Everything You Need To Know About Amla Nutrition
Page Medically Reviewed and Edited by Cyrus Khambatta, PhD
Amla, otherwise known as Indian Gooseberry, is by far the “king” of antioxidant-rich foods, due to the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants found in this tiny, green berry.
But why don’t you see it on more superfood lists?
The reason it’s often excluded from most superfood lists is simply due to the taste—as it may be very bitter and sour.
However, even though it may be bitter … sour … and hard to taste, the moment it mixes with your digestive saliva, the taste may change and the true sweetness of this berry may power through.
But what is so special about this tiny, powerful berry?
What Exactly Is Amla?
Amla, which is another name for Indian Gooseberry, is a tiny, green berry that is native to India and other Eastern countries.
It’s grown in many different areas, and often harvested in the fall, when the berry has reached optimal ripeness.
Although grown on the other side of the world, Amla is not entirely new. This berry has been used for thousands of years in Ayurveda as both a healing agent and for its medicinal powers.
Even though most people use it for fixing gray hair or replenishing their youthful look … this powerful super fruit has been used for over 5,000 years as a way to rejuvenate, revive, and balance your body in a number of different ways.
But there may be some issues with some Amla fruit that you may be able to get your hands on.
You see, although there may be many places that harvest Amla, most of them use popular pesticides and fungicides residue that could still cover the berry—or even the juice or powder that it is often made into.
This poses a significant health risk—and often negates the powerful antioxidants that are found in Amla.
This small berry may:
• Pack more antioxidant punch than blueberries
• Has 10 time more vitamin C than lemon juice
• Contains 30 times more antioxidants than RED WINE
• Contains more gallic acid (a very strong antioxidant) than any fruit out there
The dangerous pesticide and growing techniques may change the nutrient profile of Amla—so it may not be as effective.
The Amazing Power Of Nutrition With Amla
Although considered the “king” of antioxidants, you may not know exactly what you’re going to get with Amla.
From calories to nutrition, people often ask what Amla can provide nutritionally for their bodies. But trust me, there is more nutrition found in this tiny berry than a bushel of blueberries or even a grove of oranges.
Let’s take a look at what type of nutrition this berry provides:
1. Low in Calories
This berry, like others, is very low in calories. In fact, there are only 44 calories per 100 grams of gooseberries, which isn’t a whole lot.
This makes Amla a perfect addition to any weight loss plan, because you can have plenty of Amla without worrying about added weight gain.
Plus, the fiber found in Amla may suppress your appetite, therefore lending a hand in appetite control.
2. It’s a Fiber-Rich Food
Fiber is an extremely important nutrient for you to have. Not only does it help suppress appetite, therefore stripping away pounds and body fat, it’s also a nutrient that could protect your heart and improve regularity.
When it comes to heart health, fiber has been shown in numerous studies to lower total and LDL cholesterol, therefore eliminating particles that could easily transform into artery-damaging molecules.
This alone could prevent blockages from occurring in the arteries going to your heart (and your brain), therefore cutting down on heart attack or stroke risk.
Fiber may also keep you regular, which does two different things in your body.
Staying regular may eliminate toxins that may be stored in your body, therefore preventing damaging effects to your DNA. Plus it could also reduce the risk for colon cancer.
High fiber foods may also improve your digestive system, therefore helping to manage blood sugar levels more effectively.
3. High Chromium Content
Chromium is an essential nutrient that your body needs to stay healthy—and it’s especially important if you have diabetes or you’re a prediabetic.
As you know, high blood sugar may damage your cells, lead to unruly cravings, and could eventually lead to a breakdown in the production and secretion of insulin.
But chromium may be able to help. Not only does this powerful nutrient help lower blood sugar levels naturally, it may also increase the production of insulin, therefore helping to stabilize and maintain normal blood sugar levels.
4. The Highest Concentration of Vitamin C
This essential vitamin (meaning you can’t produce it on your own) is extremely important when it comes to improving your health.
It’s one of the strongest antioxidants around and may ward off many chronic diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. It does so by scavenging free radicals that could cause damage within your body.
It reduces your risk for heart disease by lowering blood pressure and lowering total and LDL cholesterol levels. This could protect your heart from developing heart disease or even from suffering a heart attack.
Vitamin C may also prevent gout attacks by lowering uric acid levels, increase iron absorption therefore preventing anemia, boost immunity, and protect your memory and thinking as you get older.
5. Contains Gallic Acid
Gallic acid, a very powerful antioxidants, is also found in Amla. This powerful antioxidant may protect your body from cancer and neuronal cell death.
Studies have shown that gallic acid may be deadly to cancer cells (especially prostate, colon, lung, and leukemia), while preventing damage to healthy cells.
This powerful antioxidant may also have anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties, therefore protecting your body from harmful bacteria.
Just like vitamin C, it may also protect your cells from oxidative damage, therefore keeping chronic diseases at bay.
Conclusion
Amla is a very powerful berry that may hold tremendous benefits to your health.
The high fiber, vitamin C, and gallic acid content found in Amla may protect your cells from the damage associated with free radicals, therefore reducing your risk for a number of different health conditions, including cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
Although Amla may be very bitter and sour to taste, we have found a way to make it taste amazing—with ZERO bitter aftertaste. By combining Amla with dark Oolong Green Tea leaves, we have taken Amla and made it awesome.
And today, I would like you to …
Grab Your Risk-Free Trial Of Amla Green Tea TODAY (while supplies last)
Page Medically Reviewed and Edited by
Cyrus Khambatta, PhD
Cyrus Khambatta, PhD, is a cofounder of Mastering Diabetes and Amla Green is an internationally recognized nutrition and fitness coach who has been living with type 1 diabetes since 2002. Using an evidence-based approach to nutrition and fitness, he first reduced his own insulin usage by more than 40%, and has educated thousands of people with all forms of diabetes how to reverse insulin resistance using food as medicine. Cyrus earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University in 2003, then earned a PhD in Nutritional Biochemistry from the University of California at Berkeley in 2012. He is the co-host of the annual Mastering Diabetes Online Summit, a featured speaker at the Plant-Based Nutrition and Healthcare Conference (PBNHC), the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) Conference, Plant Stock, and has been featured on Forks Over Knives, NPR, PBS, KQED, Fast Company, and is the author of the upcoming book Mastering Diabetes.
- Kevin DiDonato
