Health and Beauty Benefits of Amla (Indian Gooseberry)

Health and Beauty Benefits of Amla (Indian Gooseberry)

Amla, also popularly known as Indian gooseberry (Emblica officinalis or Phyllanthus emblica), is one of the most potent antioxidant herbs. In Sanskrit its name is Amalaki, which translates as ‘the fruit where the goddess of prosperity presides’. Amla is one of the richest natural sources of vitamin C and is used in a number of Ayurvedic medicines.

amla indian gooseberry
Common Name:

Hindi – Aamla.
English – Gooseberry, Emblic Myrobalam.
Sanskrit – Amalki, Dhatri, amalika.
Gujarati – Aamla.
Marathi – Aavalaa.
Bangla – Amloki.
Punjabi – Olay.
Assamese – Amlakhi.
Odiya – Aanla.
Tamil – Nellikkai.
Kannada – Nellikkaai.
Telugu – Usiri.
Malayalam- Nellikka.

Health Benefits of Amla:

amla

Amla is an extensively used herb in making Ayurvedic medicines. It is a natural anti-oxidant and is supposed to rejuvenate all the organ systems of the body, provide strength and wellness. Amla is one of the richest natural sources of vitamin C, its fresh juice containing nearly twenty times as much vitamin C as orange juice. Health benefits of Amla are:
• 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.
• Lowers the risk of cold, cough and other infections of respiratory tract.
• 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 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.
• Helps to improve immunity.
• It is very helpful in skin diseases.
• Protects from bacterial, viral and fungal infections.
• Helps to accelerate the wound healing process.
• Protects the body from radiation.
• Helps to reduce the risk of cancers.
• Amla is most useful treatment of ulcers and hyperacidity.

Indian Gooseberry

Beauty Benefits of Amla:

As mentioned earlier, Amla has the highest content of naturally occurring vitamin C, it is a natural anti-oxidant and its powder form is great for topical application to the hair and skin.

Benefits of Amla Powder for Hair:

Amla has many advantages where hair is concerned. Amla’s benefits for hair cause it to be used in many herbal shampoos, oils and hair loss creams. Amla can be used on your hair to slow hair loss, increase thickness and slow graying. It also leaves hair soft, silky and shiny. It acts like a hair tonic in increasing hair pigmentation and assuring more hair growth.

There are various miraculous effects that Amla can provide you with:
• Reduce scalp infection.
• It strengthens hair roots and promotes long, lustrous and healthy hair.
• Amla powder Clean away the excessive dandruff.
• Amla powder prevents hair from graying prematurely.
• Amla powder is very beneficial in stopping hair loss.
• Amla is a natural hair conditioner. Washing hair with Amla makes it shine and provides good nourishment.
• Amla stimulates hair follicles thus promoting hair growth and also improves texture of the hair.

Amla Powder

Benefits of Amla Powder for Skin:

Amla works great for your skin as well. Amla paste is an excellent exfoliating, anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial astringent scrub for your face. Amla has high levels of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) which break up the top layer of dead skin. As a facial, it can tighten and tone the skin and balance redness. Amla is a wonderful exfoliant as it has natural astringent properties which help to remove dead skin cells without the chemicals of commercial products.
• Amla powder promotes glow on skin and delays wrinkles or loosening of skin.
• Amla powder helps to clear pimples and acne.
• Amla cleanses the skin.
• Amla powder acts as an astringent and tones the skin.
• Amla powder as a topical application is very good for many skin disorders.

Beauty Applications and Tips with Amla:

• You can make the hair mask using amla powder, olive oil and yoghurt. 2 tbsps of amla powder should be mixed with 1 tbsp of olive oil and yoghurt each to create a thin paste which you can then apply on your hair. Leave it for one hour. Later, wash it off with a gentle shampoo.
• Use coconut hair oil with amla in it to add proper nutrition to your hair. Apply it in the night and wash it off in the morning with a shampoo. Do not use a conditioner since the hair oil itself should add the required glaze to your hair.
• Take spoonful each of Amla, Reetha and Shikakai and boil in water on slow heat until the liquid reduces to half. Use this as shampoo for washing your hair.
• For a hair tonic mix together two eggs, two tablespoons each of Amla, Reetha and Shikakai powder and apply on the scalp and hair.
• Soak Amla Powder with adequate amount of water preferably in an iron vessel. Leave overnight and gently apply in between hair locks & scalp and massage gently in the morning with this extract. Leave it in for 30 minutes to 1 hour & rinse the hair properly afterwards with water. Mix the amla powder with Shikakai powder and Henna powder for even better results.
• If gray hair always made you look older than your age, it is time to mix some amla powder with lime juice and apply it all over your head. This is will darken your hair color, and give it them a lustrous shine.
• Blend 1 tablespoon of amla powder with lukewarm water. Apply on face. Leave on for about 10 minutes then gently rinse off. Amla powder is an excellent natural astringent and skin cleanser.
• When used on skin, the paste of this powder brightens the complexion and removes pimples and grime. Mix a spoonful of amla powder with hot water and gently scrub your face and wash the paste off after a minute.
• For internal nourishment of hair and skin, include amla in your diet. You can take Amla juice every morning or other products that include Amla are Triphla (Contains Amla along with 2 other fruits. Cleanses Colon, Treats IBS, Digestive Disorders, Ulcerative Colitis), Chywanprash (Main constituent is Amla pulp. Very effective during winter in maintaining Immunity to Coughs, Colds, Infections. Year round it is an Anti-oxidant) and Amla Capsules (Pure amla capsules for rejuvenation, cleansing and skin care)

Image Sources:  1, 2, 3, 4.

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14 thoughts on “Health and Beauty Benefits of Amla (Indian Gooseberry)

  1. my mom use dto give so muhc amla ka murabba in bachpan. now i can’t eat it. i find it too much loaded with sugar. i like amla ka achaar now.. :woot: :woot: :woot: great write up mamta. amla is an awesome product :yes: :yes: :yes: :yes:

    1. same here.. my mom also makes murabba frm it, bt id nt lyk it :sick: , but i can drink amla juice.. :waaa: :waaa: :waaa: :shy:

  2. When I was little, I used to seriously think that “olay” (I learnt the Punjabi name first and the term ‘Amla’ years later) was from Spanish. You know, the way they keep going – “oley!”. :silly: :silly:
    Great article Mamta! :thumbsup: :thanks: I used to eat the “murabba” in childhood but stopped liking it as I grew older. :yuck: I recently discovered these chewy “amla toffee” kind of thingie. Will give THAT a try now that I know how useful amla is. :toothygrin:

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