AMALAKI-EMBLICA OFFICINALIS

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This small fruit is stuffed with innumerable health benefits that can ever be imagined. The word Amla refers to sour, which is its predominant taste.

Charaka has mentioned Amalaki as the best among anti aging herbs.
Amalaki has sourness as its main taste. Usually sour taste increases Pitta but Amla balances Pitta.
Though amla has a slight sweet taste, it is used as an ingredient in many 

Amalaki contains five tastes excluding salt taste.

BOTANICAL NAME:- Emblica officinalis or Phyllanthus emblica
FAMILY :- Euphorbeaceae

Sanskrit Synonyms

Amalki, Amalaki  – having sour taste
Dhatri – takes care of the patient like a mother
Shriphala, Divya – fruit is auspicious
Amrutaphala – As good as nectar
Vayastha, Vayasya – anti aging
Tishyaphala,
Sheetaphala – has coolant property
Jatiphalarasa, Seedurasa, Seeduphala, Vrishyaphala
Shivam, Shanta, Vrittaphala, Varshaphala

Vernacular names

Hindi name: Amla, Awla, Anwala, ambala, amlika, anwala.
English name: Indian Gooseberry
Telugu name: Usiri Kaya, Usheeri Kayi, amalakamu, nelli, peddausiri, putlayusirika, usiri,usirikayi.
Tamil name: Nellikkai, perunelli, nellikaay.
Malayalam name: Nelli
Kannada name – Nelli, nellikay
Bengali name – Aamla, Aamro, Amla, Aamalaki
Punjabi name – Aamlaa, Ambul, Ambalo
Gujarati name – Aavla, Aamlam, Aamli
Farsi name: Amlaj
Kannada name – Nelli, Nelli Kayi, Bettada Nelli Kayi
Malayalam name –  Nelli, nellikai
Konkani name – Avalo
Urdu name – Aamla, amal khushk.
Arabic name –  Amlakhushk
Pali name – Amalak
Marathi – Aouli, avalkati, avil, avla
Manipuri name – Heikru
Assamese name – Amlaki, Amla, Amlokhi, Amlok

Medicinal qualities

Guna (qualities) – Guru – heaviness, Sheeta – coolant
Rasa (taste) – Has five tastes. – sour, sweet, bitter, astringent and pungent (all the five tastes, excluding salt). Sour is dominant taste.
Vipaka (taste conversion after digestion): Madhura (sweet)
Veerya (potency): Sheeta (cold)
Effect on Tridosha: Tridoshahara  – It balances all the three Doshas.

Charaka Sutrasthana 27
Amla (Emblica officinalis Gaertn.) contains all tastes except salt
Rooksha – dry
Swadu – sweet
Kashaya – astringent
Balances Kapha and Pitta.

Sushruta Samhita: Amalakyadi, Parushakadi and Triphala group of herbs.
Vagbhata: Parushakadi group of herbs.

Classical categorization

Charaka Samhita
Jvaraghna – Group of herbs that are useful in fever
Kasaghna – Group of herbs that are useful in cough, cold
Virechanopaga – Group of herbs that are useful to induce purgation.
Kushtaghna – Group of herbs that are useful in skin diseases
Vayasthapana – Anti aging group of herbs
As per Charaka, it is one of those ingredients, that can be taken on a daily basis. (Pathya).  (Reference: Charaka Samhita Sutrasthana 5/12)
Bhavaprakasha Nighantu – Haritakyaadi varga
Kaiyadeva Nighantu – Aushadi varga
Dhanvantari Nighantu – Guduchyaadi varga
Raja Nighantu – Aamradi varga
Shodala Nighantu – Guduchyaadi varga


Morphology, Distribution

Morphology

medium sized tree growing up to 8 – 18 meter in height. 

Leaves are simple, subsessile, light green, resembling pinnate leaves. 

Flowers are small, greenish-yellow in color. 

Fruit is nearly spherical, light greenish-yellow, smooth, shining with 6 vertical stripes. Seeds are trigonous.

Distribution
Tropical parts of India. It is found in Nepal, India and Sri Lanka, throughout South-East Asia to southern China.

Chemical Constituents

Fruit juice of amla contains phenolic constituents like gallic acid, L-malic acid 2-o-gallate, Mucic acid 2-o-gallate, Corilagin Chebulagic acid, putrajivain.

Traditional benefits

Vayasthapana – Of all the anti aging herbs – Amla is the best.
Chakshushya – good for eyes, improves vision
Sarvadoshaghna – Balances Vata, Pitta and kapha
It balances Vata due to its sour taste
It balances Pitta dosha due to its sweetness and coldness
It balances Kapha dosha due to dryness and astringent properties.
It is quite similar to Haritaki in qualities.
Raktapittaghna – useful in bleeding disorders.
Pramehaghna – Useful in diabetes and urinary tract disorders.

Vrushya – aphrodisiac
Rasayana – anti aging, rejuvenative
Kanthya – useful in throat diseases, improves voice, good for throat.
Hrudya – good for heart
Daahahara – relieves burning sensation
Jvarahara – useful in fever
Rasayana – anti aging, rejuvenative
Amalaki churna is used in preparing a type of salt called Vida Lavana

For Power, Vigor

एवमामलकं चूर्णं स्वरसेनैव भावितम् ।शर्करामधुसर्पिर्भिर्युक्तं लीढ्वा पय: पिबेत् ॥
एतेनाशीतिवर्षोऽपि युवेव परिहृष्यते ॥ ४ ॥ चक्रदत्त वृष्याधिकार

evamāmalakaṃ cūrṇaṃ svarasenaiva bhāvitam |
śarkarāmadhusarpirbhiryuktaṃ līḍhvā paya: pibet ||
etenāśītivarṣo’pi yuveva parihṛṣyate || 4 || cakradatta vṛṣyādhikāra

एवमामलकं चूर्णं – evamāmalakaṃ cūrṇaṃ – Amla powder
स्वरसेनैव – svarasenaiva – is mixed with amla juice
भावितम् – bhāvitam – ground together till the juice evaporates. Thus amla powder is fortified with amla juice.
शर्करामधुसर्पिर्भिर्युक्तं – śarkarāmadhusarpirbhiryuktaṃ – mixed with equal quantity of sugar, honey and ghee. But honey and ghee should not be taken in equal proportions.
लीढ्वा – līḍhvā – this semisolid paste is mixed well.
पय: पिबेत् – paya: pibet – After consuming this, milk is consumed.
एतेनाशीतिवर्षोऽपि – etenāśītivarṣo’pi – by doing so, even an 80 year old person
युवेव परिहृष्यते – yuveva parihṛṣyate – can gain power and vigor of a young man

Amla leaves

Amla leaves – taken orally, or applied as a paste on hair, is to good to improve hair qualities.


Seed kernel qualities

Amla seed kernel is sweet and astringent. It is
Vrushya – natural aphrodisiac
Pradara – uterine bleeding disorders such as menorrhagia, metrorrhagia etc
Chardi – vomiting
Balances Vata and Pitta
Kasahara – relieves cold and cough
But seed kernel should be avoided during excessive diarrhea, abdominal colic, purpueral disorders and in pure Vata conditions.
Laghu – light to digest
Kashaya – astringent
Balances Kapha and Vata Dosha
Madakrut – can cause intoxication on excess use.
useful in –
Trut – excess thirst
Chardi – vomiting

USES

  • Supports healthy metabolism, digestion and elimination*
  • Promotes anti-inflammatory properties that cool, tone, and nourish tissues and organs*
  • Nourishes the heart and respiratory system*
  • Assists natural internal cleansing and maintains regularity*
  • Natural antioxidant*
  • Promotes healthy eyes, hair, nails, and skin*
  • Balances agni (digestive fire)*
  • Builds ojas to support a healthy immune response and youthfulness*
  • Supports healthy metabolism, digestion and elimination*
  • Promotes anti-inflammatory properties that cool, tone, and nourish tissues and organs*
  • Nourishes the heart and respiratory system*
  • Assists natural internal cleansing and maintains regularity*
  • Natural antioxidant*
  • Promotes healthy eyes, hair, nails, and skin*
  • Balances agni (digestive fire)*
  • Builds ojas to support a healthy immune response and youthfulness*

Anti cancer activity of Phyllanthus emblica 
The flavonoid quercetin of Amla is known to to attenuate tumor growth in multiple animal models. This includes xenograft model of leukemia and pancreatic cancer

Anti diabetic activity

Analgesic activity

Amalaki as an ingredient in popular Ayurveda anti-diabetic formulations –

  • Chyawanprash
  • Brahmarasayana
  • Mehari Choorna
  • Amalaki Rasayana
  • Triphala Churna
Dosage:-
Adults:- 3 to 6 gms
Children:-1 to 2 gm
Churna:- 3 to 6 gms





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