Is there a fruit more revered in Ayurveda as Amla?
Indian Gooseberry or Amalaki (Amla) or Emblica Officinalis has almost legendary significance in Ayurveda. Amalaki is known as a 'Rasayana' in Ayurveda. A Rasayana is a herb that when consumed, strengthens the resistance of the body and protects it from infection causing disease. Hence Amla is a powerful rejuvenating herb that is used to support and boost the immune system.
Amalaki is native to South East Asia and can be found mostly in India, Sri Lanka Pakistan and Malaysia. In Sanskrit Amalaki means "the sustainer". It is a round green fruit that is predominantly sour to the taste but when consumed with a bit of water, can taste rather sweet. Speaking of taste, Ayurveda recognises 6 tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent. It is said that Amla contains 5 out of these six tastes (the only exception is salty)
So what are some of the benefits of Amalaki?
- One of the highest concentrations of Vitamin C which can help improve immunity against cough, cold, and infectious diseases
- Stimulates digestive fire which helps digest food and improve overall gut health
- Wonderful for strengthening hair and nourishing the skin
- Known to promote healthy eyes and nails
- Is tridosha or in other words, supports all three biological dosha types of Vata, Pitta and Kapha
- Reduces inflammation because the antioxidants in Amla help in neutralising free radicals and reduce inflammation in the body
You will find Amalaki in a number of our products including in fruit form in our Ayurvedic Fruit products. One packet (100gms) of our Amalaki dried fruit will cover the regular daily requirement of Vitamin C for 3 days.
It's most famous decoction however, can be found in the Health and Immunity Chyawanprash Herbal Jam. We will cover more about Chyawanprash on a separate post but suffice to say, this product should be a staple for anyone looking to enhance their health and immunity naturally, all year round.