Amla, or Indian gooseberry, is a nutritional supplement that is the food champion in vitamin C content. According to the ORAC rating, it is included in the list of 100 strongest antioxidants.
Amla – what is it?
Gooseberries are not just one plant. Under this name, several dozen botanical subspecies are combined, but amla does not apply to them. It is singled out as a separate species – Phyllanthus emblica (Indian gooseberry), and the name of the amla berry comes from amalika (Sanskrit language).
Unlike low-growing gooseberry bushes, amla grows on evergreen trees that can reach over 18 meters in height. On their branches you can find large berries of a rich yellow-green color. Their size is similar to the size of a ping pong ball.
The fruits are appreciated by adherents of Ayurveda. They are used in two of the most significant recipes for this science: in triphala powder (triphala) and in a mixture of chawanprash (chawanprash). Triphala powder contains up to 33% of it, and in the chyawanprash mixture it takes about 46%, although this recipe includes more than three dozen different ingredients.
Amla can be eaten unaltered, but is most commonly used as a powder.
Dr. Michael Greger: “Amla is the most antioxidant-rich fruit on planet Earth”