Amla is one of the greatest anti-oxidant known to mankind. Amla is popularly known as Amalaki in Sanskrit and Indian gooseberry in western world. It is a deciduous tree found in tropical countries that grows in warm climatic condition. The tree is of medium height and has been mentioned in the book of ayurvedic medicine “The Charka Samhita”. As mentioned in Charka Samhita it is the best among all the body rejuvenators.

Emblica officinalis is the tree having reddish brown bark that is of medium height. It is generally found in the Indian subcontinent. In general whole plant part is used but fruit is the most widely used.

Amalaki is widely used in India since prehistoric times. It is used in many forms. Let it be chutney (sauce), murabba, pickles and powders. Its preparation can be found in almost every Indian kitchen. It is very important part of most ayurvedic medicine and supplements like Triphala, chavyanprasha, Amalaki rasayana, arogyaverdhani vati etc.

Following are the health benefits that are

· Excellent source of vitamin C - Amalaki is the best source of vitamin C. It has been estimated that the fresh fruits of amla contains about 720 mg of ascorbic acid per 100 grams. Juice from Amalaki contains 900 mg of vitamin C per 100 gram.

· Promotes absorption of food – Amalaki is helpful in promoting the absorption of food in the body. Due to cold properties of Amalaki, it promotes the proper absorption of water and other nutrients in the intestines. It is also helpful in maintaining the proper peristaltic movements in the body.

· Balances gastric juices – Amalaki is helpful in maintaining the proper secretion of gastric juices especially the hydrochloric acid (HCl) that is being secreted in the stomach. This hydrochloric acid is helpful in proper digestion of food but if it is secreted in larger amount it causes the very widely known disorder, acidity.

· Improves liver condition - amla is one of the best liver stimulants. It helps in proper secretion of bile juices and also helps in proper metabolism of fats. It also helps in improving the immunity of the body and protects us with various ailments like jaundice and malaria.

· Improves mental stamina- Amalaki is a good brain tonic. It helps in improving the brain functioning and improve the mental concentration. It raises the grabbing power of the brain and also increases the retaining power.

· Regulates elimination – amla, as said earlier also helps in increasing the peristaltic movements and hence promotes proper elimination of toxins from the body. It tones up our gastrointestinal tract and gives proper nourishment to them.

· Tones urinary system – it tones up the urinary tract and also helps in fading away any kind of infection that happens in the body. More over it also reduces the chances of calculus (stones) formation in the kidneys

· Improves skin texture – Amalaki is wonderful for our skin and promotes glow in the skin. As it is cold in its potency, it is very helpful in nourishing the skin to the highest level. It does not let any kind of infection to occur in the body that might creep through the skin and causes skin ailments especially acne. It also improves blood circulation to the skin and purifies blood to decrease any chance of blood infection that is the major cause of skin ailments.

· Promotes hair growth – it is helpful in improving the growth of hairs and also improves its texture. It is widely used in India in hair oil and this is the reason Indian has beautiful hairs. It is also helpful in preventing premature graying of hairs and keeps the hairs in its natural color.

· Antioxidant – it is the most powerful herbal antioxidant. It helps in eliminating the free radical formation in the body and also helps in elimination of toxin in the body. It keeps the skin glowing and also avoids wrinkles formation in the body.

· Enhances immunity – it is very helpful in improving the immunity in the body. It promotes the formation of antibodies in case of any external invasion of the antigens that has the capability of causing any diseases in the body.

· Good for eyes – it is excellent for improving vision. It is also helpful in strengthening the eye muscle and has the great potential to remove the spectacles. It also is helpful in cooling the eyes and also helps in preventing eyes related problems like redness, watering and itching of eyes.