sugar level.
- It has very good results in chronic cough, child hood and allergic asthma and tuberculosis.
- It provides nourishment to the nerves and is helpful in paralytic conditions.
- It also works as brain tonic and helps to alertness and memory.
- It helps in improving quality of sperms due to its madhur (sweet) vipaka property.
- It also acts as anti-inflammatory agent thereby suppresses pain and swelling.
- Amla finds great application in improving eyesight.
- It also improves general health weakness and makes our body\'s immune system strong therefore help to fight diseases.
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Cosmetic Uses
Amla or Indian Gooseberry has one of the purest forms of natural Vitamin C, 20 times higher than orange juice. Herbal amla in forms of herbal powder and amla oil nourishes the hair, thickens and darkens it. Amla fruit is said to penetrate the scalp and strengthen hair at its root, to stop and reverse abnormal hair loss and to promote stronger, healthier new growth. Herbal Amla is also an excellent conditioning herb.
The Amla fruit yields an oil that has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine to treat the hair and scalp. Amla fruit is said to penetrate the scalp and strengthen hair at its root, to stop and reverse abnormal hair loss and to promote stronger, healthier hair growth. Amla or Indian Gooseberry is also an excellent conditioner to use as a hot oil treatment. Amla oil and amla powder is used in shampoos, conditioning rinses, hair pomades and oil treatments. It can also be used in combination with Brahmi oil to strengthen the hair and add body. Amla powder is good in skin disorders, Respiratory infections and Premature aging. The dried amla fruit is detergent and is widely used as shampoo. These are so many known applications of amla tree and its products that many companies dealing in traditional medicines use amla fruit for preparing different formulations for treating several diseases, as health tonic etc.
An Ancient farmula with therapeutis properties designed to penetrate hair shaft and naurish scalp. Indian Gooseberry contains powerful, preventive, protective and corrective qualities. Amla powder is useful in aloepecia and corrects split ends and prevents dryness. Amla encourages blood supply to the scalp.
Medicinal Uses
The root bark is astringent, and is useful in ulcerative stomatitis and gastrohelcosis. The bark is useful in gonorrhoea, jaundice, diarrhoea and myalgia. The leaves are useful in conjunctivitis, inflammation, dyspepsia, diarrhoea and dysentery. The fruits are sour, astringent, bitter, acrid, sweet, cooling, anodyne, ophthalmic, carminative, digestive, stomachic, laxative, alterant, alexeteric, aphrodisiac, diuretic, antipyretic, tonic and trichogenous. They are useful in vitiated conditions of tridosa; diabetes, cough, asthma, bronchitis, cephalalgia, ophthalmopathy, dyspepsia, colic, flatulence, hyperacidity, peptic ulcer, erysipelas, skin diseases, leprosy, haematemesis, inflammations, anaemia, emaciation, hepatopathy, jaundice, strangury, diarrhoea, dysentery, haemorrhages, leucorrhoea, menorrhagia, cardiac disorders, intermittent fevers and greyness of hair
.Benefits of Amla
- Strong rejuvenative
- Balances stomach acids
- Improves food absorption
- Anti-oxidant - prevents premature aging
- Amla is known to prevent and treat respiratory disorders
- Lungs are strengthened by Amla
- Amla enhances brain functions
- Amla detoxifies and cleanses.
- Fertility is enhanced by regular use of Amla
- Amla strengthens immune system
- Acts as a coolant
- Amla treats hemorrhage, diarrhea and dysentery
- Amla with its strong vitamin content is very useful for scurvy
- With its anti-oxidant and detoxification properties, Amla is well known for treating skin disorders
- Disorders of the eye are also treated by Amla
- Amla prevents premature graying and falling of hair.
- Cough, cold, sore throat & other respiratory tract infections
- Premature aging
- Repeated episodes of respiratory infections, as an immunomodulator
- Dyspepsia & Hyperacidity
- Skin disorders
The amla fruit juice is reported to contain nearly 20 times as much vitamin C as orange juice. The edible amla fruit tissue has 3 times the protein concentration and 160 times the ascorbic acid concentration of an apple. The fruit also contains considerably higher concentration of most minerals and amino acids than apples. Amla fruit ash contains chromium, 2.5 ; zinc, 4; and copper, 3 ppm. The fruit is considered an adaptogenic that improves immunity.
Dosage
1 or 2 capsules twice daily with meals. Allow several weeks for long lasting benefits. Natural products treat not just the symptoms but the body as a whole and take time for absorption and results.
Amla Research and Clinical Studies
Amla has been identified to have potent antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antistress properties. Apart from its medicinal use it is widely used in traditional hair and skin care formulations. Aside from Vitamin C, Amla\'s mineral and vitamin contents include calcium, Phosphorous, iron, carotene, carbohydrate, thiamine, riboflavin. Its strong antioxidant properties are due to its small molecular weight tannoid complexes.
Ayurveda medicinal properties of Amalaki - Amla (Emblica Officinalis)
Amalaki or Amla is also know as Indian goose berry. It is deciduous tree which reaches a height of 5 meters. The bark of this tree is light brown in colour. Leaves which are 10 mm long and 3 mm wide are closely set in pinnate fashion giving a feathery appearance. Flowers are pale green and occur in cluster of 6 to 10. Fruits are fleshy, globe shaped anddepressed at poles. They weight 6-8 gms.
Fruits of amla tree are used in ayurvedic preparations. Amla fruit is praised as DHATRI (god of health) in Ayurveda. .The ayurvedic medicinal properties of amla are as follows
Other uses:-
As an eye tonic and cure of eye ailments
Washing eyes with cool water having Amla powder soaked and strained is good for the eyes and it also improves eye-sight.
Washing the eyes with ground Amla and til powder water (soak Amla and Til powder in water overnight and strain it) in the morning cures burning sensation in the eyes.
Applying pulp of Amla on the head and washing the hair after massage helps in curing burning sensation in the eyes and heaviness of the head.
Have Amla powder washed down with milk to improve your eyesight.
Eating 10 gms. of Triphala (the powder made by mixing even quantity of Hirda, Bahera (Behda) , Amla powders) with 1 tsp of honey keeps eyes very healthy strong and sparkling.
Having Triphala powder with honey not only keeps eyes bright and shining but it is also very good for the digestive system.
For curing head and heart ailments
Taking Amla Murabba every day in the morning cures physical and mental debility. Taking Amla juice is ideal for keeping your head and eyes strong.
Massaging the scalp with Amla oil before going to bed removes mental weakness.
Taking Amla powder with cow\'s milk or Misri (even amount) with water gives relief in heart ailments.
Applying paste made up of dried Amla powder with Kumkum, Neelkamal and rose-water cures headache. Applying paste of Juice of 2 to 3 Amla or its pulp mixed with little rose water and 3 to 4 pieces of kesar (saffron) in it-on the affected part for 15 mts. relieves the pain of migraine.
Curing involuntary nocturnal emission
Taking 10 gms of fresh Amla juice with 1 gm. of powdered haldi (turmeric) and honey every morning and evening cuers this problem.
Taking Amla water (soak dried Amla powder in 1:3 proportion in water for 12 hours, strain the water and mix 1 gm. haldi powder) regularly helps in curing night discharge problem
Problems connected with uro generative system
Taking 1 gm Amla powder, kala jeera and 2 gms. ground misri with cold water cures the problem of bed wetting.
Taking milk after eating fresh Amla juice or dried Amla powder with gur (jaggery) cures stranguary.
Applying paste of Amla near the naval portion helps in curing urinary problem. Boil 20 gm. pulp of dried Amla in 160 gms. water till 40 gms. is left. Then mix 20 gms. of Gur (Jaggary) in it. Drinking this potion helps in urinary problem.
Taking crushed Amla pulp (after straining it) mixed with misri cures blood in urine.
Taking 20 gms fresh Amla Juice with 10 gms. of honey and water twice a day cures problem connected with urination.
Acidity and digestive problems
Licking one tea spoon of dried Amla powder with honey or ghee after dinner checks acidity. (See also : Remedies for acid peptic ulcers)
Taking 3 gms. powdered Amla with 6 gms. honey every day for one mouth cures the problem of leucorrhoea.
Leucorrhoea is also cured by taking powder of Amla seed with honey or mjsri regularly. Taking 20 gms. fresh Amla juice mixed with honey regularly for a month cures weakness of the generative system.
Blood impurities
Taking Amla juice or powder with honey purifies blood.
Taking 5 gms. of powder (made from 20 gms triphala, 20 gms. black pepper, 10 gms. pure sulphur, 5 gms. of neem leaves and mehandi leaves-ground in fine powder form) with a glass of water twice a day cures all impurities of blood.
Piles
Soak 15 gms. Amla and 15 gms. of mehandi (myrtle) leaves overnight in 400 gms. water strain the liquid in the morning. Drinking this water checks piles. Taking 5 gms. of triphala churna with a glass of whey helps in curing piles. Also, taking fresh Amla juice with half tsp of ghee and 1 tsp. of honey and 100 gms. of milk-after lunch-cures even chronic piles problem.
Taking Amla powder with radish helps in checking stone in bladder by breaking the stones and throwing it out with urine. The best time to have them is morning or evening.
Constipation
Have 1 tsp dried Amla powder with milk or water before retiring for the day. It helps in imparting movements to the bowels and keeping the system clean. Also taking strained water of mashed fresh Amlas soaked overnight in lukewarm water helps in evacuating the bowels. Taking 4 tsp fresh Amla juice and 3 tsp honey mixed in a glass of water relieves constipation. If constipation is caused by worms, take about 20 gms. fresh juice of Amla every day to kill the worms.
Cold and cough
Taking two tsp of fresh Amla juice with honey twice a day helps in taking out the phlegm and controls cold. Also, taking milk in which a little Amla powder and ghee boiled in the evening helps in dry cough. Licking Amla powder with honey regularly twice or thrice a day also cures chronic dry cough.
Skin troubles
If there is the problem of extreme dryness of the skin, taking tea boiled with pieces of Amla in it mixed with sugar and milk helps greatly. Itching problem is cured by applying Amla churna in chameli oil (dry Amlas in shade, powder them and mix them in chameli-Jasmine oil. The bottle should be kept in shade) on the part of the body where itching is gives reting.
Baldness and other allied problems
Washing the head with Amla-juice mixed with water after rubbing the scalp for 10-15 mts. with fresh Amla juice helps in restoring the vitality of hair. Soak dried Amla, Harar, Bahera and Shikakai in an iron utensil overnight and mesh them nicely, washing your hair regularly with this strengthens the hair and checks hair loss.
Applying the paste of Amla powder mixed in lemon juice on the hair 10 to 15 mts. before washing them with Amla water keeps the hair strong and shining.
Dying the hair with the following herbal paste makes them turn automatically black and strong. Make the paste of Amla and Mehandi leaves and apply it on the hair. Keep it applied for about 15 to 20 mts. Then wash it off with lukewarm water. This will make your hair black and shining.
Washing the hair with dicoction of Amla removes dryness of the scalp, checks dandruff and stops excessive fall and the greying of hair.
Massaging the head with Amla oil imparts natural glow to hair, relieves mental tension and induces sleep.
Jaundice
Soak 4 Munnakkas (big raisins) in juice of 4 fresh Amla. After one hour grind the soaked munakkas and mix it with Amlajuice. Taking this potion twice a day gives relief in Jaundice.
Mix a churna in the following way. Grind each of Amla, dry ginger, black pepper, 3 gms. of iron bhasm and little turmeric. Lick this churna mixed with a teaspoonful honey helps cure Jaundice.
Gout
Taking fresh Amlajuice with old ghee-heated a little-regularly for a few says relieves stiffness of joints and helps in curing gout
Removing the spots left by measels, chicken pox, small-pox etc.
Take bath with the water having Amla juice mixed in it. Also, apply the paste made of Amla and til in equal quantity ground in cold milk added with 3 or 4 drops of rose water on spots and let it stay for sometime and then wash it off with Amla soaked water.
Boils in mouth
Doing gargles with water having fresh Amla juice twice or thrice a day gives great relief and helps curing the boils. After gargles apply fresh Amla juice on the boils and let saliva ooze out.
Lices in hair
Applying the paste of ground seeds of Amla mixed with lemon- especially on the roots of the hair and washing after half an hour will clear the lices from the hair. Even when washing it off use the water having little of Amla juice.
Amla as the beautifying agent
Application of the Amla paste mixed with turmeric and-oil on- body makes the skin clear, soft and improves the complexion.
Drinking Amla juice mixed with honey in the morning makes the complexion glowing and blemishless.
Application of the Amla paste on the face and washing it off after 10 to 15 mts class pimples and heals up the spots so created.
Checking menstrual disorder
Take boiled pulp of Amla with honey two times a day relieves the pain in the bleeding.
Taking Amla juice mixed with ripe banana 3 to 4 times a day during periods-checks profuse bleeding.
Insect-bite
Applying the paste made of Triphala powder mixed with cow\'s urine-on the affected part-relieves the poisonous effects of insects. Drinking Amla juice will also help in such cases.
General maintenance of health
Munching raw Amla or one piece of Amla Murabba washed down with milk is an ideal breakfast for staying healthy and living till ripe old age.
Also, taking Chyavanprash (having enough of Amla) in the morning is also very good tonic for maintaining good health.
Taking sharbat of Amla in summers keeps the body cool even in the height of summers.
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ishit r kothari
