Have you heard of Amla? Also known as a gooseberry, this fruit provides powerful health benefits.
What is Amla?
Amla is a tiny, green fruit that is grown in India, the Middle East, and parts of southern Asia. Also known as the Indian gooseberry, it is a low-calorie fruit that is rich in fiber. Amla has an interesting balance of sweet, sour, pungent, and bitter flavors, and when it is ripe, it is at its sweetest.
The entire plant is used for medicinal purposes and has a lot of antioxidant power. The fruit is full of Vitamin C, iron, and calcium and has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for over 5,000 years to improve a wide range of health ailments.
What are the Health Benefits?
Amla provides a significant amount of health benefits both inside and out. It provides the highest concentration of benefits when in powder form. Amla contains more Vitamin C than three oranges and helps to improve your immunity and ability to fight off infections more efficiently.
Some other health benefits of amla include:
- Shown to boost heart, brain and liver health
- Reduce age spots, wrinkles and even strengthen hair
- Improve digestion and reduces the levels of acid in your stomach
- Boosts your HDL and lowers LDL cholesterol levels, which reduces the risk of heart disease by regulating the build-up of bad cholesterol.
- Antioxidants decrease inflammation and can protect your cells from free radicals which can cause high inflammation and increase your risk for chronic diseases
- Fights free radicals in your body and reduces cell damage and also the risk of cancer and inflammation
- Protects your kidneys by lowering your blood pressure, which benefits both your heart and kidney health. Better filtration in your kidneys and the high levels of Vitamin C may also lower your risk of developing kidney stones.
- Reduces the risk of diabetes by lowering blood sugar levels. The nutrients in amla can naturally stimulate your body’s production of insulin, which leans to lower blood sugar levels and reduces your risk of diabetes. Also, it contains chromium, which makes your body more responsive to insulin and regulates blood glucose levels.
- Strengthens your immunity with its powerful antioxidants that may increase the activity of natural killer cells that protect you from getting sick.
- The vitamin E in amla protects your skin from sunlight and increases the production of collagen.
How Can You Incorporate Amla into Your Diet?
You can incorporate amla into your diet in several different ways.
- You can make juice from Amla, which you can then use as a home remedy to treat a cough and the flu. Or mix a couple tablespoons of juice with water and gargle twice a day to get rid of mouth ulcers.
- One cup of amla is just 60 calories and you can make tea made from amla. You can drink the tea every day to help benefit your health.
- You can also eat the fruit raw. With its high fiber content, it helps with your digestive system and combats hyperacidity and stomach ulcers.
- The best way to consume alma is in powder form. Since it is bitter tasting, you might want to mix it with other fruit juices.
- Amla gives you glowing skin and keeps you hydrated. You can consume it with water or add it to your face mask.
- Great for your hair. Add it to your hair care routine to cure dandruff or help prevent hair loss.
Using it with Intermittent Fasting
Amla can aid in intermittent fasting and help to accelerate the results. Intermittent fasting is a way to cycle between periods of eating and fasting. Examples of how intermittent fasting works:
- Alternate-day fasting- Switching from days without restricting foods to days that include one meal that provides 25 percent of your daily calorie needs. Example, you could eat a 700-calorie meal on Monday and resume your regular diet on Tuesday.
- Whole-day fasting- Also known as the 5:2 fasting schedule. Means you eat roughly 500-calories two days a week. The other five days, there are no food restrictions.
- Time-restricted fasting- Follows a 16:8 schedule; this means you only eat for 8 hours throughout the day and fast for 16 hours. For example, noon to 8 p.m., you eat lunch and dinner like you usually would.
Amla can help you fast longer with less effort by naturally controlling your appetite. It will also help you stay mentally focused, sharp, and continue to concentrate into your fasting. Amla will help to reduce fatigue and keep up your stamina during your intermittent fasting.
Final Note
Boost your health by incorporating amla into your daily routine. Whether you choose to add it to your diet or beauty routine, the benefits are endless.